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

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

#161

Post by mythrwy » Fri, Jul 21, 2017, 9:44 PM UTC

jeffdavis wrote: post #149

mythrwy wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed. Religion is a non starter for me but I would like to find some community groups doing good things with good people. I know about meetup.com etc but I'd like to have ties with something a little deeper. Preferably something without political and especially without supernatural overtones. I see there being a big need for this in the modern world.

Even if you are not religious, you may want to reconsider church. It can be good for people and communities in many ways, and often for reasons you don't understand. Sometimes I feel like American culture is being sterilized. Just like white bread and a multivitamin, we only take what we understand and leave everything else behind. And then when we encounter social problems after eliminating church (or health problem…

I see good in churches. And I see bad.

But most importantly from my perspective I see the fundamental basis being at odds with what I understand to be reality.

I'm not saying churches don't fulfill an important function, they do. But the order of things changes and even though change can bring a period of chaos we generally don't go back, we go forward.

What we know as "churches" are not growing, they are dying. For whatever reason(s) and this trend probably isn't going to reverse. So for me the solution is to move on to something with equivalent functionality but with less dysfunctionality.

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

#162

Post by jeffdavis » Fri, Jul 21, 2017, 11:33 PM UTC

mythrwy wrote: post #161

jeffdavis wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if you are not religious, you may want to reconsider church. It can be good for people and communities in many ways, and often for reasons you don't understand. Sometimes I feel like American culture is being sterilized. Just like white bread and a multivitamin, we only take what we understand and leave everything else behind. And then when we encounter social problems after eliminating church (or health problem…

I see good in churches. And I see bad. But most importantly from my perspective I see the fundamental basis being at odds with what I understand to be reality. I'm not saying churches don't fulfill an important function, they do. But the order of things changes and even though change can bring a period of chaos we generally don't go back, we go forward. What we know as "churches" are not growing, they are dying. For…

Interesting point, thank you for answering.

I wonder if the "next thing" is going to come from atheists constructing such an organization from scratch, or from religious people adapting churches to fit our new understandings?

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

#163

Post by mythrwy » Sat, Jul 22, 2017, 12:43 AM UTC

jeffdavis wrote: post #162

mythrwy wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see good in churches. And I see bad. But most importantly from my perspective I see the fundamental basis being at odds with what I understand to be reality. I'm not saying churches don't fulfill an important function, they do. But the order of things changes and even though change can bring a period of chaos we generally don't go back, we go forward. What we know as "churches" are not growing, they are dying. For…

Interesting point, thank you for answering. I wonder if the "next thing" is going to come from atheists constructing such an organization from scratch, or from religious people adapting churches to fit our new understandings?

I think I see your point and it's a fair one, militant atheists are usually too busy being just that to be constructive but we aren't talking about cool electric guitars at the pulpit and admitting a few gays.

What I see being different in evolution this time is that it isn't an issue of whether God and Jesus are the same being or different beings or whether the Pope is the mouthpiece of God or the King is or Jesus or Muhammad was the last messenger. It's a whole different understanding, one that doesn't generally accept the existence of supernatural forces. So it's a foundational issue this time. I just see the non acceptance of the supernatural continuing to grow in the world and don't think it will roll back (may be wrong but don't think so, at least in my lifetime). So some important things get lost. Meh, anyway, enough about that. I don't fault anyone for being religious, I just simply can't be.

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

#164

Post by goldfeld » Sat, Jul 22, 2017, 1:24 AM UTC

Double_a_92 wrote: post #80

amenghra wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By spending most of your time at home, your immune system probably dials down. I noticed I was falling sick when I took a short break from work and was mostly home. Everything returned to normal once I resumed my normal work schedule.

The immune system also get weaker when big stress is suddenly gone. E.g. I usually got sick after exams or in the first days of holidays...

Maybe it's just washing itself?

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

#165

Post by CalRobert » Sat, Jul 22, 2017, 9:01 AM UTC

freeflight wrote: post #128

CalRobert wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think your vision of things is the ideal, but it also isn't always practical. If you live a 30 minute drive (or more) away from everyone you know, and service-workers / fellow consumers (people at the grocery store, etc) are anonymous to you, scheduled interaction may be your only interaction. Of course, that also speaks to a profound failure of urban design and a desolate hellscape. Human-scale communities where y…

> service-workers / fellow consumers (people at the grocery store, etc) are anonymous to you But they don't have to be anonymous to you, that's also a rather new and urban development: The expectation that nobody should "bother" anybody else unless they already know them or have some business reason to do so. In smaller communities, everybody knew most of their "service-workers" even outside of their service function…

I agree, but for whatever reason I've only gotten to know people in different settings. I am familiar enough with the person in the corner shop, but not so much with the supermarket or department store. I wonder why that is (perhaps because I generally get the same person at the corner shop?)

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

#166

Post by aws_ls » Sat, Jul 22, 2017, 9:38 AM UTC

circlefavshape wrote: post #96

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…

Yikes. I'm just about to start a new job working from home fulltime. My wife's been expressing her concern that the lack of social interaction might be difficult for me, I guess I better heed her and join up with some sort of social group (was thinking musical theatre)

Don't worry too much, each person is different. I am WFH'ing for a good several years now, and largely enjoy it. Also, I believe, in my case pros outweigh the cons.

Lucky to have a family, which does help a great deal in this situation. But, I do sometimes worry about it, but as a result compensate for it - exercising to stay fit/lean. Also, always try to be on the cutting edge of tech - HN/similar is great for that.

Edit: Just to add two more points:

1) Social networks: One might think, that they will help in this situation. But again, its different for everyone. I find, in my case their use is detrimental. So after having disconnected from them totally (save a pseudonymous twitter a/c for news/venting), I find it more peaceful, also I found my friendship with good friends has improved. And Facebook friends withered off.

2) Another thing, I learnt a few years ago, some people need social interactions to re-energize where as for some people it is solitude. Are you the type, who if goes for a walk in the park, and when people try to hold a long conversation, do you like it? Or would you rather be left alone after greeting/short-conversations. I definitely, am the second type. (If I am portraying my personality to be totally anti-social, then that's inaccurate. As my social needs are fulfilled well, by family and friends. May be if I had less of that, then would definitely like to have long talks with strangers in the park. Each person has different situation and needs, that's the key point).

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

#167

Post by ghthor » Sat, Jul 22, 2017, 5:33 PM UTC

Broken_Hippo wrote: post #148

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…

This also works in places like gas stations (try to visit the same ones), grocery stores if you go 1+ times a week, and sometimes coffee shops and fast food joints, especially in smaller towns. It takes a little longer, but a popular walking path can grant good results as well. Basically anything routine where you are likely to run into the same folks over and over.

This is also the trick to building healthy online communities, running into the same people over and over again. It's the difference between a toxic flamewar culture and a positive supportive culture.

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

#168

Post by ghthor » Sat, Jul 22, 2017, 5:44 PM UTC

d3js wrote: post #92

dang wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sort of snarky comment that dispenses with the life work of others by means of internet clichés is the sort of thing for which pg coined the term "middlebrow dismissal". Perhaps you really do know better than specialists who worked in a field for decades, but if so, you're doing your superior knowledge an injustice by presenting it so basely. We're sincerely hoping to do better than that in this community, and w…

The parent comment raises some good points. The sample size here is too small and the article's conclusion has loads of confirmation bias, also displayed in majority of the comments here.

The best argument in science is repeating the study is it not?

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

#169

Post by SpikeDad » Sat, Jul 22, 2017, 6:49 PM UTC

jeffdavis wrote: post #149

mythrwy wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed. Religion is a non starter for me but I would like to find some community groups doing good things with good people. I know about meetup.com etc but I'd like to have ties with something a little deeper. Preferably something without political and especially without supernatural overtones. I see there being a big need for this in the modern world.

Even if you are not religious, you may want to reconsider church. It can be good for people and communities in many ways, and often for reasons you don't understand. Sometimes I feel like American culture is being sterilized. Just like white bread and a multivitamin, we only take what we understand and leave everything else behind. And then when we encounter social problems after eliminating church (or health problem…

Your logic is flawed associating social problems with eliminating church. There should be more socially accepted ways to congregate other than under the auspices of an ancient superstition.

And I won't even comment on your connection to health problems and natural foods (whatever those are). You mean like what prehistoric man ate? And lived to 25 years old?

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

#170

Post by MicroBerto » Sat, Jul 22, 2017, 7:12 PM UTC

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…

Think about it. What's the WORST way you can punish someone?

Solitary Confinement.

Even in a prison with the most vile scum in the state, the worst thing you can do to a person is to remove them from the others.

That speaks volumes to me, personally.