Scientists are laying down their Erlenmeyer flasks and their Bunsen burners and curling up in the fetal position today, after a recent study shows that quitting things that are hard might be good for you.
One scientist, sucking his thumb while vigorously clutching a Batman blanket had this to say, "I've worked so hard at getting these grants and learning science and trying to better mankind. Now, it seems I've just been killing myself."
"That's been the philosophy I've lived by my entire life," said a hippie who has spent the last two nights sleeping in the bus station. "Can I get a quarter for the phone?" he added.
Enough joking.
The tenacious seem to suffer more health problems from their never-say-die attitudes than the lackluster of spirit. Some of those health problems include, hypertension, indigestion and headaches. The bullheaded also seemed to die younger from heart attacks and diabetes.
It sounds like it might be better to quit if something is hard. Why doesn't science just prove that we don't have souls and there is no point to life and everything we do is a mocking absurdity?
The flaw in this study, in my very humble opinion, is that it equated re-framing with quitting.
For example: If a person wanted to invent a flying machine, he might create a giant harness and attach to wings to it. Obviously, that contraption doesn't work. We've all seen that stock footage. The stubborn might keep trying it, injuring themselves over and over which is, after all, a health risk. A re-framer would fall once, maybe twice (if he thought the first time was a fluke) and redesign the device, but he's not really giving up; is he?
So is this study studying tenacity or stubbornness? Would you give up your dreams for less stress in your life? Would Van Gogh's life of been better having known this information? The world might be worse off.
Also, as an addition to this blog, the original story on this in Newsweek Health used this as an example for determination: "Like an infertile couple (trying to) conceiving a child"
That, to me, doesn't seem like quite the arduous task. In fact, the act of child conception is one of this biggest stress relievers known to man. It's even more widely used than that little novelty doll that is supposed to look like your boss and relieve stress when you squeeze it.
To find a doctor who chased after his or her own dreams, click here.
