Picking Up on Another’s Stress

The old adage of “never let them see you sweat” just got some scientific credence to back it up. Research shows that people can actually pick up on someone else’s stress level by the sweat they give off. This is all done without even knowing it’s happening.

There is something in sweat that changes the brain activity in another person. So when you’re around someone stressed out and sweating, you can become more alert and heightened just by inhaling the scent of the sweat.

Lest you think this all has to do with pheromones, think again. Scientists have yet to find a link to the “signal” that sweat gives off and that of pheromones.

To me, it’s interesting that someone can pick up on the stress level of someone else when the other person is sweating. I feel like I do that anyways when I see someone else stressed out. But the research that was done for this study isolated the sweat and the situation to confirm that it wasn’t seeing someone in peril but inhaling their sweat instead.

The body is a weird and wonderful thing, isn’t it?

Image: sxc.hu.