Good genes are nice, but joy is better (2017)

I've always believed that Democritus(the laughing philosopher) was onto something with his work "On Cheerfulness" that inspired many stoics like Seneca to pass on the idea of enlightened hedonism. While loneliness is a factor that is getting worse each year and the stats seem to also prove it, I do believe that the idea Democritus provides for "moderation of everything" is the key. This sense of relatedness and having a strong sense of community/relationships still needs to not fall to…

One of the biggest takeaways I got from 'Behave' is it isn't really nature vs nurture. Often one's 'nurture' (upbringing, and experiences) can change your epigenetics, and those with abusive childhoods have higher risks for all sorts of things including cardiovascular disease, cancer, autoimmune conditions and anxiety and depression. I'm not really sure everyone can chose 'joy'. Some simply don't have the innate temperament required to build strong relationships, and some have it literally beat out of them. Some…