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80-year Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life

news.harvard.edu

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Re: 80-year Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life

#151

Post by zeteo »

dang wrote: post #145
zeteo wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This sort of snarky comment that dispenses with the life work of others by means of internet clichés [...] specialists who worked in a field for decades So if the work is so polished then it should be really easy to defend on its merits right? I find it curious that your main argument is instead about the work's authors.

That's not the argument at all. The argument is that the internet genre of the snarky dismissal is harmful in its own right. It subtly (and not-so-subtly) encourages many of the things we don't want here. So please stop posting like that. If you have a substantive point to make, make it thoughtfully; otherwise please don't comment until you do.

Thank you, moderator.

Re: 80-year Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life

#152

Post by bluetwo »

mmel wrote: post #45
BatFastard wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its not too late! Socialize more, exercise everyday, and take something for depression! Learn new things, I had a rough spell a few years ago which took its toll. Now what I find is I have to walk the razors edge everyday. Make sure I sleep enough, eat right (low carb and fasting), exercise twice a day. If I dont I start to lose the edge.

>"Take something for depression" What happy pills do you recommend?

The problem with medication for depression is that they generally have only ever been proven to help in cases of severe depression. They don't help with mild depression, but doctors are allowed to prescribe them for anything they see fit. I believe they have been over prescribed.

There are related issues, like racing thoughts and anxiety, which are different and not all that uncommon. Lorazepam is actually pretty effective for these issues.

Re: 80-year Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life

#153

Post by sn9 »

indescions_2017 wrote: post #132

I've got a simple hack I employ when in a new city. All through my twenties, I moved basically every year or two. Most of the time I had a network of family or associates to drawn upon before arrival. But often, I'd find myself a complete stranger, knowing not a single soul. What I'd do is this: find a local diner, not a touristy place, but a real local institution and landmark. And then eat dinner there every single…

Coffee shops are also great for this.

Re: 80-year Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life

#154

Post by adinobro »

sillysaurus3 wrote: post #46
biofox wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You just described my life with uncanny accuracy. I have suspected for some time that my problems were due to social isolation, but I have been too apathetic to make an effort to do anything. You've just given me the motivation to change that. Thank you!

I wish there were a Tinder for friends. It's a shame no one would use it.

There basically is. Meetup.com does what you are looking for.

People without any common interests are boring to spend time with. You need at least something in common.

I move all the time and every time I move to a new city I try to find a board game group and a Linux User Group.

I'm not super into Linux anymore (I used to be a Systems Administrator) but I can help new users and the people are geeky and people that I often get on with. In the past I have joined Toastmasters groups. They are good with a much more varried group of people going to them. The point is the people then connect you with other people.

Re: 80-year Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life

#155

Post by beefield »

graphitezepp wrote: post #150
beefield wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it is quite difficult to let complete strangers to your home without any help from technology. I don't think this app would need any rocket science, but I would guess that a simple way to verify who you are dealing with and make that public ("John Doe is joining our board game night today") and some kind of scoring system ("John Doe has wanted help x times and given help y times and on average people do not s…

Perhaps having mandatory face shots being part of the app (you can at least know what age demographic the strangers are in) as well as a blacklist (preferably hard to get on to avoid abuse). I would want to avoid a scoring system, that slips into "good person" quantification territory. For the second point I agree with your concept, but I don't have an idea for the implementation. Random matching?

Maybe some combination of real name, photo, social media accounts and trusted networking (these are the people that I have verified to being what they say they are etc.)

Scoring has its challenges, but somehow I think there should be a way to flag people that do not behave decently. Maybe just two grade scoring with wording that makes it clear that the lower grade is applicable only if the person has e.g. threatened with violence or completely disregarded what was agreed (being a bit late or politely cancelling in the last minute is not sufficient)

And for the second part, I just thought that it would be enough to get a notification on your phone that someone nearby could use some help that you can give. Not probably a perfect solution that saves every lonely soul, but if even a few, that would not be bad. And of course, maybe also some of the not so lonely ones get to receive or give some help.

Re: 80-year Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life

#157

Post by gojomo »

dang wrote: post #68
gojomo wrote: post #16

Step 1: Achieve admission to, and enroll at, Harvard.† Step 2: ? Step 3: HAPPY LIFE -- † As a male in 1938.

Please read https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14818590 and please don't post like this to HN.

I'm familiar with the rules and think you've over-focused on the form, and ignored the legitimate content, of my comment.

I like this study! I didn't call it 'bullshit' and there's nothing nasty in my formulation.

But the high-order bit of things to be considered in the limits of this study's interpretation is how peculiar the main focus group - Harvard enrollees in 1938 - was.

This HU house-press piece only obliquely hints at the issue, by noting how the study has gradually expanded to include children and wives, and an "inner-city" "control group".

I realize wrapping the point in a formulaic meme risks making it look like pure snark/dismissal. But it can also be a way to sharply and memorably raise a very specific issue.

Re: 80-year Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life

#158

Post by crookshanked »

lentil_soup wrote: post #83
derekp7 wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really wish there were good community organizations that bring people together like a church, but weren't religious based. I guess that's what organizations such as the Moose lodge, or Lions club attempt to fill?

Something like a Third Place ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_place ) ... And yes, this kind of environment should be encouraged more!

Thanks for sharing this. Interesting to read and introspect on.

Re: 80-year Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life

#159

Post by surak »

kevstev wrote: post #125
rubicon33 wrote: post #8

What I take from this article is that social interaction is extremely important to ones health, and it's something that we largely taken for granted. In the age of computers and secluded work environments, I think we need to be aware of the effect that even casual interaction has on our mental and physical health. I have some personal/anecdotal experience which back this research up and affirms my belief that communi…

I went from very brutal environments (massively stressful jobs in algorithmic trading, generally sitting on loud trading floors with late hours, weekends, etc) to working remotely and found almost the opposite. Instead of being sick several times a year- we would literally watch colds and other illnesses work their way up and down the rows, I instead got sick maybe once a year. Solving problems in a nice quiet room w…

These studies try to point out that things are binary, but its not of course. You have to remember what they are measuring in general, stable vs. unstable. For example, drinking is bad when it becomes destructive. Two-three bottles of red wine per week is ok, unless you do it to forget things.

Re: 80-year Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life

#160

Post by Strategizer »

Assuming that good relationships imply good aging, I'd like to know how do they work. How much would differ a long relationship from 2 middle relationships to 7 short relationships?

If there's already any study about it, please share it with me, I'd love to read it!

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