You Become The Fictional Characters You Watch
a Science Daily: Researchers at Ohio State University examined what happened to people who, while reading a fictional story, found themselves feeling the emotions, thoughts, beliefs and internal responses of one of the characters as if they were their own -- a phenomenon the researchers call "experience-taking." They found that, in the right situations, experience-taking may lead to real changes, if only temporary, in the lives of readers. In one experiment, for example, the researchers found that people who strongly…
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The most proven technique for increasing long term happiness
is technique has been proven again and again and again. Here it is, explained by its originator, University of Pennsylvania professor Martin Seligman. Via Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being: Every night for the next week, set aside ten minutes before you go to sleep. Write down three things that went well today and why they went well. You may use a journal or your computer to write about the events, but it is important that you…
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7 Things Every Facebook User Needs To Know, Backed By Research
bsp; Your Facebook profile probably reveals your true personality. It's especially indicative of how extroverted and open to new experience you are but it can also tell people whether you have anxiety and even predict your job performance. I wouldn't get too paranoid though; most people just judge you off the photo. Then again that photo can predict how happy you'll be 3.5 years from now. (Just from status updates, Facebook knows how happy the entire US is every…
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Research Shows These 5 Simple Things Can Help You Live To 100
ugh. Be happy. Be optimistic. Get enough sleep. Stay out of debt. Do not stay at a boring job that pays badly. Have a good relationship with your boss. Try and get promoted. Kissing ass is good for you. Job insecurity and unemployment are correlated with poor health. Connecting with others can be more important than exercise. Spend time with friends. Loneliness can kill you. Blaming others can make you ill. Forgive. It's essential to have a feeling of control…
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Can starving yourself for a while every day improve health, extend life and make you look good?
termittent fasting may have very powerful effects: Restricting caloric intake to 60-70% of normal adult weight maintenance requirement prolongs lifespan 30-50% and confers near perfect health across a broad range of species. Every other day feeding produces similar effects in rodents, and profound beneficial physiologic changes have been demonstrated in the absence of weight loss in ob/ob mice. Since May 2003 we have experimented with alternate day calorie restriction, one day consuming 20-50% of estimated daily caloric requirement and the…
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Watching TV Increases Empathy
s. Via an excellent piece by Jonathan Gottschall in the Boston Globe: As the psychologist Raymond Mar writes, “Researchers have repeatedly found that reader attitudes shift to become more congruent with the ideas expressed in a [fictional] narrative.” For example, studies reliably show that when we watch a TV show that treats gay families nonjudgmentally (say, “Modern Family”), our own views on homosexuality are likely to move in the same nonjudgmental direction. And it's not just TV. It's fiction, in…
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Can anything in life ever surpass winning 14 gold medals?
ybe not. Research shows that extremely positive events can skew perspective so much that everything that follows pales in comparison. Maybe this is why many athletes have trouble staying retired. Via Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness: As I was watching Michael Phelps receive his 14th gold medal – what a week! – this is what I was thinking: “How could anything in this 23-year old swimmer’s life ever top this?” And: “After he comes down from the…
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Here Are 7 Things That Will Make You Happier In 7 Seconds, According To Research
ink about something you love. Imagine how you would feel if you lost it. Now be happy you have it. Research shows savoring has powerful affects on well-being. Take a nap. Studies show we can process negative thoughts just fine when we're exhausted -- but not the happy ones. Smile. Happy or not, just smile. Studies show it can trick your mind into thinking you feel good. And it has plenty of other benefits. Hug someone. Corny? Maybe. But it…
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