We're looking at death all wrong. Here's why.
Can a shift in the way we treat death and dying improve our lives while we're still here?
22 October, 2019
- These days, for the most part, the concept of death is consumed by health care and medicine.
- However, as humans we need to view death as more than just a medical event. It takes into account our psychology, spirituality, philosophy, social worlds, and personal lives.
- This reconsideration should also apply to the way we treat people who are dying. Life is in the senses, not just our physical capabilities.
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Why we — despite the good and bad — fall back to a baseline level of happiness
Trudging toward happiness: What is the hedonic treadmill?
06 September, 2019
Image source: Shutterstock
- The concept of the hedonic treadmill is that regardless of whether good or bad things happen to us, we always return to a set point of happiness and well-being. Hence, we have to constantly work to stay at a given degree of happiness, as though we were on a treadmill.
- Several studies exist that back up this finding, including one conducted on lottery winners and paraplegics.
- While this may seem like a bad thing, there are advantages; in addition, it may be possible increase your baseline level of happiness through certain activities.
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Is life after 75 worth living? This UPenn scholar doubts it.
What makes a life worth living as you grow older?
23 August, 2019
Photo by Katarzyna Grabowska on Unsplash
- Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel revisits his essay on wanting to die at 75 years old.
- The doctor believes that an old life filled with disability and lessened activity isn't worth living.
- Activists believe his argument stinks of ageism, while advances in biohacking could render his point moot.
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How to heal trauma with meaning: A case study in emotional evolution
As tempting as it may be to run away from emotionally-difficult situations, it's important we confront them head-on.
18 August, 2019
- Impossible-sounding things are possible in hospitals — however, there are times when we hit dead ends. In these moments, it's important to not run away, but to confront what's happening head-on.
- For a lot of us, one of the ways to give meaning to terrible moments is to see what you can learn from them.
- Sometimes certain information can "flood" us in ways that aren't helpful, and it's important to figure out what types of data you are able to take in — process — at certain times.
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3 ways to find a meaningful job, or find purpose in the job you already have
Learn how to redesign your job for maximum reward.
17 August, 2019
- Broaching the question "What is my purpose?" is daunting – it's a grandiose idea, but research can make it a little more approachable if work is where you find your meaning. It turns out you can redesign your job to have maximum purpose.
- There are 3 ways people find meaning at work, what Aaron Hurst calls the three elevations of impact. About a third of the population finds meaning at an individual level, from seeing the direct impact of their work on other people. Another third of people find their purpose at an organizational level. And the last third of people find meaning at a social level.
- "What's interesting about these three elevations of impact is they enable us to find meaning in any job if we approach it the right way. And it shows how accessible purpose can be when we take responsibility for it in our work," says Hurst.
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