The article discusses the functional role of the parieto-frontal mirror circuit, which is active during action observation and is believed to play a crucial role in understanding the actions and intentions of others. The authors review recent studies in monkeys and humans to understand what this circuit encodes and its potential functional relevance for cognition. They conclude that the parieto-frontal mechanism allows an individual to understand the actions of others 'from the inside,' providing a first-person grasp of the motor goals and intentions of other individuals. The article also examines the debate surrounding the interpretation of the functions of the action observation-execution circuit, highlighting the shift from the classical view that these cognitive functions depend on higher-level mental processes to the new perspective that the motor system is involved in cognitive functions. The authors discuss the evidence for goal coding in monkeys and humans, the role of the superior temporal sulcus (STS) in action understanding, and the implications of mirror neurons for understanding motor intentions. They also address criticisms and alternative proposals, emphasizing the importance of the parieto-frontal mirror network in understanding the motor intentions of others. Finally, they explore the implications of these findings for understanding autism spectrum disorder (ASD), suggesting that impairments in the mirror mechanism may contribute to social difficulties in individuals with ASD.The article discusses the functional role of the parieto-frontal mirror circuit, which is active during action observation and is believed to play a crucial role in understanding the actions and intentions of others. The authors review recent studies in monkeys and humans to understand what this circuit encodes and its potential functional relevance for cognition. They conclude that the parieto-frontal mechanism allows an individual to understand the actions of others 'from the inside,' providing a first-person grasp of the motor goals and intentions of other individuals. The article also examines the debate surrounding the interpretation of the functions of the action observation-execution circuit, highlighting the shift from the classical view that these cognitive functions depend on higher-level mental processes to the new perspective that the motor system is involved in cognitive functions. The authors discuss the evidence for goal coding in monkeys and humans, the role of the superior temporal sulcus (STS) in action understanding, and the implications of mirror neurons for understanding motor intentions. They also address criticisms and alternative proposals, emphasizing the importance of the parieto-frontal mirror network in understanding the motor intentions of others. Finally, they explore the implications of these findings for understanding autism spectrum disorder (ASD), suggesting that impairments in the mirror mechanism may contribute to social difficulties in individuals with ASD.