How behavior affects others?

Being human makes us social creatures. By being social creatures that implies of course that we interact with others to varying degrees and via countless methods or means. Every time we interact with another individual we influence or affect their behavior in some manner. Think about how just saying “Hello” to another person leads to them lifting their arm up, putting their hand up and facing you, followed by a “Hello” from them. All this behavior change occurred from one simple word such as “Hello”. If one word can have this effect, then imagine how much more complex forms of behavioral influence can occur from varying behaviors.

                Some of us have heard the “Don’t be a party pooper” which implies that one person’s behavior is affecting the behavior of another or a crowd. Mood states are at times recognizable by others and can lead to response or reactions such as attempting to console or avoidance. The current state of social media is a prime example of how the behavior of individuals can influence others at a scale that is of incredible reach. Simple pictures or videos affect some in ways of creating motivation, inspiring them to pursue wants and needs. At times, those simple pictures and videos create negative effects such as low self-esteem, sadness and even lead to self-harm. If you have been experiencing any suicidal thoughts, reach out for help immediately. You can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

                According to the APA in the DMS-IV there is a disorder called “Folie a deux'' which translates to a shared psychotic disorder. In a shared psychotic disorder when two people begin to share the same delusion while being in a proximal relationship. In this example one individual has a diagnosed psychotic disorder while the other one does not yet experience the same symptoms. This is another well documented example of how behavior affects others. Therefore, sayings like “lead by example” exist because if others like your example then they will follow it and integrate into their lives in some manner. There is no doubt that every day we influence the behavior of another and sometimes not one word needs to be spoken since communication is about 70-80% non-verbal. As long as we remain social creatures we will be at the mercy of some kind of behavioral influence.