Extraordinary Acts and Good Deeds are Contagious

You may have read about Maickel Melamed, from Venezuela, who completed the Boston Marathon. He completed the 26.2 miles in the rain and cold in 20 hours. He serves as an inspiration because he has muscular dystrophy. Maickel attributes his success to his team. His team members helped him to walk when his leg muscles gave out, coaching him through a period of resting for 10 seconds, walking six steps, resting again, then walking again, until the finish line. As a professor and motivational speaker, his message is that human beings are here to connect each other and that together we can create amazing things. If you can finish a marathon with muscular dystrophy, you can do anything. You would be hard pressed to watch the video and not be moved.

Why are we moved by extraordinary acts and good deeds of others? Jonathan Haidt, in his article Wired to be Inspired, defines this feeling as “elevation.” It is a warm, uplifting feeling that people experience when they see unexpected acts of human courage, goodness, kindness, or compassion. Physical sensations of elevation are warm, pleasant, or tingling feelings, especially in the chest area. It is contagious. Elevation motivates others to be a better person, or to aspire to great actions. People with these feelings report wanting to help others, become better people, and affiliate with others. There is a social dimension to elevation in that it can improve entire communities.

How are we motivated by others to achieve great actions? Psychology research shows that when people or groups interact, their verbal and non-verbal cues become synchronized. For example, we mirror each other’s posture and mannerisms, sometimes using the same speech patterns. Even yawning is contagious. We automatically and unconsciously mimic each other’s behavior.

When mimicry is combined with elevation, we are driven toward a goal, and motivated to stretch ourselves beyond our comfort zone. Inspiration expands our perception of what is possible. It sparks motivation to do more and be more.

What motivates and inspires you? What have you done that inspires great action out of others?