But new research suggests that casually reaching out to people in our social circles means more than we realize....
BITS ‘N’ PIECES
Calling, texting or emailing a friend just to say “hello” might seem like an insignificant gesture — a chore, even, that isn’t worth the effort. Or maybe you worry an unexpected check-in wouldn’t be welcome, as busy as we all tend to be. But new research suggests that casually reaching out to people in our social circles means more than we realize.
“Even sending a brief message reaching out to check in on someone, just to say ‘Hi,’ that you are thinking of them, and to ask how they’re doing, can be appreciated more than people think,” said Peggy Liu, the lead author of a new study — published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology — that found people tend to underestimate how much friends like hearing from them.
Dr. Liu and her fellow researchers kept the bar for what counted as reaching out intentionally low: a brief call, text or email, or a small gift, like cookies or a plant.
Another study, published in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, found that having positive social interactions is linked with a sense of purposefulness in older adults. It adds to the growing body of research that suggests the people we spend time with daily have a “very large impact” on our well-being.
Many people feel awkward about reaching out due to a phenomenon known as the “liking gap,” or the tendency to underestimate how well-liked we really are. People may also hold themselves back because of a similar phenomenon known as the “beautiful mess effect,” which suggests that when we are vulnerable with others, we worry we will be judged harshly. That kind of negativity bias tends to run through all aspects of friendship, and can have a tangible impact on how we behave and interact.
The amazing abilities that these creatures possess may seem like something out of a comic book, but they’re totally real.
1-Bumblebees possess a sixth sense
A bumblebee generates a positive electrical charge as it flaps its wings and transfers some of the charge to a flower when it lands. Thanks to a study, experts now know that when bees detect a change in a flower’s charge, they avoid the flower, sensing that another bee has recently removed its pollen.
2-Sloths can survive nearly any wound
Three-toed sloths may not move quickly, but their speedy recovery from wounds that would kill other animals have made them the focus of scientific research. Some experts believe that the scores of beneficial bacteria that live in a sloth’s fur help sloths heal unusually quickly and without infection.
3-Cuttlefish can turn invisible
They have some of the best camouflage skills in the animal kingdom. They can distort their bodies to resemble nearly any aquatic shape to blend in with their surroundings and hide from predators. They even have sacs in their skin containing pigments so they can change colors at a moment’s notice.
4-Dolphins can shut off half of their own brains
Dolphins have the ability to shut down the hemispheres of their brains separately. That means the left half of their brain can be snoozing while the right half is awake and making sure they don’t drown or get eaten. Moreover, dolphins breathe consciously, unlike humans and so a dolphin must always remain at least partially conscious to control this action.
