http://blog.longnow.org/2009/06/12/72-years-of-happiness/ The Official Weblog of The Long Now Foundation and Friends Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:43:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://blog.longnow.org/2009/06/12/72-years-of-happiness/comment-page-1/#comment-7246 Davide Bocelli Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:43:06 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/2009/06/12/72-years-of-happiness/#comment-7246 I think that there is a difference between data and human bios. Both are precious. From this longitudinal study we have both data carefully collected during many years but also - and most precious - stories of unique and very different humans like us. And in the future, if we will be able to take long term studies seriously, we could have deeper knowledge and compare many series of longitudinal studies to see what happens during human history (and we'll experience how good is to make longitudinal studies and long term data preservation). In my humble opinion, this seems to be a promising beginning. I think that there is a difference between data and human bios. Both are precious. From this longitudinal study we have both data carefully collected during many years but also – and most precious – stories of unique and very different humans like us. And in the future, if we will be able to take long term studies seriously, we could have deeper knowledge and compare many series of longitudinal studies to see what happens during human history (and we’ll experience how good is to make longitudinal studies and long term data preservation). In my humble opinion, this seems to be a promising beginning.

]]> http://blog.longnow.org/2009/06/12/72-years-of-happiness/comment-page-1/#comment-7243 Steve Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:56:03 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/2009/06/12/72-years-of-happiness/#comment-7243 Rowland, did you get a chance to read the Atlantic article? It is fascinating to me. I realize that longitudinal studies may complicate analysis of the results, but it is very worthwhile data nonetheless, at least to this reader. Rowland, did you get a chance to read the Atlantic article? It is fascinating to me. I realize that longitudinal studies may complicate analysis of the results, but it is very worthwhile data nonetheless, at least to this reader.

]]> http://blog.longnow.org/2009/06/12/72-years-of-happiness/comment-page-1/#comment-7224 Rowland Sun, 14 Jun 2009 03:43:24 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/2009/06/12/72-years-of-happiness/#comment-7224 I hate to play the devil's advocate, but the anthropologist in me is practically conditioned to question the value of what in the end is a rather specific study ... "men who entered college in the late 1930s through war, career, marriage and divorce, parenthood and grandparenthood, and old age." Id like to see some sort of socioeconomic data, race/ethnicity/religion, ect ... but still, just the unique experiences of that era are enough in my mind to bias this study. They are called the Greatest Generation for a reason ... and their chrildren complained of a generation gap for a reason. We live in a totally different world than they did, almost a whole new reality. Can we honestly say, in our soft, luxurious, easy modern world, that what makes us happy is the same as what makes a person who lived through the incredibly humbling experiences of the great depression and world war two, and then the post-war prosperity of the 50's ... in fact, isnt that what the 60's was all about? (and i just dont have the patience to get into the issue of the definition of "happiness," ephermal, obtuse, highly individual and conceptual ...) I hate to play the devil’s advocate, but the anthropologist in me is practically conditioned to question the value of what in the end is a rather specific study … “men who entered college in the late 1930s through war, career, marriage and divorce, parenthood and grandparenthood, and old age.” Id like to see some sort of socioeconomic data, race/ethnicity/religion, ect … but still, just the unique experiences of that era are enough in my mind to bias this study. They are called the Greatest Generation for a reason … and their chrildren complained of a generation gap for a reason. We live in a totally different world than they did, almost a whole new reality. Can we honestly say, in our soft, luxurious, easy modern world, that what makes us happy is the same as what makes a person who lived through the incredibly humbling experiences of the great depression and world war two, and then the post-war prosperity of the 50′s … in fact, isnt that what the 60′s was all about? (and i just dont have the patience to get into the issue of the definition of “happiness,” ephermal, obtuse, highly individual and conceptual …)

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