When rats in a cage are given electric shocks through the wires in the floor, they frantically run around looking for a way to stop the pain. If the cage is equipped with a button to turn off electricity, they do so and go back to normal. But if the cage has no such button, the rats go into deep depression, crouch in the corner, can't function normally, can't solve the maze any more. Their immune defenses crumble, they become more vulnerable to infections and cancer-causing chemicals.
A similar experiment was done on human volunteers: they were given puzzles to solve, while an annoying noise was going on in the background. Half the people were provided with the button to turn off the noise, another half weren't. The people with the buttons wa-ay outperformed the people without the buttons, even though they never even pushed the buttons, saying, the noise wasn't so bad.
Lack of control over the external events is devastating to animals and humans. Even an illusion of control is better than no control at all. The lab animals who think they have control are healthier and live longer.
Peoples who customarily deal with dangerous and unpredictable forces, such as fishermen about to battle the waves, or the hunters going after a large and powerful animal, have elaborate rituals they perform before going. They ask for gods' and spirits' blessings and help, which gives them a sense of control. Most people, even confirmed atheists, find themselves praying, when finding themselves in desperate situations. The rituals and prayers give them comfort and extra endurance and strength. So the atheists who insist that prayers are useless are wrong. Prayers are not useless at all, they could make the difference between dying and surviving in hopeless situations.
A 'control-freak' is known to be a negative name. Many wise men advocate surrender, going with the flow. So how do you reconcile the two opposites? How do you go with the flow, but still have control?
The first time I went white-water rafting I volunteered to sit in the nose of the boat with the paddle. I knew I was going to be more vulnerable than those in the middle of the boat, more likely to fall off, and was going to get a lot wetter and colder than the others, but I couldn't imagine not having any control. As we got into some serious waves, I was probably less scared than those in the middle of the boat, judging from their squeals. The trick was to direct the nose of the boat as straight as possible into the wave, never turning sideways. I had to use the natural flow of the water and not fight against the currents.
So, to summarize, in order to have longer and healthier lives, we need to feel that we have some control of our destiny. Do not allow yourself to become apathetic, no matter what the situation. Keep telling yourself that there is always something you can do. If nothing comes to mind, take a good stock of the situation and your assets. Even if you think that you're completely broke, that everyone hates you, that you're just a tiny expendable gnat, sit down and find a way you can get back some control right now. The survivors of concentration camps could tell you how that one thing can make all the difference. Many people use the old trick of kicking the dog. Please don't do that! Get a punch bag. And make sure to vote.
A similar experiment was done on human volunteers: they were given puzzles to solve, while an annoying noise was going on in the background. Half the people were provided with the button to turn off the noise, another half weren't. The people with the buttons wa-ay outperformed the people without the buttons, even though they never even pushed the buttons, saying, the noise wasn't so bad.
Lack of control over the external events is devastating to animals and humans. Even an illusion of control is better than no control at all. The lab animals who think they have control are healthier and live longer.
Peoples who customarily deal with dangerous and unpredictable forces, such as fishermen about to battle the waves, or the hunters going after a large and powerful animal, have elaborate rituals they perform before going. They ask for gods' and spirits' blessings and help, which gives them a sense of control. Most people, even confirmed atheists, find themselves praying, when finding themselves in desperate situations. The rituals and prayers give them comfort and extra endurance and strength. So the atheists who insist that prayers are useless are wrong. Prayers are not useless at all, they could make the difference between dying and surviving in hopeless situations.
A 'control-freak' is known to be a negative name. Many wise men advocate surrender, going with the flow. So how do you reconcile the two opposites? How do you go with the flow, but still have control?
The first time I went white-water rafting I volunteered to sit in the nose of the boat with the paddle. I knew I was going to be more vulnerable than those in the middle of the boat, more likely to fall off, and was going to get a lot wetter and colder than the others, but I couldn't imagine not having any control. As we got into some serious waves, I was probably less scared than those in the middle of the boat, judging from their squeals. The trick was to direct the nose of the boat as straight as possible into the wave, never turning sideways. I had to use the natural flow of the water and not fight against the currents.
So, to summarize, in order to have longer and healthier lives, we need to feel that we have some control of our destiny. Do not allow yourself to become apathetic, no matter what the situation. Keep telling yourself that there is always something you can do. If nothing comes to mind, take a good stock of the situation and your assets. Even if you think that you're completely broke, that everyone hates you, that you're just a tiny expendable gnat, sit down and find a way you can get back some control right now. The survivors of concentration camps could tell you how that one thing can make all the difference. Many people use the old trick of kicking the dog. Please don't do that! Get a punch bag. And make sure to vote.
Just drink the Kool-Aid and become a brainwashed zombie like 99.9% of the population.
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