| When we feel anxious, we release signs which are subconsciously detected by others, reveals a study by Haegler et al.Katrin Haegler and colleagues collected sweat from volunteers. Placing the sweat samples inside scent free tea bags, they tested it’s effect on participants playing a gambling game, with makeshift nosebags. Some nosebags held the sweat from an “anxious” group, completing a high-rope obstacle course, while others held sweat from a non-anxious group, were riding exercise bikes. The participants with the “nervous nosebags” were more likely to take high risks The participants, when asked, said they couldn’t tell the difference between the anxious and non-anxious nosebags, which concurs with previous studies that these emotional chemical signals occur subconsciously. Some animals are able to convey danger to each other with below-conscious chemistry and Haegler et al point out that it isn’t clear whether this is the purpose of this subconscious communication in humans. Society works as a result of frequent fine tuning of feelings, with each person responding to and regulating them as needed. Failure to notice feelings and take appropriate action, erodes the system itself, and results are not optimal. |