Learning! Roundup: How to be cultured, personality, spiritual awareness, and more!

If you're a cultured person, you probably recognize this painting.
(Hint: Goethe in the Roman Campagna by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein)

What Does it Mean to be Cultured?

Turns out, according to a study done for American ticketing agency Vivid Seats, 40% of Americans have no idea what it means to be cultured, but most seem to think it has something to do with going to see live plays (yay!), recognizing paintings, and listening to classical music.

For more stats on perceptions of being "cultured", check out this infographic.

Does Personality Stick Around?

The longest-running personality study has shown that we are completely different people from youth to old age. Beginning in 1950 in Scotland, they had a group of 14 year-old-students and a teacher answer questions to determine six personality traits: self-confidence, perseverance, stability of moods, conscientiousness, originality, and desire to learn. Then again at the age 77, the subjects completed the personality test and nominated a close friend or family member to do it. They found no significant overlap between the two tests.

I do wonder if there are some issues with the study: a teacher rating a teenager is going to have a different view than a close friend rating you at the age of 77. How much of these changes were based on life phase, over personality? Teen-hood is a nightmare of hormones that might change your personality, and physical decline in old age may subdue a personality. Still, it's an interesting study!

Spiritual Awareness Leads to Health

Here's at least one reason why following a religious or spiritual path is beneficial: people who avoid spiritual struggles (the "big questions" about life) have more depression and anxiety than those who face them head-on.

Tea for Life!

Tea drinkers, join me in rejoicing! Not only (apparently) does drinking tea have beneficial effects on things like cancer and heart disease, but it also may prevent cognitive decline. Drink uppppppp!

Physician Competence

A new study shows that a medical treatment was more effective when administered by someone who came across as warm/competent as opposed to cold/incompetent. The placebo effect is SO INTERESTING!!!


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