AUTHOR R. ANN SIRACUSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . It isn't the destination that matters -- It's the journey that counts!
Contact me!
  • HOME
  • BLOG
  • BOOKS
    • All For A Dead Man's Leg
    • All For A Fist Full Of Ashes
    • Destruction Of The Great Wall
    • All For Spilled Blood
    • First Date
    • Halloween In The Catacombs
    • All In The Game
    • Family Secrets: A Vengeance of Tears
  • ABOUT ME
    • Resume
  • PHOTO ALBUMS
  • RESOURCES
  • MY ORGANIZATONS
  • BLOGS ABOUT ANN
  • Blog

MARK TWAIN On The Religious Preferences of Ants

4/27/2018

1 Comment

 
Picture
MARK TWAIN
Mark Twain, born Samuel Langehorne Clemens in 1835, was a famous American humorist and novelist who came to be considered a national treasure. He captured world attention through his stories about boyhood adventure, the Mississippi River, his travels in the west, and humanist commentary.


A keen observer of human nature, he wrote probing commentaries on man’s faults, humorous but delving into the depths of human behavior, and was the first and foremost American realist and humanist.

READINGS IN ORGANIZATION BEHAVIOR AND HUMAN PERFORMANCE
Ever since I was a kid, Mark Twain has been one of my favorite authors. I can’t tell you have many times I read “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” and the imaginative thinking it inspired.

Unfortunately, when I was young I never read much about Twain’s studies in human behavior, so when, as a professional architect and urban planner, I took a management class which included reading the book “Readings in Organization Behavior and Human Performance." I found there a piece by Mark Twain which I still cherish and want to share.
​I intend no offence to anyone or their religious references.

ON EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN by Mark Twain

"I constructed four miniature houses of worship and placed them in a row.
●a Mohammedan mosque,
●a Hindu temple,
●a Jewish synagogue,
●a Christian cathedral.


I then marked l5 ants («fourmis») with red paint and turned them loose. They made several trips to and fro, glancing in at the places of worship, but not entering. I then turned loose l5 more painted blue; they acted just as the red ones had done. I now gilded 15 and turned them loose.
No change in the result: the 45 travelled back and forth in a hurry persistently and continuously visiting each fane, but never entering.
 
This satisfied me that these ants were without religious prejudices -- just what I wished; for under no other conditions would my next and greater experiment be valuable.
 
I now placed a small square of white paper within the door of each fane.
● Upon the mosque paper I put a pinch of putty,
● Upon the temple paper a dab of tar,
● Upon the synagogue paper a trifle of turpentine,
● Upon the cathedral paper a small cube of sugar.

First I liberated the red ants. They examined and rejected the putty, the tar and the turpentine, and then took to the sugar with zeal and apparent sincere conviction.
 
I next liberated the blue ants, and they did exactly as the red ones had done. The gilded ants followed. The preceding results were precisely repeated. This seemed to prove that ants destitute of religious prejudice will always prefer Christianity to any other creed.
 
However, to make sure, I removed the ants and put putty in the cathedral and sugar in the mosque. I now liberated the ants in a body, and they rushed tumultuously to the cathedral.
 
I was very much touched and gratified, and went back in the room to write down the event. But when I came back the ants had all apostatized and had gone over to the Mohammedan communion.
 
I saw that I had been too hasty in my conclusions, and naturally felt rebuked and humbled. With diminished confidence I went on with the test to the finish. I placed the sugar first in one house of worship then in another, till I had tried them all.
 
With this result: whatever Church I put the sugar in, that was the one the ants straightway joined.
 
This was true beyond a shadow of doubt, that in religious matters the ant is the opposite of man, for man cares for but one thing; to find the only true Church; whereas the ants hunt for the one with the sugar in it."

Picture



By Mark Twain, "On Experimental Design " in Scott W.K. and L.L. Cummings, Readings in Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, Irwin: Homewood, Ill., p.2, (l973)

1 Comment

ROMEO AND JULIET: Greatest Love Story Ever Told Series

4/20/2018

1 Comment

 
Picture
WHAT MAKES A GREAT LOVE STORY?
One of the greatest love stories ever told is that of Romeo and Juliet. The storyline is the basis of hundreds of songs, paintings, plays, literary works, and romance fiction. It is one of those stories that falls between legend and literary characters, based on possible historical events.

​
Each year, during the first weekend of September, the historic city of Verona, Italy, holds a festival to commemorate the birthday of the city's most famous daughter, Giulietta Capuleti – the legendary Juliet Capulet of the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. It's a real Italian party, with lots of food, singing, dancing, and costumes.

AN OLD TALE OF UNREQUITED LOVE
Shakespeare's play may have made this love story popular, but it is a much older tale of unrequited love which has been told in Italy at least since the 1400s. Historians speculate that the story existed as oral tradition long before that.


It's possible the oral tradition is based on the Babylonian legend of Pyramus and Thisbe, which dates back to 331 BC. Pyramus was the most gorgeous man in Babylonia and Thisbe, the most beautiful maiden. They had grown up as neighbors and were childhood friends. When they fell in love, they were forbidden to marry by their parents. One night, they planned to meet and run away together, but a mountain lion attacked Thisbe. She escaped, but the mountain lion took her veil. When Pyramus saw her bloodied veil in the mountain loin's mouth, he believed she'd been killed, and so he stabbed himself with his sword. When Thisbe saw Pyramus dead, she picked up his sword and killed herself also. ​

That legend sounds similar enough to Romeo and Juliet to have been the basis for the tale first committed to paper as a novella by Masuccio Salernitano, Published in 1478, Salernitano's story names the lovers Mariotto Maganelli and Giannoza Saraceni, and it takes place in Sienna.

Salernitano's plot is so similar to Shakespeare's play, which wasn't written until sometime in the early 1590s, that there isn't much doubt the play is a retelling of the same story.


Picture
But not to worry! Shakespeare isn't the only writer who got the idea from Salernitano. Some fifty years after Salernitano's novella, in 1528 (1531?), Luigi La Porta wrote a similar story set in Verona, which uses the same names as used in Shakespeare's play written sixty years later, Romeo and Juliet. La Porta claimed the plot had been given to him by an archer named Pellegrino da Verona.

In 1562, Matteo Bandello rewrote La Porta's book. Bandello's work was turned into an epic poem by Authur Brooke, entitled Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet.

A French version, written by Pierre Boastuau, draws on both Salernitano and Brooke's poem. William Painter, in 1569, wrote a version of it. Spaniard, Lope de Vega, in 1590, wrote a Spanish version.

Somehow Shakespeare read Salernitano's novella. There are a number of theories about how the playwright got so many stories from Italy although he never traveled there … as far as anyone knows. However he obtained this tale, he wrote the play sometime between 1591 and 1596. It was published in 1597 and the first performance wasn't until 1662. His play popularized the Romeo and Juliet story which has provided inspiration for a multitude of artists and sculptors, writers and poets, screenwriters, ad infinitum.

After 400 years, time has not tarnished or dulled the romance of the two doomed lovers. We never tire of hearing, reading, and seeing it again and again in its various storylines and settings. It strikes very near the heart and always will.


IS THE STORY TRUE?
The real truth is lost in the dust of time. However, it is true that during the late 1200s, there were two important families in Verona named Capuletti and Montecchi. These family names are mentioned by writer and poet Dante Alighieri in his Divine Comedy (Canto IV of the Purgatory-written in around 1310-1330), and a reference is made to a grief shared by these two families. No mention is made regarding of what the mutual sorrow might be.

During that period, under the reign of the Scaligeri family, there was constant war between families for dominance of Verona, but history doesn't call out the names of Capuletti or Montecchi. Even though these two families are not remembered as movers and shakers, during this time there was great hatred between opposing families, making the story quite possible.

FOR VERONA, ROMEO AND JULIET WERE REAL
After the 1936 Academy Award winning film of the play, the Veronese government realized the city could capitalize on the story. Visitors today can visit museums, churches, homes, and plaques containing quotes from the play. All the places tourists see there are commemorating Shakespeare's play, not the real people.

If you travel to Verona, you can visit Juliet's house at #23 Via Cappello and see her balcony where, supposedly, the famous balcony scene took place. Of course, the five-story house isn't the Capuletti's house and never was. It was originally a 13th century inn – said to have once been the stable of the Dal Cappello family -- which was purchased by the City of Verona in 1936 and restored in Gothic style and decorated inside like the home of a Renaissance merchant.

         The Balcony                       Bed from the 1968 Movie      Statue of Juliette in courtyard            The Tomb

Inside the house, you can visit Juliet's bedroom. The bed is actually the one used in the Franco Zeffirelli film in 1968. In the courtyard the statue of Juliet is rubbed for good luck. You can also visit the Capuletti tomb.                                  The Montegue or Montecchi house
Picture
There is also the house of the Montegue, or Montecchi. It was built in the 14th century and once belonged to the family of Count Nogarola. Today it is private and closed to the public, but displays a plaque containing a quote from the play.

​​TOURIST TRADITIONS
According to https://runawaybunnydotorg.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/juliets-house-in-verona-some-strange-traditions/ there are several unusual traditions and crowds of tourists pushing and shoving in front of the Capuleti house to participate in those traditions. Most of these so-called "traditions" sound modern to me, as well as being pure vandalism.
    "Tradition 1: Scrawl the name of your lover on the walls in sharpie."
    
"Tradition 2: Stick a piece of gum on the wall, then have someone take a picture of you stretching it out between your fingers." The end result isn't very romantic.


 Writing on the wall with sharpies                          The gum wall                                    The lovers' padlocks
Photos by: runawaybunny.com


    "Tradition 3: Write the name of you and your boyfriend on a padlock, and lock it somewhere. Anywhere." Apparently this practice is taking hold and spreading around the world.
    "Tradition 4: Juliet’s breasts bring good luck/fertility/longevity/better orgasms. You must touch them on the statue and take pictures of it!"  Some references say the tradition is rubbing the statue for good luck. I guess where you rub it is up to you. However, you can buy a breast-shaped keychain in the gift shop just off the courtyard."

IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT IS THE GREATEST LOVE STORY EVER TOLD?
Most of the "greatest love stories" involve lovers being kept apart and/or making extreme sacrifices to be together. In the older stories, that sacrifice is often death. It's surprising how many follow the Romeo and Juliet theme, which makes them love stories and tragedies at the same time, but not romances.

Some of these are strictly heroes and heroines in literature, some myth or legend, and others who are real historical or modern figures who are well known and capture wide interest. Many of us are familiar with the names, but not with the stories. Leave a comment and tell us what you consider the greatest love story and why.

Resources

http://www.ancient-origins.net/history/romeo-and-juliet-not-shakespearean-tale-after-all-003155
http://the1historynerd.blogspot.com/2011/06/montagues-and-capulets-fact-or-fiction.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_and_Juliet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montagues_and_Capulets
http://www.ancient.eu/Verona/
http://www.linguait.it/index.php/en/study-italian-in-italy/verona-history
http://www.veronafor2.com/verona.html
https://runawaybunnydotorg.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/juliets-house-in-verona-some-strange-traditions/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Capuleti_e_i_Montecchi
http://untappedcities.com/2013/12/18/6-sites-verona-italy-follow-footsteps-romeo-and-juliet-verona-italy/
http://amolife.com/reviews/top-20-most-famous-love-stories-in-history-and-literature.html
http://allwomenstalk.com/12-most-famous-love-stories-of-all-time/
http://www.tourism.verona.it/en/itineraries/your-time-travel/romeo-juliet
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2099615/Is-romantic-painting-Oil-depiction-Romeo-Juliet-voted-best-Britain.html#ixzz5BjdDrjFt
https://www.explorra.com/attractions/juliets-balcony-in-verona_12303
https://mycornerofitaly.com/juliets-house/


 


1 Comment

FRIDAY THE 13th: Do you suffer from Paraskavekedatriaphobia? Or Triskaidekaphobia?

4/13/2018

1 Comment

 
Picture
 I NEVER WOULD HAVE GUESSED
That's because, until I started this blog, I'd never heard of these words and didn't know they meant, much less how to pronounce them. I'll bet you didn't either.

Nonetheless, these are real medical phobias related to fearing the number thirteen and Friday the Thirteenth. But first, a quick look at where bad luck superstitions came from and particularly Friday the Thirteenth. And no, it wasn't the movie.

Picture
BAD LUCK DAY
Every culture seems to have superstitions about days and numbers which are considered lucky or unlucky. In many places, Fridays and the number thirteen have traditionally been tagged as bad luck.

The exact origin of the superstition is unknown -- just lots of speculation -- but an argument can be made for the superstition existing since ancient times. Where ever it originated, a large portion of Western culture is stuck treating Friday the Thirteenth as a day of doom, despair, or bad luck.


Ancient Times
● The word Friday represents the Norse goddess Frigg [Freyja or Freya], the goddess of love and war. She had many other talents as well. Some historians believe the Teutonic people called Friday unlucky because of Freyja, perhaps because one of her talents was magic.

● Some believe the 13th or Friday the 13th was the day Eve tasted the forbidden apple from the Tree of Knowledge. I'm not sure how that figures, since humankind at the time didn't have a calendar with either Fridays or Friday the 13th, but what do I know?

● In the New Testament, thirteen people attended Jesus' last supper on Maundy Thursday, the day before Christ's crucifixion on Good Friday. Judas was the thirteenth to be seated.

● Numerology first appears in written records in Egypt and Babylon, and in numerology, the number 13 is considered unlucky. However, while 13 meant death to the ancient Egyptians, it was a joyous time when the person ascended into eternal life. Death was not considered bad luck to them.

Middle Ages
● This is a more likely time for such superstitions to be tied to Christian beliefs surrounding the last supper and crucifixion.

● In the 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer wrote in his Canterbury Tales a reference to Friday as being unlucky.
​
●While some historians point to evidence of both Friday and the number thirteen being considered unlucky, there are no references connecting the two before the 19th century.


Nineteenth Century
● Henry Sutherland Edward's 1869 biography of composer Giaochino Rossini, is credited with the first documented reference. According to Edwards, Rossini regarded Friday as an unlucky day, thirteen as an unlucky number, and died on Friday, November 13, 1868.

While I have no way of knowing if Rossini himself believed 13 was unlucky, I do know that Italians consider 13 a lucky number. The Italian bad-luck-number is seventeen, and that superstition has been around since the early Romans. I lived in Rome and know there are many buildings without a 17th floor or a room #17 and so on.

● Another early reference comes from a club [The Thirteen Club] formed by William Fowler, whose intention was to debunk the superstitions as baseless.
 
"REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUP OF BAD LUCK" 
 
Quote: Kathy Padden [todayifoundout.com]
Picture
Once the day Friday and the number thirteen combined, the superstition blossomed and filled much of the western world. Once singled out, it's easy to go hunting for bad things which happened on that date. Perhaps just as much bad luck occurs on other days and dates, but we're not looking at those.

Sure, it never hurts to be cautious. You shouldn't walk under a ladder on any day, particularly if someone is standing on it with paint, but when taken to an extreme, it can become a medical condition.  Who knew?

Triskaidekaphobia
This is the term for extreme and irrational fear of the number thirteen. Thirteen isn't the only number people fear, but that's called Numerophobia or Arithmophobia.

Paraskavedekatriphobia [Also Friggatriskaidekaphobia]
This is the term for an exaggerated, irrational fear of Friday the Thirteenth. The name was first used in the 1990s by Dr. Donald E. Dossey, an American psychotherapist specializing in phobias and stress management. He is reputed as saying if someone can pronounce the name of the phobia, he/she is cured. The term uses the Greek word paraskevi (Friday) and dekatria (thirteen).

Symptoms
The symptoms resemble any panic attack:
● Hyperventilation
● Rapid heart rate
● Trembling
● Lightheadedness or dizziness
● Refusing to leave home on this day
● Indulging in ritualistic behavior
● Talk of death or dying

Who Is Affected?
The bad news is that millions of people have Paraskavedekatriphobia to one degree or another, and businesses always report losses on Friday the 13th. Even more fear surrounds the unlucky number thirteen. The good news is that in any one year we will not have more than three Friday the 13ths. This year, the only other than this date (April 13) is July 13. What a relief!

WHAT NOT TO DO ON FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH
● If you cut your hair, someone in your family will die. [And YOU don't get to choose]
● If a funeral procession passes you, you will be next to die.
● Don't start a trip or you will encounter misfortune.
● If you break a mirror, you will have seven years bad luck.
● A child born on Friday the 13th will be unlucky for life.
● Ships that set sail of Friday will have bad luck. In spite of the superstition, most pleasure boats make their first voyage on Good Friday (1857).
● Don't walk under a ladder or if a black cat crosses your path on Friday the 13th you will have bad luck.
● Don't start anything that represents the beginning or start of a new venture.
● If you've been ill, don't get up for the first time on a Friday.
● Don't move on a Friday, or you won't stay in the new location very long.
● Don't get married on Friday.
● And for goodness sake, don't invite 13 guests or sit 13 people at a table.
You've been warned!
​
COME ON, PEOPLE. GET A LIFE!

Picture
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/friday-13th-does-come-unlucky/
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/09/the-origin-of-friday-the-13th-as-an-unlucky-day/
https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/13-things-friday-13.html
http://www.ibtimes.com/friday-13th-history-origins-myths-superstitions-unlucky-day-395108
http://www.snopes.com/luck/friday13.asp
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/02/0212_040212_friday13.html
http://www.macmillandictionary.com/buzzword/entries/paraskevidekatriaphobia.html
http://www.cogwriter.com/hebrew-calendar-postponements.htm
http://aboutnumerology.com/history-of-numerology/
http://gizmodo.com/why-people-think-friday-the-13th-is-unlucky-1306401570
http://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/the-vanir-gods-and-goddesses/freya/
http://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/the-vanir-gods-and-goddesses/freya/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freyja
http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/goddess-freya.htm
http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/goddess-freya.htm
https://www.allaboutcounseling.com/library/triskaidekaphobia/
http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/p/paraskavedekatriaphobia/misdiag.htm

https://days.to/when-is/friday-the-13th/2018





1 Comment

STORMY WEATHER: Impact Of Weather On Mood

4/6/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
 AND I QUOTE
“The weather supplies many metaphors for our changeable minds. Moods can brighten and darken, dispositions can be sunny, futures can be under a cloud and relationships can be stormy. Like the weather, our emotions sometimes seem like fickle forces of nature: unstable, enveloping and uncontrollable.”

“Researchers in Germany sought to find out whether day-to-day weather affects people's moods, but branched out beyond just sunny and cloudy and looked at temperature, wind, sunlight, rain and snow, air pressure, and how long the days were.”
​
Study Sheds Light on Whether the Sun, Wind, Rain Sway Our Emotions By Kelley Colihan  

Most people don’t need scientific reports or the latest news article to know the weather affects moods. All we have to do is pay attention to what is going on around us … and inside us. But as human beings, we often make assumptions about the “obvious” which turn out to be incorrect or at least skewed. So it doesn’t hurt to check on the latest research to confirm or challenge what we’ve personally observed in our lifetimes.

Picture
In addition, our observations are constrained and biased by our life style, where we live and travel, who we know, what we read and watch on TV. They don’t tell us how people feel in different locations, weather conditions, or life circumstances.

BUT THE STUDY SHOWS...
The fact that there are at least a zillion studies about weather and how it affects people, should be enough to prove there is both interest and variation in weather impacts. This plethora of research often results in conflicting results, but the Journal of Psychological Science found these inconsistencies may be due to two important factors: the season and how much time is spent outside.

The inconsistencies didn’t put me back to square one, but forced me to comb through a lot of articles and studies on weather and mood to filter out those things which are generally consistent and accepted by researchers.

WEATHER DOES AFFECT MOOD, HEALTH, AND SOCIAL WELL BEING
These are the common general “truths” or, at least, the consistent beliefs I found in most of the references I used and is the level playing field, so to speak.

● Weather does affect mood, health, and social well being; the strength and nature of that relationship varies from person to person;​

● The impact of weather on you may depend on your personality type; 
●
Weather doesn’t have to impact your mood;

● Even though the day-to-day weather can affect your mood and your personality, it doesn't define who you are as a person;
● If you're in a good mood, chances are, bad weather won't bring you down too much.
● Mood disorders can be susceptible to seasonal influences, with a typical worsening in the winter months.
● Sleep is affected by the weather. If it is cold, people are more likely to sleep more lightly and if it’s too hot, sometimes they can’t sleep at all.


“DAY-IN DAY-OUT”
Song written and performed by David Bowie, Album  “Never Let Me Down” - 1987

The study data implies to me a difference in the impacts between the day-in day-out climate of a location and / or extended periods of extreme weather conditions, and shorter periods of weather, like a rainy day or a foggy week.
 

“STORMY WEATHER”

Song by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by Ted Koehler; first performed by Ethel Waters at The Cotton Club, Harlem 1933

Picture
Here are some of the common thoughts and findings about the effects of cold, inclement, rainy, or gloomy weather on moods.
● Wintertime can bring you down;
● Cold temperatures can lead to physical lethargy;
● Cold temperatures can cause physical pain related to other influences such as arthritis;
● Temperature can affect mood as a result of energy usage. In the winter our bodies have to work harder to maintain body temperature and our immune systems have to work harder to keep us healthy;

● Extreme rain brings out the worst in people;
● Rain can cause you to eat more;
● A lack of sunlight can make you sad;
● Rain makes everything more difficult and can affect your lifestyle in ways not conducive to a good mood.
● Drops in barometric pressure when wet weather is on its way, can cause a headache and achy and stiff feelings in general;
● Rain causes us to stay inside and socialize less. Socializing is actually one of the most powerful antidepressants of all, as are sunlight and exercise.
​
In other words, winter weather, cold temperatures, rainy and gloomy skies tend to put people in a less positive mood. They’re downers.
 

“I’M WALKIN’ ON SUNSHINE”

Song written by Kimberley Rew for Katrina and the Waves' 1983

Picture
Studies find warmer, more temperate weather (climates?) as affecting our moods in a positive manner.

● Higher temperatures can bring a depressed person up;

● Warm climates have a lower death rate;
● Pleasant weather (higher temperature or barometric pressure) is related to higher mood, better memory, and ‘‘broadened’’ cognitive style during the spring as time spent outside increased;
● Being outside can improve your memory, and boost creativity;
● Fresh air and sunshine may help relieve depression;
● When the sun comes out, you may alter your behavior without even realizing it. Studies suggest, for instance, that on sunny days people help each other more and leave more generous tips when eating at restaurants;
● A 50-minute nature walk improves mood and memory – even photos of green space improve mood.

If I am interpreting these findings correctly, the experts are saying when people experience warmer and more comfortable weather (climate?) which lets them go outdoors and be active, mood improves and spirits rise.
 
“COME RAIN OR COME SHINE”

Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer; written for the musical St. Louis Woman, - 1946

Rain or shine, extreme weather conditions affect mood. Conditions that interfere with people's lives and keep them from doing what they need or want to do, can become irritating and/or sources of anxiety or fright if the conditions are likely to have severe consequences, such as:

      Lightning Storm                          High winds                             Tornado                                Heavy snow and ice

           Overcast skies                          Extreme heat                          Heavy Rain                                   Dark skies

Surprisingly, Strong wind has more of a negative effect on mood in spring and summer than in fall and winter. Also, when days become shorter, some people's moods mirror that, while others actually felt more positive feelings.

People are affected differently, and the human body can acclimate itself to fairly extreme differences – just look at the variety of climates in the world we inhabit. I believe how individuals are affected by weather depends a lot on what they've become used to. I went to New Zealand in the early spring. I was freezing the whole time, but I would see local people out running at five in the morning in shorts and sleeveless tops. Burr!
 

“ALL ABOUT CHEMISTRY”

The third and final album by rock band Semisonic; Song written by Dan Wilson – 2001
Picture

While the whole issue of the mood-weather relationship is undoubtedly complicated, on a simplistic level we’re looking at appetite, exercise, exposure to light and particularly sunlight, outdoor time, and sleep. All these factors impact several types of non-clinical, common depression: When life just gets you down.

In this case, much of the discussion centers around biochemistry. Sun shining on bare skin is necessary for the human body to produce Vitamin D, which plays a role in the production of the biochemical serotonin. (Some references called it a hormone.) This biochemical has several critical functions within the human body which we don’t need to go into.

After those functions are taken care of, the remainder is synthesized into “serotonergic neurons” which regulate mood, appetite, and sleep. Thus, it’s often considered a contributor to feelings of well being and happiness. In addition, the substance impacts cognitive functions including memory and learning. The more or less sunlight, the more the mood elevation rises or decreases.

Some of the most powerful depression fighters are socializing with others, plenty of restful sleep, eating right, exercise, sunlight, and outdoor activity … which are some of the advantages of living in a moderate climate which allows outdoor activity and sunlight … and where weather conditions don’t inhibit these natural “antidepressants” as much as heavy weather.

“SAD”
Song by Bo Burnham from the album “Overexposed” (Maroon 5 song) 2018

Picture
I haven’t been talking about clinical forms of depression which do not relate at all to weather, location, length of days, and so on. That’s a different discussion. However, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is very real condition and should be mentioned.

SAD is a depressive disorder with a seasonal pattern wherein a person’s major depressive episodes are connected to a specific season. While we most commonly think of SAD affecting people only in the fall or winter months, a minority of people also experience SAD during the spring and summer months.

For some, SAD can make living in colder or stormier climates a challenge. It's thought that those who suffer from SAD may be particularly affected by the lack of light during the darker winter months. Studies have found that when SAD sufferers are exposed to light (particularly sunlight during the morning hours), they tend to feel better.

SAD is a relatively uncommon condition, but even those who don't suffer from it may experience drops in mood levels and well-being during the winter months or in colder climates.

Also scientists and researchers also might be overestimating how much the cold weather affects our mood: Some research found that incidences of "wintertime blues" are widely exaggerated, and that most people are not affected by seasonal mood changes.


CONCLUSION
In my humble opinion, based on what I’ve read, most people’s moods are affected by weather but not for very long. If a person eats properly, exercises, and gets enough sleep and sunshine, he probably won’t be affected at all or for only a short time.

Picture
Sources
https://psychcentral.com/blog/can-weather-affect-your-mood/
http://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20081016/how-the-weather-affects-our-moods
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11150018
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/14/climate-health_n_4568505.html
https://www.bustle.com/articles/113278-6-scientific-ways-weather-affects-your-mood-so-you-can-adapt-your-mind-and-body-through
https://www.elitedaily.com/p/how-the-weather-affects-your-mood-your-personality-according-to-a-new-study-6745419
http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/15843/1/Effects-of-Weather-on-Human-Emotions.html
http://highlysensitiveperson.net/weather-affects-mood/
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/03/31/weather-affects-mood.aspx
http://sunlightinstitute.org/beware-the-anti-depressant-drugs-use-sunshine-instead/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3779905/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908269/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/12/exercise.aspx
http://www.ulifeline.org/articles/433-benefits-of-exercise
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2651091/
https://www.everydayhealth.com/depression-pictures/different-types-of-depression.aspx
http://www.scienceoflight.org/depression_sad/
http://www.sciencefocus.com/qa/can-changes-atmospheric-pressure-affect-our-mood
http://www.catalogs.com/info/health/barometric-pressure-affect-mood.html

 


0 Comments

    Author R. Ann Siracusa

    Novelist, retired architect and urban planner, world traveler, quilter, owl collector, devoted wife-mother-grandmother, great-grandmother, and, according to some, wild-assed liberal.

    Archives

    February 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    May 2016
    November 2015
    February 2015
    November 2014
    August 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013

    Categories

    All
    Africa
    Baboons
    Bagpipes
    Halloween
    Mopane-Mopani Worms
    Saint Patrick
    Samhain
    Shamrock
    Snakes
    Travel
    Veterans Day

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.