omnia mea mecum fero

"In your brain, you have neurons called “mirror” neurons. These brain cells are essentially the “soft-wiring” behind empathy. It’s why you feel sadness when a friend is struggling, and happy when they overcome an obstacle. You experience their ups and downs as if they are yours.

 

This video explains more about the science behind empathy. You’ll learn why stories work better than stats in your online (and offline) appeals. You’ll learn why pictures elicite a strong emotional response than text."

 

Don't let the title fool you -- even though this is slanted to non-profits, we all need to know this information.

 

By watching this video (which takes very complex notions and breaks them down into simple-to-understand chunks), you will learn a alot about empathy. I quibble with a few points, but overall it's a good synopsis.

 

What is the connection to story?  Well, by sharing a story you connect with your audience through empathy.  So the more you understand about how and why empathy works, the more you will master business storytelling. 

 

Enjoy the video and let me know what you think!

Via Yael Even-Levy, PhD (Second Life: JoelleYalin)