...But only if you earn more than your friends. Earning more money only makes people happier if they feel richer than their friends, neighbors, and colleagues, a study has found.
(Basil & Spice)Toxic Friends: Girls vs. Girls
Effect of cars on both sex ratings
Sex Quiz: Myths, Taboos, Facts
Secrets to shoe shopping
Scientific proof: Women dig men with nice cars
(Chicago Tribune)
We put all other news on hold to bring you this groundbreaking report: Apparently, having an expensive car makes men more attractive to women. (In other automotive news, hurling a bowling ball at your windshield could result in damage). Seriously, the British Journal of Psychology took the time to conduct a study of what every guy who has ever picked up a date in a Toyota Corolla already knows: Women will find you more attractive with a pricey car....
Loneliness can lead to high blood pressure
Amit Pathania (TopNews)
A recent study has revealed that not only does loneliness cause wear and tear on a person's psyche, it can also be a strong factor for causing high blood pressure. Researchers from the University of Chicago surveyed 229 people, ages 50 to 68... The participants were white, black, and Latino men and women. [A mind/body connection? There are medical consequences to the psychological states we arouse and maintain, even if we feel we are victims of feelings we thoughtlessly claim as our own and identify with.] More>>
(Deepak Chopra, San Francisco Chronicle)
Over the past several years the public has become aware of a new field called "positive psychology," which attempts to understand such basic things as happiness. Some surprising findings have emerged, along with a slew of books and PBS specials. Does this mean that we are getting closer to knowing what makes us happy? Is science about to solve a dilemma that has baffled the greatest minds since Plato? Before answering this vital question, here are some of those surprising findings: More>> Buddhism shines through in Zen practice
Zen has become famous in the West for its short stories, its koans, its tea ceremony, and its calm way of life. Zen has come to stand for a particular mindset, a certain aesthetic as for instance the CSS Zen Garden, which has nothing to do with what Buddhism exemplifies. Zen as in Zen Buddhism, on the other hand, has been relatively neglected. The more informed may know that zazen (sitting meditation) has something to do with it....To be an actual Zen Buddhist, one has to take refuge in the Three Jewels, like any other Buddhist. This means formally declaring [to go for guidance to] Buddha (teacher and lineage), Dharma (teachings), and Sangha (the community of Buddhist monastics or, more widely, the community of Buddhists). Then there are [in Zen] the Ten Grave Precepts:- Affirm life; do not kill.
- Be giving; do not steal.
- Honor the body; do not misuse sexual energy.
- Manifest truth; do not lie.
- Proceed clearly; do not cloud the mind.
- See the perfection; do not speak of others’ errors and faults.
- Realize self and other as one; do not exalt self and blame others.
- Give generously; do not be stingy.
- Actualize harmony; do not give vent to anger.
- Experience the intimacy of things; do not defile the Three Gems.
