Several years ago I read an article discussing the psychology behind giving money to the homeless that are jingling a cup outside of a Dunkin Donuts. The idea being that if the person in front of you throws some change into that cup, you are more likely to throw change into the cup, and the person after you. It follows the idea that we are creatures of habit and unintentionally mock the behavior of those around us.
I completely follow this mindset. Before college, I had never even sat down to watch an entire football game. Now, surrounded by friends who dedicate their Saturdays and Sundays to football, suddenly I'm an enthusiast too! I distinctly remember my first Penn State football game because I had absolutely no idea what was going on. I cheered when everyone else cheered, made a disgruntled expression when they were angry, and simply followed the moves of those around me. In bad times too, when part of the crowd starts to yell obscenities, many will join in with them (I would stand there and just look angry).
Back to today and why this is striking me. At Penn State the bus service that rides around campus is called CATA and their drivers are normally friendly and reserved. But recently I've been watching the behavior of the drivers and the riders of the bus. Who says "Good morning" at 7:35 when I'm boarding the Red Link, and who says "Thank you" when they leave the bus. And this theory of mocking each other's behavior is remarkable! When one person says one of these cordial phrases, almost every person that follows does the same!
So this leads me to really think about what behaviors I present. What behaviors am I doing that are encouraging and helping my fellow brethen? And in the reverse, what am I doing that's leading people in not so uplifting behaviors?
We mock those around us, so be encouraging, love each other, and the rest will follow.
