Are We Programmed To Be Followers And What Is Deictic Gaze?
Christopher Philip
Watch host Jason Silva discusses how the evolution of the “deictic gaze” has influenced modern culture. This is from the television series Brain Games. In this particular clip, Jason discusses how your behaviour is based on how your brain naturally copies people around you. This is hypothesized to be the root of empathy.
Deictic gaze means that people desire looking in the direction in which other people look. When people suddenly look up, for example, others look up too. This is because something other people are seeing might affect us adversely, a danger for example, or be of benefit, such as free samples at a supermarket.
Regardless, looking where other people look is hypothesized to be a root into empathy.
When we look where other people look, we can begin to feel what they feel.
Resources