Gary and the Pencil

There was this experiment performed to a bunch of people where one group was asked to clench a pencil with their teeth without letting their lips touch it. The other group was asked to hold it with their their lips and not let their teeth touch it.

Both groups were shown Gary Larson's "The Far Side" comics and were asked to rate how funny the comics were.

The first group who held the pencil with their teeth found the comics funnier than the people who held the pencil with their lips. Why? The first group who held the pencil with their teeth were using the same muscles we use when we smile. The secound group who held the pencil with their lips were using the same muscles we use when we frown.

The conclusion is that if we smile (even a fake smile) we find thing more amusing than if we were frowning.

So take that pencil and hold it with your teeth and enjoy some Gary Larson cartoons

 

Gratitude Journal

A Gratitude Journal is a simple concept in the book 59 Seconds by Professor Richard Wiseman.
In his book, Professor Wiseman of Hertfordshire University expelled tips for life that could be implemented in 59 seconds or less.

Within the first chapter, ‘Happiness’, Professor Wiseman talks about developing the Gratitude Attitude. He describes how, when a new smell enters a room, at first you notice it but quickly you get used to it and it eventually disappears from your consciousness.

However, as we all know, it’s easy to reactivate the smell again by stepping out of the room and back in again. This, in a nutshell, is the concept of the gratitude attitude.

Professor Wiseman’s Gratitude Attitude five-day plan goes as follows. Click on each link to view an explaination for each of the day and the opportunity to try posting anonymous journal entries for each day:

• Monday - Thanksgiving
• Tuesday - Terrific Times
• Wednesday - Future Fantastic
• Thursday - Dear...
• Friday - Reviewing the situation

Try it out! What have you got to lose?