Geoffrey W. Sutton PhD, Psychology and Culture

Are You Happy Yet?  UP and DOWN metaphors It’s common knowledge that news sources thrive on negative news. Afterall, we are hardwired to respond to threats as a matter of survival. Unfortunately, a torrent of bad news can produce sadness or even depression. Depression as a word fits the up-down metaphor as if our brains had a vertical structure for moods where up is good and down is bad. In banter with my cousin Stan (RIP) his response to “how are ya” was “still above ground.” On leaving, I’d say “I’m going underground” as he delivered me to my London tube station. Religious folks use up and down metaphors for heaven and hell, which I always thought was funny for those DOWN under (Aussies). When things are DOWN, we often characterize them as LOWER, CUT, NOT WORKING, BROKEN, AT THE BOTTOM, and ON THE GROUND. When people in important positions leave, they STEPDOWN. And naysayers warn the arrogant that they should watch out for a FALL. If you consume news, check out the DOWNPOUR in re...

    JOY  & HAPPINESS       Joy to the World is a powerful anthem. Bells ring. Choirs sing. And people gather round trees, open presents, and gorge on meats and sweets. Joy seems to abound this time of year. Even news media seem keen on adding a dollop of good  news to their daily buffet of badness. Of course, the Christmas story is full of good news. Joy is an advent theme. In the Christmas story, Joy comes as a child. We know that joy. I recall the ultrasound picture of my first granddaughter. Marvelous. A happy moment for all. And of course you naturally want to celebrate by giving presents. So the joy spreads from inside to others. Especially the children who can barely wait to peak beneath the tree and ornament decorated swaddling paper wrapped lovingly around a precious gift. JOY has an effect. Psychologist Barbara Fredrickson has looked at the effects of positive emotions like joy and negative emotions like fe...

Religious testimonies are like stories of good news. We enjoy celebrating good news when we know the family. A recent study might explain a decline in public testimonies.  Imagine visiting a group of Evangelical Christians who are about to study the Gospel of John. They sit on hard plastic chairs while chattering about the weather, problems at work, and some aggravating post on social media. At some point, a leader asks the group to share their news stories and prayer requests. They’ll pray before beginning their Bible study. One woman tells the details of a sister struggling with cancer—she’s not expected to live. There is a concerted sigh of sadness. A man mentions worries about finding work. Heads nod in sympathy. Someone makes a note. Then an excited woman has some good news. She has a large smile on her face as she announces, “We’re pregnant!” She’s gesturing to her husband whose grin widens as his face reddens in response to all the attention. Smiles spread around the gr...