« Too much to say and not enough time to say it in | Guess the word »
@ Monday, 14. Jul, 2008 – 03:29:10 pm
I am shocked, stunned and amazed by this research.
It appears to imply that your general mood tends to dip and rise in acccordance with recent events, rather than in accordance with events that happened many years ago, which you learn to adapt to over time.
Isn't that astounding?
I feel enlightened. That was soooo worth an internationally collaborative 20-year study.
Old-Nick
Pro 
soyunperdedor
Pro old adages such as "time heals" were true in many cases
It's. An. Old. Adage. For. A. Reason. You. Twats.
rubychoo
Nononono...
It's 'Time-Heels'...
Otherwise it couldn't possibly work...
(I've done my research...)
rowtheboat
Pro Ooh! Where can I get a pair of these Time-Heels? On sale at Dolcis?
soyunperdedor
Pro Dolcis. *retrotastic*.
rubychoo
smitty1247
What's more astounding is that actually spent 20 years doing the study.
rowtheboat
Pro Exactly - what on earth took them so long?
smitty1247
Guess they had to see if any repressed memories showed up to ruin their data.
alecweston
Pro The researchers were obviously naturally unhappy people, hoping over time to feel better. Idiots.
rowtheboat
Pro Perhaps they're suicidal now.
Jenniebaby
Splendid...
that sounds very valuable research 
Miza-T
Yes, time heals, very deep, deep research!
And people who win the lottery and don't feel happier, must have serious issues!
xx
rowtheboat
Pro Miserable sods. They should give it to me!
lisam25
no, no to me!!
GilraenH
Pro Taxpayers money well spent again it seems.
rithompson
I think I might do a research project to determine whether the Pope is a Catholic!
Taking 20 years.
At the taxpayers expense!
that study doesn't say the "general mood tends to dip and rise in acccordance with recent events", it just says everyone has sort of genetic (pre)disposition to be rather happy or sad - irrespecive of what surrounding events are like (therefore lottery winning doesn't help if you are, genetically, a type unable to enjoy life)
rowtheboat
Pro Actually, the only mention of genes is in the caption that goes with the picture; the study wasn't on genetic disposition, although it does theorise that everyone has their own level of 'happiness', which they return to eventually. Any events that occur have a transient effect on this, but no matter whether these events are big or small, the impact on overall happiness levels wears off eventually.
Yes, my commment was 'induced' by the mentioning of genes in the caption, mainly.
Still, also the main points of the bbc article are relatedd to the (not so new) subject/debate about inherited personality traits playing a key role in happiness.
The debate is not new, it (re)started in spring this year with a study on identical twins, conducted at the University of Edinburgh, a study that concluded genes determine about 50% of our pesonal happiness level.
Earlier research, by David Lykken(1999), states that genes determine up to 80% of our disposition to enjoy life. Lykken says that "trying to be happier is like trying to be taller".
If you are a born malcontent, or, say, unhappiness is your genetic make-up, you simply moan and moan and moan *looking for examples in blogland and pointing in several directions* 
Always a refreshing read, your blog!
ps:
the original Edinburgh research paper of Weiss, Bates &Luciano (2008) is here:
http://www.psychologicalscience.org/journals/ps/19_3_inpress/Weiss.pdf
and here, in TIME, is a short restatement of the main points of the Edinburgh team, for those that don’t appreciate scientific jargon & statistics:
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1721954,00.html
Lykken published a book on influence of genes on happiness in 1999
http://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Studies-Twins-Nature-Nurture/dp/158238004X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216222378&sr=1-3
so the subject is likely to be old hat...
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1721954,00.html
rowtheboat
Pro Cheers for that - that Time article is far more interesting than a theory of 'adaptation'.
Berlinlights
I wonder how much that cost...?
kendersrule
Pro French people studied germans. should say it all really 
antlady69
Pro *BOL* 
And yet I feel inclined to add: when you strip away nationalities, human nature is the same wherever you look.
I guess we're not so different from each other after all, then
How to waste money and time, it scares me what they deem worthy of researching.
The content of this website belongs to a private person, blog.co.uk is not responsible for the content of this website.
Yeah, who would have thought it.