From the New York Times:
It may sound counterintuitive, but people who spend more of their day having deep discussions and less time engaging in small talk seem to be happier, said Matthias Mehl, a psychologist at the University of Arizona who published a study on the subject.Read and discuss:
Roni Caryn Rabin, Talk Deeply, Be Happy? (New York Times)
comments: 3
The small sample size means the study is more of a thought-provoker than a provider of answers. But if upheld in larger studies, I think it could have good implications for encouraging meaningful conversations, even if the further research can't determine whether the deeper discussions were a cause or an effect of the happiness level.
“More of a thought-provoker than a provider of answers”: yes, exactly.
I kept thinking of My Dinner with André after reading this article.
'Deep discussions' show that people are trying to make sense of their lives and work, perhaps striving to imbue even daily drudgery with grace? Don't many things 'mean something' only as we assign that meaning?
Or maybe I just need to go back to bed and get some more sleep.
Post a Comment