Unlike sight or sound, smell has a direct pathway to the amygdala and hippocampus-the regions involved in emotion and autobiographical memory. Because of this connection, memories triggered by scent are often more vivid and emotionally intense than those triggered by sight.
The question itself is surprisingly straightforward: "How does this person act when they have the choice to engage with me or not?" Think about it. When someone has the freedom to choose whether to interact with you, their decision speaks volumes. Do they seek you out at parties? Do they text you first sometimes? When the conversation naturally reaches a pause, do they let it end or find ways to keep it going?
Have you ever sat across from someone who you felt was challenging or having a funny reaction to you? These are emotional reactions that are probably not fully under conscious control. Otherwise, you would probably just be amused by other people's quirks and reactions and not "feel" any particular way about them. (And, no, I am not saying to ignore your serial killer vibes-if you get those, run away!)
Bring two or more people together and they will immediately begin to synchronize or fall into rhythm with one another. Not only do we tend to subconsciously mimic one another's movements, postures, facial expressions, and gestures, but recent breakthroughs in technology have revealed we also sync up our heart rates, blood pressure, brain waves, pupil dilation, and hormonal activity. This phenomenon is known as interpersonal synchrony, and it is possibly the most consequential social dynamic most people have never heard of.