Want to become a better person? Travelling more might be the answer

Mirroring behaviour

Of course, Japanese society is not without its challenges and crowded places. To successfully navigate such an environment, it is essential for citizens to adopt communal and empathetic behaviours towards each other. For instance, in Japan people do not speak on their mobile phones on the train or subway, to avoid disturbing others that may be tired after a long day of work.

And on rainy days they do not take their wet umbrellas into stores, the train or subway. Rather they leave their umbrella in a basket at their local station to avoid wetting others while standing in the crowded train. Upon their return, the umbrellas will still be there in the unprotected basket at the station.

Could it be, then, that exposure to these types of positive behaviours could motivate travellers to adopt them and subsequently take their “improved manners” back home?

Scientifically, this phenomenon may be explained by “mirror neurons”. As the name implies, mirror neurons are linked to the “mirroring” of others’ behaviours. Initially explored to explain ape’s social behaviour, there is growing evidence that mirror neurons are also evident in humans.

Nested in our brains, researchers argue that mirror neurons fire not only while executing an action, but also while observing somebody else performing the same or a similar action. Neuroscientific evidence also suggests that specific brain regions are tied to an interdependent self, and that mirror neurons play a role in how a person integrates information about their self and others.

Wired for empathy

Research also suggests that the relationship between mirror neurons and imitation is linked to an evolutionary process that made us wired to develop a more empathetic self. Broadly speaking, empathy has to do with the sensing and sharing of feelings of one person by another – connecting people in mutual dependency.

In this way, empathy is an important attribute needed to become a better person and mirror neurons seem to be the ideal cells to support cooperative behaviour among people. So it stands to reason that experiencing and observing empathetic behaviour during travels that you haven’t come across before, may activate your mirror neuron system.

And it could well be that travellers integrate this empathetic behaviour as part of their brain – leading to more considerate interactions with others even after returning home. So maybe this is what people mean when they say they feel changed or inspired by their time away. Either way, it’s clear that getting a change of scenery every so often can be beneficial for our minds, bodies and maybe even our manners.

So when it comes to thinking about your next trip, try to choose somewhere that protects the local environment and respects human rights –- and use local businesses rather than multinationals when booking your flights and accommodation. That way you can not only help to better yourself, but also the world around you.

Hector Gonzalez-Jimenez, Associate Professor in Marketing, University of York

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.