Apologies for my slackness on posting recently: having moved from the buzzing metropolis of Manchester to a rural idyll named London I’ve struggled to get those standard home-tech comforts like internet. I did try the local village hall, the Barbican Centre, but internet speeds were so so arm-gnawingly slow that there was a high risk of dentally-whittling my arm down to a nub.
I recently listened to a podcast of a BBC Radio 4 programme called ‘Medical Matters’. (For those in the UK it’s available here, but may only be available till 24th November; for those outside the UK – sorry, don’t think the BBC’s remit stretches to beyond the green & pleasant land).
In this week’s programme Claudia Hammond discussed positive pyschology with Prof. Martin Seligman. Prof. Seligman is a leading proponent for the positive health effects of optimism. I’m generally sceptical of the whole happy-clappy crowd, but Prof. Seligman’s studies, along with a number of researchers across the world, do show good experimental & case-history based evidence for increased life expectancy, improved exam results & increased IQ through positive, optimistic thinking, sometimes even having significant effects on people’s health, intelligence from decades before. Here’s a video of Prof. Seligman discussing modern psychology & some of the recent findings on positive, optimistic thinking.
So: glass half full or half empty?
Interesting video.
I think realistic thinking can go a long way towards happiness – being positive isn’t always the panacea, but it we look at things honestky and try to live life in understnading of what we anad others are capable of I think the chances of disappointment ad misery are less.
Not that I know a darn thing about psychology!
Sorry about the typos – too rushed!
Angela in Canada´s last blog ..NO TO CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
Ah O’DB – hope Londinium is treating you well. Bet is doesn’t rain as much, right – what with all the floods up North…seems pretty full on.
Glass has to be half full of course, brimming over in the North right now, 12 inches in 1 day, matron……..
Optimism helps those curved balls to be handled amicably….that’s for sure.
Oh…so much going on. I hope you are getting settled…and no feasible Internet access. Yikes!!! Good to hear from you.
I agree with Angela, that one has to deal with reality too, but the one of the keys are to have hope dispite the circumstances. Robin Cousins, not the skater, wrote about humor and laughter helping with illness.
I also think of the Bible verse “in the world you will have trial and tribulations, but be of good courage.” Most translations incorrectly use cheer instead of courage. Makes a big difference on how to approach life’s difficulties.
Clinically Clueless´s last blog ..What Kind of Puzzle Are You?
Does that mean I have Manchester to myself then?
This post couldn’t be more applicable to me at the moment if it tried.
For the last month or so, I’ve deliberately embraced positivity and good things are really starting to happen.
Or it might be a case of things have always been good but now I take a positive view on them, not sure.
Either way, I am high-fiving optimism where ever and when ever I can.
Lib – yep, Manc’r is all yours, you’re queen of the castle, etc.
Good to hear positivity’s working for you – sounds like you’ve got this life malarkey sewn up.
Probably not applicable to those going to pick up medical test results though,
Hi doctor how about my AIDS test, I’ve been thinking positive all week…….