From the Globe and Mail:
He w
ho laughs, lasts
“It has long been thought that a happy disposition can [have an] impact on life expectancy, and the recent study by experts at Wayne State University in Michigan seems to back this,” The Daily Telegraph reports. “They came to their conclusions by studying 230 pictures of major-league baseball players printed in the 1952 baseball register. … Researchers the
n ranked the players according to their smiles and laughter lines. … Of the 184 players who had since died, those in the ‘no smile’ section lived an average of 72.9 years while the ‘partial smile’ group lived to around the age of 75. Those with the widest grins lived an average of 79.9 years – a full seven more years than their glum colleagues. The study also found that putting on a false smile did not work, as only those who looked genuinely happy had the extra life expectancy.”
ho laughs, lasts“It has long been thought that a happy disposition can [have an] impact on life expectancy, and the recent study by experts at Wayne State University in Michigan seems to back this,” The Daily Telegraph reports. “They came to their conclusions by studying 230 pictures of major-league baseball players printed in the 1952 baseball register. … Researchers the
n ranked the players according to their smiles and laughter lines. … Of the 184 players who had since died, those in the ‘no smile’ section lived an average of 72.9 years while the ‘partial smile’ group lived to around the age of 75. Those with the widest grins lived an average of 79.9 years – a full seven more years than their glum colleagues. The study also found that putting on a false smile did not work, as only those who looked genuinely happy had the extra life expectancy.”Smiling leads to health. This is just good news and a word of warning to those who go through life with a gnarled world view. On the flipside, smiling is also a sign of naivete. I always thought naiveousiousness was an underated disposition. In a society where knowledge = power, naivete has always been discouraged. Those engaging in it got what they deserved. Now we know t
hat naivete might be a long term survival tactic on an evolutionary scale.
hat naivete might be a long term survival tactic on an evolutionary scale.Ponderance: The opposite of naivete is shrewdness. Shrewdness has value in its own right. If you are shrewd and can see the 'true nature of things'; you are likely not to get tricked by street-wise con men in a game of chance for example. T
he naive man is likely to lose it all (while smiling before, during and after). But at the same time, the shrewd man is likely to die early. So, perhaps, it is meta-shrewd to actually be naive because it allows one to achieve arguably the over-arching goal of life - longevity.
he naive man is likely to lose it all (while smiling before, during and after). But at the same time, the shrewd man is likely to die early. So, perhaps, it is meta-shrewd to actually be naive because it allows one to achieve arguably the over-arching goal of life - longevity. Perhaps, the health benefits of naivete also explain the benefits of faith-based religions. Faith, by its very nature, draws lines in the sand where the questioning stops, and reason no longer has credence. It encourages a naivete. And, we all know that faith can be comforting. And, now, apparently, healthy.
Possible Equations:
Naiveness + smiling = some hardship in life through being duped + an additional 5 years on your life vs. avg. life span
Shrewdness + a sharp eye = ability to read social actions - .9 years off average life span
No comments:
Post a Comment