Download PDF - UCR Magazine - University of California, Riverside
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Live Conscientiously<br />
(to Live Longer)<br />
adults, not self-centered happiness<br />
seekers! We also found that good<br />
social relationships are a major<br />
contributor on the road to health and<br />
fulfillment.”<br />
Friedman also found that<br />
conscientious people got involved in<br />
worthwhile activities and stuck with<br />
them – but a certain intricate balance<br />
was required: “It was not the partiers<br />
“It turns out that<br />
always being<br />
cheery and funloving<br />
was not<br />
healthy.”<br />
and retirees, nor those who chilled out<br />
and played golf, who stayed healthy<br />
and lived long,” he says.<br />
“In fact,” adds Friedman, “I just<br />
went to visit one <strong>of</strong> the participants,<br />
who is now 101 years old. He still<br />
works part time – and he volunteers<br />
by raising money for a medical<br />
foundation.”<br />
6<br />
If you’re feeling blue after a<br />
traumatizing workweek, treating<br />
yourself to a new purchase – a bag,<br />
a pair <strong>of</strong> heels – may make you feel<br />
better. Ye Li, assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong><br />
management at the School <strong>of</strong> Business<br />
Administration, has found that<br />
sadness makes people want to spend<br />
money immediately. And while<br />
the idea <strong>of</strong> buying stuff to lift your<br />
spirits — commonly<br />
known as retail therapy<br />
— seems relatively<br />
harmless, the concept<br />
is very real. (It doesn’t<br />
just happen in bad<br />
episodes <strong>of</strong> “Sex and<br />
the City”!) “When<br />
people feel sad, they<br />
want to restore their<br />
devalued feelings<br />
about themselves by going out and<br />
acquiring new things – and to do so<br />
as soon as possible,” Li says.<br />
In the study Li co-authored, researchers<br />
found that people who are<br />
sad are willing to relinquish greater<br />
future monetary gains to receive<br />
instant financial gratification. Those<br />
in distress have less patience to spare<br />
Feeling Blue?<br />
Hold on to Your Wallet<br />
“Sad people are<br />
especially<br />
attracted to<br />
instant<br />
gratification.”<br />
and, thus, are more likely to opt for<br />
immediate incentives. Unfortunately,<br />
that could come with considerable<br />
financial loss. “Sad people are especially<br />
attracted to instant gratification.<br />
... Our research suggests that<br />
people should be aware <strong>of</strong> these<br />
effects and avoid making major<br />
financial decisions and purchases<br />
when sad,” says Li.<br />
Sadness affects you<br />
in more ways than you<br />
know. When you’re<br />
sad, it’s best to take<br />
a step back from any<br />
vital decision-making.<br />
So that shiny new<br />
iPhone you’ve been<br />
eyeing? Don’t buy it if<br />
you’ve had a bad day.<br />
In the long run, avoiding<br />
buyer’s regret will make<br />
you happier.<br />
<strong>UCR</strong> Spring 2013 | 13