The Science of Thanks Giving 55
Hugh Pickens writes "This is Americans' big week to give thanks. Now Russell McLendon writes that giving thanks can do wonders for the human brain according to researchers at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center where scientists have developed an easy way for people to do just that and, at the same time, contribute to a national research project and maybe also improve their lives. The project is part of a $5.6 million, three-year national effort called 'Expanding the Science and Practice of Gratitude,' funded by the John Templeton Foundation. The center has gone live with Thnx4.org, an interactive, shareable gratitude journal and has invited people in the campus community to take part in the Cal Gratitude Challenge by keeping a two-week online 'gratitude journal' and, if they choose, sharing their posts with others. Early research into the power of gratitude journals ended up proving that students who wrote down everything they were grateful for strengthened their overall resilience and became less vulnerable to everyday stresses and complaints like rashes and headaches, says Emiliana Simon-Thomas. 'Thnx4.org wanted to make this spiral notebook very accessible, and to make the research a little more specific than it has been historically,' says Simon-Thomas. Online, anyone can take part — and potentially reap the benefits. The Cal Gratitude Challenge opened November 1 and will remain open throughout November but the project has a three-year grant and participants will be able to maintain their journals for the duration and first results from the data are expected in January. 'We affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts and benefits we've received,' writes Robert Emmons as part of the project. 'This doesn't mean that life is perfect; it doesn't ignore complaints, burdens, and hassles. But when we look at life as a whole, gratitude encourages us to identify some amount of goodness in our life.'"
A few nice words (Score:4, Informative)
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A few nice words can go a long way. Appreciation is important
That was a very post, thank you for it.
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A few nice words can go a long way. Appreciation is important
That was a very post, thank you for it.
It very was a post indeed.
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Thank you for this nice, well-written post.
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20 goto 10
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A few nice words can go a long way. Appreciation is important
I try to maintain a policy of: Don't let a day go by without thanking someone who's doing a thankless task.
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I'm truly thankful... (Score:3)
for posts like this that give me tips on how to feel better about myself and my life. And for *anything* that reminds me of all I have to be grateful for, because I find it far too easy to forget.
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for posts like this that give me tips on how to feel better about myself and my life. And for *anything* that reminds me of all I have to be grateful for, because I find it far too easy to forget.
For the overwhelming majority of us, no matter how bad we think things are, there are others who have it far, far, worse. That's something you can be grateful for even when you're having trouble keeping your chin up.
Comment removed (Score:4, Interesting)
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Where are you from? Because regardless of where that is, you have a history of doing the same thing if you you go back far enough.
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Give thanks that you're not subject to that same treatment?
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First, it's a painting. I know you probably have never been exposed to those before. They proceeded digital cameras and 3D cinema by many hundreds of years. You can find more in museums if you want to learn more about them.
Second, the mistreatment of the American Natives is a sad and terrible chapter in American History. But it is by no means unique to America and was mostly an expression of political policy rather than Christian ideology. They had the land and the politicians wanted it.
The saddest thing is
Happy Thanksgiving (Score:2, Funny)
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!!
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We send a TON of food to other countries. What happens to it?
It sits and rots on the docks
It is hijacked locally and sold on the black market
It is hijacked by the state and sold on the world market
In other words, it falls victim to the very same people/systems that makes and keeps the people of those nations poor and hungry in the first at place. Corruption on a massive scale, violence and anarchy.
So GTF off your high horse because no matter how you look at it, it is almost a sure thing that America sends
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Thankful loop (Score:2)
I am feeling very grateful that (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:I am feeling very grateful that (Score:4, Funny)
I am feeling very grateful that I don't have such a myopic world-view that I believe that everyone participates in the same cultural festivals as I do.-- ~~~~
I just wonder whether the High Priest of the Pastafarians pardoned a pan of pasta for today.
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I've given thanks for biergartens in Germany many times!
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I've given thanks for biergartens in Germany many times!
Ah but did you wear chamois leather shorts and slap your thighs!
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At Erntedankfest http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erntedankfest [wikipedia.org]?
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Blessing your food... (Score:4, Interesting)
its real simple.... (Score:3)
... you eat....
Science and Spiritual Things (Score:3)
Every now and then Science stumbles across something that people who deal work in matters of the spirit have known for a long time.
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There is a HUGE difference between unconsciously and unquestioningly applying whatever religious rituals were passed down to you and discovering the psychological science behind or at least scientific proof for what is actually going on. For example, the latter is typically far less connected to centuries of cruelties against people who happen to follow different rituals.
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Ask the
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amen (Score:1)
to that
Only For Americans? (Score:1)
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"free and brave"... hah. if only.
Sure -- but does that bring great literature? (Score:1)
There's such a thing as the 'reader' (the human-kind, I mean),
or in a broader sense, the 'consumer' (not meant in its commer-
cial sense).
There's some indication that gripes, cynicism, irony, angst and
all the nefarious psychological categories you can think of that
come with them -- put down in bytes, ink, celluloid or on stage,
provide for greater literature and entertainment.
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Thanksgiving Turduckenen-duckenen (Score:1)