The Power of Mirroring: the Secret of Actors, Athletes, and Big Shots

Mimicry of those you want to emulate can be a powerful tool for leveling up your game.  Whether it is adopting the character of a person who has already accomplished your goals, the stance of an athlete you admire, or a leader in your industry, mirroring their “presence” capitalizes on a little shared secret of the mind.  

Your mind has a special type of neuron dubbed “mirror neurons”.  Mirror neurons explain the  “Monkey see, monkey do”  behavior we joke about.  And yes, they were originally discovered by scientists who noticed this unusual behavior in primates.  You can leverage the existence of these neurons to adopt the nuances of that success that define those you want to emulate.

Adopting a character is also termed “psychological halloweenism”   (Srini Pillay, MD Harvard)  to practice being who you want to be.

I have been delving into the mysteries of motor memory to conquer a personal goal.  The best insights reveal themselves when I put the research aside and let my mind process.  This time I had an epiphany during my favorite cardio workout, Rebel Groove. I connected the dots between mimicry and how the brain learns. Dance and cardio are two highly powerful brain boosters, according to world-renowned scientists, Dr. Wendy Suzuki and Dr. John Ratey. 

Mimicry is an innate ability we use as babies.  It is not taught, but teaches us vital skills before we are capable of language.  It is what actors call “adopting character”. Parents employ it instinctually with infants and we unconsciously respond to cues that employ this part of our brain throughout life.  We are witness to many things during life as an audience, and we react viscerally to what we see.

What do I mean?

Lets say your favorite cooking guru models how to create a beautiful dessert and sighs with bliss at the first taste.  You can almost taste the warm chocolate merging with the whipped cream and your mouth waters.    Your tastebud’s response is vicarious living from watching her bliss.  It is so enticing that your mouth is having a virtual party and mimicking her experience.

Or, you are watching a talent show and the singer trips on a cord and face plants right in front of the camera.  You cringe in sympathy feeling the rush of embarrassment and your face burns red.  You feel her pain.

Premier athletes use it not only to learn within their sport, but to handle the unique situations that only other premier athletes understand.  One example of this is the relationship that has developed between American skier Mikaela Shiffrin and Polish tennis player Iga Swiatek.

Swiatek shared that Shiffren was a role model for her and the two began to connect over social media, including a long conversation on Instagram.

“I really like how she handles the pressure because people would have thought that it’s going to be obvious that she’s going to break the record,” Swiatek said. 

“It’s sometimes hard to deal with that when all eyes are on you and you have to still be kind of patient and down to earth, really work hard to achieve that, because in sport nothing’s going to come for free.” Iga Swiatek 

Shiffrin and Swiatek keep learning how to win from each other.  We know intuitively that we benefit from mentors and coaches, but most of us don’t understand the depth of why watching a person we want to learn from is so powerful.  It’s a brain power that is little talked about but has puzzled thinkers for centuries.  

Why do we have this instinct to mimic an instructor's actions on the dance floor and feel others' pain? 

Scientists have identified the existence of what are called “mirror neurons.”  In an example of scientific serendipity, Italian researchers noticed a curious phenomenon in the 1990’s.   This dramatic discovery was called one of the “single most important unpublicized stories of the decade.” -V.S. Ramachandran, PhD

“Neuroscientist Giacomo Rizzolatti, MD, who with his colleagues at the University of Parma first identified mirror neurons, says that the neurons could help explain how and why we "read" other people's minds and feel empathy for them. If watching an action and performing that action can activate the same parts of the brain in monkeys--down to a single neuron--then it makes sense that watching an action and performing an action could also elicit the same feelings in people.” American Psychological Association

You may have heard that we are a reflection of the 5 people you surround yourself with.  This is why it is important to find those who you want to emulate. 

So how do you leverage your power tribe?  

Introspection with honesty.  

What are you putting in your mind’s mirror?  Are you surrounding yourself with people you want to emulate?  If not, it seems your mind is adopting practices from those you are watching anyway.  

Imagine the possibilites.

Imagine if you were more intentional about utilizing this brain super power.  What would you be capable of?  

You will not become a premier athlete simply by just watching them and emulating their posture.  It obviously requires more than that, but I guarantee most superstars can tell you the name of someone that inspired them to become what they are today. That is where it all started.  They took the next step unlike those sitting in the grandstands or those parked on the couch. 

We all enjoy living vicariously, but I encourage you to take a look at what you want to be, and find someone just a few steps ahead to inspire you.  Surround yourself with those whom you admire and can learn from.  

And perhaps you will have a few students in the mix too, because the beauty of teaching is that you get to learn some crucial things at least twice.  You keep learning how to win from each other.

Teaching is a way to reflect upon your own life lessons and articulate your wisdom in a way that may inspire you all over again.  In my experience, the student becomes the greatest source of things you may have missed learning the first time.  

Live vicariously to find your purpose.  Surround yourself with wisdom and be curious about how much more you can learn from new perspectives.  The presence of mirror neurons is an innate gift within your mind, but leveraging them is a choice. 

P.S. Congratulations to Mikaela Shiffrin!  Since I started writing this a week ago, she officially became the greatest competitive skier of all time, male or female.   

“She stands as the only skier to win a race in all six World Cup disciplines — combined, downhill, giant slalom, parallel, super-G and slalom.” 

Not only has she broken records, she has skied smart and intentionally avoided injury along the way.  Because she was mindful of her health, she now has the potential to set the bar higher than ever before.  

Simply inspiring.

Enjoy the art of crafting your mind and become a beautiful reflection of those you admire.