Positive Memories

While meal replacements like Soylent are ideally suited for those who prefer to get sustenance through a straw and on their own time, don’t discount the immeasurable benefits of sitting down for a real meal with other people. It’s important to break bread. It’s even better to break it with others. Research from the University of Oxford found that the more we eat with other people, the happier we are and the more satisfied we are with our lives. Social…

“I don’t care if she’s nice. I just care that she’s the best.” My patient’s internist was retiring and he was eager to find a new one. Like most people, he relied on credentials and reputation to assess expertise. “Where did she go to medical school?,” he asked. “Is she on New York Magazine’s Best Doctors list?” How caring or warm she is didn’t factor into his analysis. He believed that competence, not kindness, mattered most. Research from Stanford University suggests otherwise. Volunteers in a study were pricked on their…