Generally Thinking

The “hot hand” in basketball – is it real, or just an illusion?

If you’re writing about the hot hand, it’s compulsory to include an NBA Jam “He’s on fire” screenshot. I don’t make the rules. Let’s jump in our DeLorean go back in time – not to 1984, but 1985.

What is well-being?

Psychologists define well-being as people’s “positive evaluations of their lives”, taking everything into account. These evaluations are affected by things like the amount of positive emotion people experience, how engaged they are in what they regularly do, how satisfied they are with their life situation, and how much meaning they get from their lives. More info on how happiness is measured here.

What’s wrong with economic indicators then?

They have their uses, of course, but they are perhaps over-used. The news tells you how the economy is doing every day.

Is obesity actually a marker for an underlying condition?

There’s a swing in opinion happening. The current view of obesity is that it’s an effect of overeating. Obese people are largely considered to be at fault for their condition — if they’d only choose health over the pleasure of eating and sitting around, they’d cure themselves. I used to think the same thing, but my thoughts are slowly shifting too.