The joy of instant gratification

Jane Brody, a committed middle-aged walker, biker, and swimmer, presents in the NYT some new ideas for the promotion of aerobic exercise (“Changing Our Tune on Exercise”). According to some health experts, the promise of better health in some distant future and even a postponed death does not provide a sufficiently strong incentive for most individuals to stick to an exercise routine. To them, such potential benefits seem “distant and theoretical” (with men, who often have a stronger penchant for detached abstraction, being a bit more inclined to take them seriously). And if some individuals took up exercise in order to slim down, the prospects can be even worse. As most are bound to fall short of any notable results, such body-conscious exercisers are likely to face disappointment and even lower self-esteem.

So, what is to be done in order to motivate more people to keep up an exercise schedule? 

#TheJoyofSex – and career advancement

#TheAtlantic carries again one of those “provocative” trend-spotting articles which have become its trademark. It’s called “Boys on the Side,” and is written by #HannaRosin.  Here is the summary which appears below the title: “The hookup culture that has largely replaced dating on college campuses has been viewed, in many quarters, as socially corrosive and ultimately toxic to women, who seemingly have little choice but to participate. Actually, it is an engine of female progress—one being harnessed and driven by women themselves.”

Eyes wide shut

In her recent op-ed, “Likability Index,” Maureen Dowd presents the US presidential contest as a clash of the introverts. This diagnosis may be off a bit, particularly in Romney’s case – as he seems singularly devoid of the rich inner life typically associated with introversion. Leaving that aside, Dowd also asks an interesting question: “Will Mitt’s new mate, Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, make his run more personable?”