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Fellowship of the Shares

Happy people boost chances that someone they know will be happy, says 20-year study

WASHINGTON: Happiness is contagious - like the flu.

It can spread among friends, neighbours, siblings and spouses, according to a large study that for the first time shows how emotion can ripple through clusters of people who may not even know one another. The study of more than 4,700 people followed over 20 years found people who are happy or become happy boost the chances that someone they know will be happy.

The power of happiness can span another degree of separation, elevating the mood of that person's husband, wife, sibling, friend or neighbour.

'You would think that your emotional state would depend on your own choices and actions and experiences,' said Professor Nicholas Christakis, a medical sociologist at Harvard University, who helped conduct the study published online yesterday by BMJ, a British medical journal. 'But it also depends on the choices and actions and experiences of other people, including people to whom you are not directly connected. Happiness is contagious.'

The one exception was co-workers, perhaps because something in the work environment prevented their happiness from spreading, the study found.

Previous studies have documented the experience that one person's emotions can influence another's - laughter can trigger guffaws in others; seeing someone smile can lift one's spirits.

But this study is the first to find that happiness can spread across groups for an extended period.

When one person in the network became happy, the chances that a friend, sibling, spouse or next-door neighbour would become happy increased by between 8 per cent and 34 per cent, the researchers found.

The effect continued through three degrees of separation, although it dropped progressively from about 15 per cent to 10 per cent to 6 per cent before disappearing.

The research follows previous work by Prof Christakis and co-author James Fowler that found that obesity appears to spread from person to person. The researchers have been using records collected by the Framingham Heart Study, a project that has explored health issues, to construct and analyse maps of social networks. In the latest analysis, the researchers focused on 4,739 adults who answered questions about their happiness between 1983 and 2003.

The findings, Prof Christakis and others said, provide new evidence of the power of social networks, which could have implications for public policy. Happy people tend to be better off in myriad ways, being more creative, productive and healthy.

'For a long time, we measured the health of a country by looking at its gross domestic product,' said Associate Professor Fowler, a political scientist at the University of California, San Diego.

'But our work shows that whether a friend's friend is happy has more influence than a US$5,000 (S$7,600) raise.'

Other experts praised the study as a landmark in the body of evidence documenting the influence of personal connections and positive emotions. 'It's a path-finding article,' said Mr Martin Seligman, a University of Pennsylvania psychologist.

 

Being happy brings other benefits. 'Happiness has a protective effect on your immune system and you produce fewer stress hormones,' said Professor Andrew Steptoe at University College London.

Others questioned the findings, noting that it is difficult to account for every variable that might affect the outcomes of such studies.

But Dr Ed Diener, a University of Illinois psychologist, said: 'This is an extremely exciting study - interesting, provocative and important.'

Said Prof Fowler: 'The fact that happiness spreads from person to person to person suggests that these waves of happiness we radiate could eventually wash up on our own shores.'

So smile, and the world may just smile with you.

 

'Stay interested in the world, take on a challenge': MM Lee

This is Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's advice on ageing the best way one can. Yesterday, he shared some personal insights into how he himself deals with ageing. Here is the transcript of his remarks. MY CONCERN today is, what is it I can tell you which can add to your knowledge about ageing and what ageing societies can do. You know more about this subject than I do. A lot of it is out in the media, Internet and books. So I thought the best way would be to take a personal standpoint and tell you how I approach this question of ageing. If I cast my mind back, I can see turning points in my physical and mental health. You know, when you're young, I didn't bother, I assumed good health was God-given and would always be there. When I was about - '57 that was - I was about 34, we were competing in elections, and I was really fond of drinking beer and smoking. .......................................................... .............................................................................. But I think the most important single lesson I learnt in life was that if you isolate yourself, you're done for. The human being is a social animal - he needs stimuli, he needs to meet people, to catch up with the world. I don't much like travel but I travel very frequently despite the jet lag, because I get to meet people of great interest to me, who will help me in my work as chairman of our GIC. So I know, I'm on several boards of banks, international advisory boards of banks, of oil companies and so on. And I meet them and I get to understand what's happening in the world, what has changed since I was here one month ago, one year ago. I go to India, I go to China. And that stimuli brings me to the world of today. I'm not living in the world, when I was active, more active 20, 30 years ago. So I tell my wife. She woke up late today. I said: 'Never mind, you come along by 12 o'clock. I go first.' If you sit back - because part of the ending part of the encyclopaedia which I read was very depressing - as you get old, you withdraw from everything and then all you will have is your bedroom and the photographs and the furniture that you know, and that's your world. So if you've got to go to hospital, the doctor advises you to bring some photographs so that you'll know you're not lost in a different world, that this is like your bedroom. I'm determined that I will not, as long as I can, to be reduced, to have my horizons closed on me like that. It is the stimuli, it is the constant interaction with people across the world that keeps me aware and alive to what's going on and what we can do to adjust to this different world. In other words, you must have an interest in life. If you believe that at 55, you're retiring, you're going to read books, play golf and drink wine, then I think you're done for. So statistically they will show you that all the people who retire and lead sedentary lives, the pensioners die off very quickly. So we now have a social problem with medical sciences, new procedures, new drugs, many more people are going to live long lives. If the mindset is that when I reach retirement age 62, I'm old, I can't work anymore, I don't have to work, I just sit back, now is the time I'll enjoy life, I think you're making the biggest mistake of your life. After one month, or after two months, even if you go travelling with nothing to do, with no purpose in life, you will just degrade, you'll go to seed. The human being needs a challenge, and my advice to every person in Singapore and elsewhere: Keep yourself interested, have a challenge. If you're not interested in the world and the world is not interested in you, the biggest punishment a man can receive is total isolation in a dungeon, black and complete withdrawal of all stimuli, that's real torture. So when I read that people believe, Singaporeans say: 'Oh, 62 I'm retiring.' I say to them: 'You really want to die quickly?' If you want to see sunrise tomorrow or sunset, you must have a reason, you must have the stimuli to keep going.' This story was first published on Jan 12, 2008.    http://www.asiaone.com/Health/News/Story/A1Story20080114-44987.html

 

Santa Claus is not related to any religion as such.

Anyway the message in that song is very appropriate at this time...

particularly with Xmas around the corner...

Watch out! There may not be much presents to go round this time!... hehehe...  

 

kindly respect every religion's song as well as the melody of any religion's song.

 

 

Oh, ho, The topic "Bumiputra Policy" under SJ forum "Others" has disappeared from SJ forum.

Did Admin remove it ? Why ?

 

Yoh, like that also can. ha ha apply copy right loh.

Burn into CD n setting up small booth at SGX building, sure make $.

ilovebull      ( Date: 20-Nov-2008 09:31) Posted: Latest Christmas carol for 2008, haha  !!! You'd better watch out You'd better not cry You'd better keep cash I'm telling you why: Recession is coming to town. It's hitting you once, It's hitting you twice It doesn't care if you've been careful and wise Recession is coming to town It's worthless if you've got shares It's worthless if you've got bonds It's safe when you've got cash in hand So keep cash for goodness sake, HEY You'd better watch out You'd better not cry You'd better keep cash I'm telling you why: Recession is coming to town! Finance products are confusing Finance products are so vague The banks make you bear the cost of risk So keep out for goodness sake, OH You'd better watch out You'd better not cry You'd better keep cash I'm telling you why: Recession is coming to town.

 

Latest Christmas carol for 2008, haha  !!!

You'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better keep cash
I'm telling you why:
Recession is coming to town.

It's hitting you once,
It's hitting you twice
It doesn't care if you've been careful and wise
Recession is coming to town

It's worthless if you've got shares
It's worthless if you've got bonds
It's safe when you've got cash in hand
So keep cash for goodness sake, HEY

You'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better keep cash
I'm telling you why:
Recession is coming to town!

Finance products are confusing
Finance products are so vague
The banks make you bear the cost of risk
So keep out for goodness sake, OH

You'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better keep cash
I'm telling you why:
Recession is coming to town.
 

 

Car prices generally will decline after Chinese Lunar New Yr, all brands.

With the current global recession deepens, things will be much cheaper.

If Euro weaken further, continental cars will be cheaper loh.

Looking at d papers, China made Cherry, I think now is the most

not expensive one. But still can wait till after CNY loh.

However, if really dun need a car, take public transport to save $. 

 

tanglinboy      ( Date: 18-Nov-2008 11:02) Posted: Do you think that with the current crisis, the car dealers will cut prices to improve sales? Anyone in the car business or have lobang? Can PM me?

 

nov 2008 : crude oil per barrel USD 57  --- chocolate bar SD 2.15!

 

baseerahmed      ( Date: 18-Oct-2008 23:58) Posted: Van Houten bar Chocolate 2 years ago :  crude Oil per barrel USD  20   ----   chocolate bar SD 1.10 jan 2008     :  crude oil per barrel  USD180   ----   chocolate bar SD 1.40 oct 2008     :  crude oil per barrel  USD  70   ----   chocolate bar SD 1.85  ! the above are/were prices at petrol stations . does this make any sense  ... what's the logic  .... is this a sample of things to come ..? what does the guys at Wall Street and Main Street have to say about this ..will they compensate our chocolate bars ?

 

Do you think that with the current crisis, the car dealers will cut prices to improve sales?

Anyone in the car business or have lobang? Can PM me?  

 

Ha ha, AK driving licence kena suspended till end ds yr. No speaking right loh.

Nonetheless, its konvenience to hv a car or even a bone-shacker, esp

for those to need travelling around for the jobs or living.

 

why the fuss?... it's just like buying another toy...

 

but, if I am a millionaire, i will not be so "thrifty" until not to own a car... I can imagine his wife feeling, shit... this husband, so rich, millionaire, and don't even want to buy a KIA.. while he was driving BMW and Mercez.. during his first marriage, you see..

 

 

 

iPunter      ( Date: 16-Nov-2008 12:31) Posted: For those who have the money (and also those who don't), how can not owning a car be a 'better choice' ? Owning a car is a must to avert losing face to those who have a car.... This is an age-old truth that will continue to rule forever...

 

For those who have the money (and also those who don't), how can not owning a car be a 'better choice' ?

Owning a car is a must to avert losing face to those who have a car....
This is an age-old truth that will continue to rule forever...

 

go and read The Sunday Times.. the interview..... he was millionaire and bankrupt, and now back to millioanaire again... prudential insurance..

hmm... he said, stocks average return 30% are you sure? he bought Allgreen, Wheelock, and Genting, stock return 30% , you must be kidding.. all this 3 stocks tumble like shit, isn't it? obviously, he put all the eggs at one basket (property stock), and now he buys bank shares recently, hmmm..

interesting interview... was driving BMW 7 series, and Mertz, and now said owning no car is a better choice, errr.... what a sudden change, huh..

 

This is true ...

One must sell (ie. actually take action to sell) when one smells a bear market...

And one must not stick to one's bullish principles in the face of a bear market...

and vice versa too...   

 

We must adjust to ever changing road ... while holding to unchanging principles

(read somewhere)

 

Yoh, if AK not mistaken, she gave full ball in cinema lah.

learningtheropes      ( Date: 11-Nov-2008 00:32) Posted: who?wat?gong li give 1/2 ball? AK_Francis      ( Date: 10-Nov-2008 15:55) Posted: Yoh, got give ball or not? MU lost to Asl, chialat!! MU gave Half ball. Though didn't bet.

 

who?wat?gong li give 1/2 ball?

AK_Francis      ( Date: 10-Nov-2008 15:55) Posted: Yoh, got give ball or not? MU lost to Asl, chialat!! MU gave Half ball. Though didn't bet. jackjames      ( Date: 10-Nov-2008 15:02) Posted: at her age, she is very attractive.. not to mention I like the movie Geisha... nice