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706
11
AugAn interesting new study suggests people who are extremely active are happier than people who sit idle.
The finding may explain why people confess to being so incredibly busy in today’s society.
“The general phenomenon I’m interested in is why people are so busy doing what they are doing in modern society,” says Christopher K. Hsee, of the University of Chicago. He co-wrote the study with Adelle X. Yang, also of the University of Chicago, and Liangyan Wang, of Shanghai Jiaotong University.
“People are running around, working hard, way beyond the basic level.”
Sure, there are reasons, like making a living, earning money, accruing fame, helping others, and so on. But, Hsee says, “I think there’s something deeper: We have excessive energy and we want to avoid idleness.”
For the study, volunteers completed a survey, then had to wait 15 minutes before the next survey would be ready. They could drop off the completed survey at a nearby location and wait out the remaining time or drop it off at a location farther away, where walking back and forth would keep them busy for the 15 minutes.
Either way, they would receive a candy when they handed in their survey. Volunteers who chose to stay busy by going to the faraway location were found to be happier than those who chose to be idle.
Not everyone chose to go to the faraway location. If the candies offered at the two locations were the same, the subjects were more likely to choose to stay idle. But if the candies offered at the two locations were different, they were more likely to choose the far location—because they could make up a justification for the trip, Hsee and his colleagues say.
The research is published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Hsee thinks it may be possible to use this principle—people like being busy, and they like being able to justify being busy—to benefit society.
“If we can devise a mechanism for idle people to engage in activity that is at least not harmful, I think it is better than destructive busyness,” he says.
Hsee himself has been known to give a research assistant a useless task when he doesn’t have anything for them to do, so he isn’t sitting around the office getting bored and depressed.
“I know this is not particularly ethical, but he is happy,” says Hsee.
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706
11
AugAn interesting new study suggests people who are extremely active are happier than people who sit idle.
The finding may explain why people confess to being so incredibly busy in today’s society.
“The general phenomenon I’m interested in is why people are so busy doing what they are doing in modern society,” says Christopher K. Hsee, of the University of Chicago. He co-wrote the study with Adelle X. Yang, also of the University of Chicago, and Liangyan Wang, of Shanghai Jiaotong University.
“People are running around, working hard, way beyond the basic level.”
Sure, there are reasons, like making a living, earning money, accruing fame, helping others, and so on. But, Hsee says, “I think there’s something deeper: We have excessive energy and we want to avoid idleness.”
For the study, volunteers completed a survey, then had to wait 15 minutes before the next survey would be ready. They could drop off the completed survey at a nearby location and wait out the remaining time or drop it off at a location farther away, where walking back and forth would keep them busy for the 15 minutes.
Either way, they would receive a candy when they handed in their survey. Volunteers who chose to stay busy by going to the faraway location were found to be happier than those who chose to be idle.
Not everyone chose to go to the faraway location. If the candies offered at the two locations were the same, the subjects were more likely to choose to stay idle. But if the candies offered at the two locations were different, they were more likely to choose the far location—because they could make up a justification for the trip, Hsee and his colleagues say.
The research is published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Hsee thinks it may be possible to use this principle—people like being busy, and they like being able to justify being busy—to benefit society.
“If we can devise a mechanism for idle people to engage in activity that is at least not harmful, I think it is better than destructive busyness,” he says.
Hsee himself has been known to give a research assistant a useless task when he doesn’t have anything for them to do, so he isn’t sitting around the office getting bored and depressed.
“I know this is not particularly ethical, but he is happy,” says Hsee.
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3
Aug
NEW OBSESSION.
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29
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1
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1176
28
Jul
This is the kind of thing we have in Georgia. Zedonks, ftw.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l68wyftRoD1qzou5ko1_500.jpg)
Well This Is Something You Don’t See Every Day of the Day: A zebra / donkey cross — or “zedonk,” if you wanna get all technical — was recently welcomed into eminently adorable life at the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve in Lumpkin County, Ga.
As they say in the parlance of our times: WANT.
[doree.]
(via allcreatures)
This is the kind of thing we have in Georgia. Zedonks, ftw.
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3
28
JulEric Holljes :: Cooler Than Me (Stripped)
This cover is ADDICTIVE. I dare you to listen just once.
Eric actually worked on Posner’s first mix tape but left the Brain Trust to pursue other projects. If you love his vibe, check out his website or MySpace. I figure if I’m giving Edie my love, might as well send it to an equally talented and sweet Dukie :)
(download)
Love seeing fellow dukies go on to do amazing things!!!
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22
Jul
001. a photo of you & your best female friend
although i have lots of “best” friends… this one’s hard to beat. i’m so blessed to have her in my life!!!
this picture was from a picnic we had in the duke gardens when she came up to visit me for a weekend :)
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22
Jula little photo-blog project :)
so i stumbled upon this and thought it would be fun to do, since i’m still pretty new to this whole blogging/tumblr deal…
you post a picture for each day for 24 days straight…
DAY;
001. a photo of you & your best female friend
002. a photo of you & your best male friend
003. a photo of you & a friend in summer
004. a photo of something that once meant a lot to you
005. a photo of you & someone you miss
006. a photo of you & someone you’ve become much closer with
007. an old photo of you looking very different
008. a photo of you on one of your favourite hols
009. a photo of you & the one person you can always rely on
010. a photo of you & someone you don’t want to drift away from
011. a photo of you & someone that captures your personalities perfectly
012. a photo of you being silly
013. a photo of you & a sibling
014. a photo of you & your friendship group
015. a photo of you & someone you never speak to anymore
016. a photo of you & your old friendship group
017. a photo which means a lot to you
018. a photo of you in fancy dress
019. a photo of you at school
020. a photo of you at a special event
021. a photo of yourself
022. a photo of you & your pet
023. a photo of you that explains you the best
024. a photo you love so much you could get it framedso here we go.. :)
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1
20
Jul
My bike, basket, panniers and bell are all in!!!! :))))
Yea, I know.. I’m a dork.
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Today marks a new dawn in D.C. fast food, with the 11...
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DefMo Performs for Duke’s Board of Trustees
This year, defMo was invited to perform for the...
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ramblings of a planner addict
(Warning: If you don’t own/live by/panic when separated from some...
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Can’t believe I didn’t post this yet considering it, yknow, MADE MY LIFE.
Earlier this week, I...
