Show me the data!

Quote of the day, read to me by Mrs. Reeves who was looking at an article on "oil pulling" and Avurvedic "medicine":

"These rich, white, vegan hipsters cure cancer every six months...and yet nothing changes."

As I say in response to all these claims: "Show me the data."  Keep in mind that the plural of "anecdote" is not "data."

Emotions

Do you know your own emotions?  Do you know what will make you happy?  How accurately do you think you could answer those questions?

Be careful!  You might not be as accurate as you think.

I've been re-reading a fascinating book by Daniel Gilbert...a book named Stumbling on Happiness. It makes a number of excellent and interesting points.  One I'll mention here is that when we choose something (a spouse, a car, a restaurant for tonight's dinner) we're guessing how happy that decision will make someone else.  The "someone else" is...the future you.