Brennan touches on this very thing when she says, "If I feel anxiety when I enter the room, then that will influence what I perceive or receive" (6). The preexisting tension in the room will influence any newcomers whether they are aware of it or not, even to the point of the newcomers blaming themselves; "If I am not aware that there are affects in the air, I may hold myself solely responsible for them" (6).
These statements make sense; the first because we've all experienced stress in one part of our lives (school, for instance) impacting other parts of our lives (like relationships with roommates). In fact, when patching things up after an especially stressful time like finals, roommates may say to one another, "I was just so stressed because of finals," and that is generally an accepted reason for having behaved monstrously for a few days. The second case is also easy to pinpoint, perhaps also with roommates; I've walked into my apartment before to find everyone actively engaged in not speaking to one another. I may have missed the argument, but it would be impossible to miss the fallout. And on another level, I'm sure we could each name someone always who leaves us in a better mood than when we met-- and someone who does the opposite.
So, is Brennan on to something? In this respect, I'd have to say she is, at least in my own experience. Even the most "emotionless" people I know still have an effect on those around them (usually a depressing one). The emotional exhaustion alone after being in a crowd for an extended period is really enough to convince me that humans are like emotion antennas, constantly giving and receiving signals.
I agree with you and Brennan that people can transmit their affects onto each other. I notice this especially when I am waiting in a long line, like at HEB. It seems that the crowdedness and lack of patience is just embedded in the air. And being around that presence just gets me upset. And the same goes with specific individuals. When my roommate is upset, I can feel myself becoming upset when I have no reason to have this emotion. And I always feel weird about this afterwards. Because it is peculiar that your whole day can change, for better or worse, by an affect that was not even originally yours.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the above post and comment. I think most people can feel anxiety or happiness when they enter a room, whether they realize it or not, and automatically respond to (or mimic) that atmosphere. When thinking about it, I usually don't care about waiting in a line at the grocery store unless the people around me are projecting negativity and irritation. It definitely transfers and spreads like a cold (like you said) to other people in the line. When people are friendly in the line and project positivity, that is transferred as well and usually provokes a happy, or at least, at ease response from the people around them. I usually roll my eyes when people talk about other people's "energies," but it really is true. People can give off a certain energy that can make others want to be around them, or want to stay away from them, because their energy affects one's own just by being in the same environment.
ReplyDeleteOh, the waiting in line at the store is a good example! It's true-- cheery people in line make it go faster, grumpy people make it slower. Plus the previously mentioned benefit (or otherwise) of spreading the emotions around.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of the emotionless person still having a (downward) effect on the general attitude of those around them is an interesting one to me. I've met several people before who consciously do everything they can to virtually make themselves non-entities either due to shyness or simple awkwardness - they try and stay away, and not express much emotion. What makes this interesting is that it is not so much their lack of emotion that is transmitted, but often the reaction of those around them is that they are "creepy" in their lack of emotion. I think that the absence of transferal itself is an unsettling sensation for most people as instead of the usual broadcasts what they receive is a void, and they are unable to cope with that because they are unsure how to act or react to what that person is doing.
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ReplyDelete(Sure wish we could edit comments in Blogger!)
ReplyDeleteGood point. So the non-entity ends up drawing more attention to themselves by trying so hard not to draw attention.
I have to wonder whether or not the way someone acts in a room that has preexisting tensions is necessarily dictated by their emotions and not the kind of person they are. For example, on more than one occasion, I've entered a room where there was a lot of tension, sensed that, and then used that tension as cover for me to start verbally lashing out at someone I held a grudge against. When confronted about it later, I simply claimed that I was "stressed" and it's usually taken as a valid excuse (though admittedly, perhaps that person's presence was in fact stressing me to being with).
ReplyDeleteMy point here is that while the "emotion" in a room may very well influence how a person is feeling at the moment, it also might provide an excuse for someone to act on the same emotion they've been "sitting on" for a while to begin with.