Why We Choose Ignorance
Wise & Well Weekly: The newsletter helping you make tomorrow a little better than today
Welcome back to your weekly dose of wisdom and wellness, with science-backed insights you can use to improve your physical, mental and emotional well-being. You’ll find our usual list of compelling and actionable new stories below. But first…
We all know an ignorant slob or two. What we may not realize is how often that ignoramus is us.
New research finds that when given the choice to learn how their actions might affect someone else, 40% of people chose not to know,” researchers reported in the journal Psychological Bulletin. The conclusion results from a meta-analysis of 22 experiments and studies done in labs or online.
It could be that in real life, people behave differently than in the test settings, but still, if you don’t mind being further enlightened, here’s how this willful ignorance is said to play out:
“A lot of the altruistic behaviors we observe are driven by a desire to behave as others expect us to,” explained study team member Shaul Shalvi, PhD, a professor of behavioral ethics at the University of Amsterdam. “While most people are willing to do the right thing when they are fully informed of the consequences of their actions, this willingness is not always because people care for others. A part of the reasons why people act altruistically is due to societal pressures as well as their desire to view themselves in a good light. Since being righteous is often costly, demanding people to give up their time, money and effort, ignorance offers an easy way out.”
READER WISDOM on LONELINESS
Comments on How to Actually Know You’re Lonely by Stephan Joppich:
“Feeling lonely is common even when one has friends because the state is often marked by this sensation that we aren’t seen or understood enough by others. When we understand ourselves better, in time others will be able to understand us more too.”
— Dana Stankovic
“Take a break from social media and spend quality time with friends and family. Genuine connections can help combat loneliness.”
— Manushvi Nithyanandan
“Loneliness isn’t just about feeling blue; it’s a damn health hazard. Your piece? A wake-up slap to the face we all need.”
— Mike Vasery
HEALTHY READING
A selection of this week’s other informative and insightful Wise & Well articles:
Yes, Vicarious Trauma is a Thing
Watching what’s going on in the world right now, even from afar, can be traumatizing. When we empathize with another person’s distress, especially when their suffering is relentless or unjust or brutal or just seems pointless, we can suffer trauma vicariously, this psychologist explains. Learn how to recognize it, how to deal with it, and how to protect young children from the effects and help teens grasp the harsh realities of today’s world.
— By Gail Post, PhD
Why Clowns are So Terrifying
More than a quarter of adults fear clowns. Coulrophobia, as it’s called, may be stoked by creepy portrayals of clowns in the media — including one real-life mass murderer who wasn’t clowning around. But even a “good” clown’s garish makeup plays a role, by masking emotional signals we perceive in a person’s facial features. This writer talks to a real-life clown about how to get past all the Bozo-based hysteria.
— By Kathleen Murphy
Should You Hit the Snooze Button?
New research finds that people who routinely use the snooze function lose only about six minutes of sleep, and the snoozing appears to ease the transition from sound sleep to being fully awake and alert, resulting in higher scores on cognitive tests in the early morning. But if you snooze and you lose focus during the day, or feel extremely tired or irritable in the afternoons, then snoozing could be an alarm warning of deeper sleep problems.
— By Robert Roy Britt
Why Antidepressants Take So Long To Work
The most commonly prescribed antidepressants — selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs — can take weeks to kick in. New research suggests why, and could lead to greater understanding of what causes depression. Meanwhile, this writer, a physician who knows depression first-hand, has suggestions for what to do while you wait.
— By Eric J. Kort MD
A New Steroid That Quickly Helps With Depression
Expected to be available later this year, zuranolone (sold under the brand name Zurzuvae) is a daily pill which, in clinical trials, brought significant reduction in depressive symptoms within three days. It’s expected to be really expensive, however.
— By John Kruse MD, PhD
Red Meat Raises Type 2 Diabetes Risk Significantly
Just two servings of red meat weekly is linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a large new study concludes. Each additional daily serving of unprocessed red meat was linked to a 24% higher risk of type 2 diabetes. And each additional daily serving of processed red meat was linked to a 46% higher risk. The take-home: moderation.
— By Robert Roy Britt
One Stinking Reason I’m Kinda Done With Beef
Americans are eating less beef, and everybody has their reasons, ranging from cost or health reasons to environmental and ethical concerns. I’ve always enjoyed a good steak or burger, but something happened recently that turned me off to beef, and it’s been weeks since I had any. Hint: It’s not what you think.
— By Robert Roy Britt
FYI
Woman takes Ozempic and loses 20 pounds. Eventually the side effects become too much, so she stops taking it. Gains all the weight back. People often don’t realize that some highly effective drugs come not only with serious side effects but a lifetime commitment. And if you stop taking a diabetes drug like Ozempic or Wegovy, blood glucose can surge. (NY Times)
Certain chemical hair straighteners long used by some Black women have been found to increase the risk of uterine cancer. The FDA has begun the process of maybe issuing a ban, focusing on products that contain formaldehyde. (AP)
This surprised me: “Roughly 35 percent of women of reproductive age in the United States don’t have sufficient amounts of iron in their bodies. And yet the nutritional deficiency, which can affect multiple functions, from immunity to cognition, often goes undiagnosed.” (NY Times)
Popular “toddler milks’’ are unregulated, unnecessary and nutritionally incomplete, pediatricians warn. Instead, toddlers should eat — and I know this sounds crazy — food! (AP)
RANDOM BIT OF WISDOM
“There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state with another.”
― Alexandre Dumas
Wise & Well writers are physicians, psychiatrists, research scientists, dieticians, fitness experts, journalists and other professionals who share their expertise to help you make tomorrow a little better than today. If you like any of these highly curated, professionally edited stories, please follow Wise & Well and/or subscribe to this newsletter. — Rob
"People often don’t realize that some highly effective drugs come not only with serious side effects but a lifetime commitment." This is such an important point. I found that the body becomes used to the drug and needs more to achieve the initial effect.