The Broken Mirror Theory

Introduction: A Glimpse into the Mirror

 Have you ever winced when watching someone fall—or smiled just because someone else did? That instant emotional reaction is thanks to mirror neurons: a remarkable part of your brain that lets you “feel with” others.

 Discovered through groundbreaking research by Dr. Giacomo Rizzolatti in the 1990s and expanded in 2010, mirror neurons help us understand others’ actions and emotions by simulating them in our own minds. This discovery offers profound insight into how empathy works—and what happens when it doesn’t.