The Emergent Fool » Happiness

The Most Important TV Show in America

Rafe Furst — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:20:44 +0000

Remember Jamie Oliver’s TED Prize Wish? Well tonight is the prime time season premiere of his Food Revolution show on ABC. The Huffington Post called Undercover Boss the most subversive show in America, and I can’t disagree. But in terms of importance to the future of America (and by extension every country which imports American TV and culture), Food Revolution I can’t imagine a more important show.

It’s not just the lives of individuals who eat crap (which is most of the country, frankly, even though they have no idea how toxic what they are eating is). It’s the happiness and achievement potential of today’s youth. It’s the emperor with no clothes at the center of the healthcare debate. And it’s a lynchpin for economic recovery and sustainability.

Watch the premiere, and spread the word…

Violence on the Decline

Rafe Furst — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:55:03 +0000

From Monday’s Washington Post:

The District, New York and Los Angeles are on track for fewer killings this year than in any other year in at least four decades. Boston, San Francisco, Minneapolis and other cities are also seeing notable reductions in homicides.

Full article is here, in which more sensible police approaches are given credit for the decline.

While it’s probably true that police deserve a lot of credit, it helps to remember that violence is a virus and it spreads from person to person. The more violence people see around them, the more violence that breeds. And the converse is also true. The exogenous factors are hard to suss out, but my suspicion is that the general rise in wealth and well-being in the world is the main factor. This is consistent with the counterintuitive but real fact that violence has been in decline for centuries and we currently live in the most peaceful time ever.

Kevin points out:

I often mention the availability bias when quoting statistics on crime. If you ask people, they’ll say crime has gotten worse–IMO because media has become consistently better at shoving stories of violence into our brains. But the statistics say otherwise.

This is especially poignant when you talk about child abduction by strangers. People think this is a much worse problem (and why you don’t see kids playing in their neighborhoods). But I believe the statistics show the incidence is not any different than it was when we were growing up.

Which brings us to the role of media in propagating myths and creating self-fulfilling prophecies.

I’m curious, what are the statistics on abductions and predatory crime towards children now versus 30 years ago?

Don't Eat That Marshmallow!

Rafe Furst — Sat, 30 May 2009 17:00:51 +0000

Short but brilliant TED talk by Joachim de Posada. I love the economic point he makes at the end.

Five Things You Can Do Right Now to Improve Your Life

danielhorowitz — Thu, 21 May 2009 18:49:55 +0000

1. Smile.

2. Spend time with friends, or even try and make a new one.

3. Help another person. Donate a small amount of money, that has nominal value to you, but significant value to someone else. (Kiva, Vittana Foundation.)

4. Quit Smoking. It might be even worse for you today.

5. Stop worrying about tomorrow.

Try This Experiment

Rafe Furst — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 18:44:23 +0000

For one full day, whenever you are in physical proximity to another person, be they friend or stranger, look them in the eyes, hold their gaze and smile.

Five Things You Can Do Right Now to Improve Your Life

Five Things You Can Do Right Now to Improve Your Life