Monkey Do Do Monkey Connect?

Within humanity there exist multiple coercive forces which govern the everyday actions, thoughts, and behaviors of individuals. Of these, perhaps the most influential is our ability to connect with other people, to empathize and mimic. In the scientific writing ¨Monkey See, Monkey do, Monkey Connect¨, Frans de Waal educates the reader of our primal tendency to mimic and empathize with others. In the Informational text ¨With Friends Like These¨, Dorothy Rowe explains the social dynamics regarding validation, and how friends are necessary for a healthy mind. In the Latin American short story ¨And of Clay Are We Created¨, Isabel Allende tells a tragic story which unfolds in a heart-wrenching revelation for the emotionally isolated characters.
In “Monkey See, Monkey Do, Monkey Connect”, author Frans de Waal articulates that genetically, Homo sapiens are “remarkably easily” (de Waal 26) to shift emotionally with the sentiments of others. Unconsciously, populations are drawn to synchrony with one another. The author observes chimps in a primate center, and notes many striking similarities between their behavior, and the behavior of humans. The chimps would produce loud fits of laughter during group play, and at once, all of them would join the crowd in a chorus of laughter, in the same manner as humans. Individuals observe each other, and “reconstruct” (29) the actions which they recognize. Humankind is invariably linked by the primal inclination to copy our peers’ demeanor. This sort of synchronized empathy is the crucial tool that explains how man has been able to form deep, meaningful relationships, forge strong connections within communities, and build societies. Our internal systems of synchronization and mimicry aren’t perfect, and other social factors must be at play for reputable social interaction, and proper self
Dorothy Rowe, author of “With Friends Like These” suggests that our perceptions of reality are fragile, and everything that we consider to be our sense of us, is merely a guess. According to Rowe, This is why validation, the confirmation of one’s ideas, is irrefutably important. Friends accomplish this uniquely human need by offering emotional support to those in need of validation. Without validation, people will be “annihilated” (Rowe 36) as individuals, and their internal sense of self, shattered. If somebody’s manufactured image of a friend does not turn out to match with the true nature of their friend, this may lead to the breaking of a bond. Bonds are heavily reliant on validation, so if personal requirements of it are not met, and adequate change cannot be made, “falling out” (93) surely will follow. Falling out can have negative consequences and irreversible effects on the psychology of an individual. Emotional isolation, self-doubt, as well as a range of other issues may come as a product of this, only further emphasizing the importance of validation within