Less small talk makes for a happy life

Good morning friends Most people wanted to talk a lot specially when discussing things. But some people want to talk less. They said that less small talk makes for a happy life … Do you believe in that thing?

American research has found that people who engage in more deep conversations are likely to be happier than those indulging in small talk.

For the study, participants were asked to wear an unobtrusive recording device called the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) over four days. This device periodically records snippets of sounds as participants go about their lives. For this experiment, the EAR sampled 30 seconds of sounds every 12.5 minutes yielding a total of more than 20,000 recordings. The scientists then listened to the recordings and identified the conversations as trivial small talk or substantive discussions. Also, the volunteers completed personality and well-being assessments.

The analysis of the recordings told some very interesting findings. Greater well-being was associated with spending less time alone and more time talking to others: The happiest participants spent 25 per cent less time alone and 70 per cent more time talking than the unhappiest participants. Furthermore, the happiest participants had twice as many substantive conversations and one third as much small talk as the unhappiest participants.

The researchers conclude that deep conversations may have the potential to make people happier. They say: "Just as self-disclosure can instill a sense of intimacy in a relationship, deep conversations may instill a sense of meaning in the interaction partners."

Direct your actions for the common good (1 of 2)

Good morning friends. It’s said that, it is in our actions that we can direct ourselves to common good. It’s true that it depends to our self if we want to make it good or to make it bad. We have to clear our mind that we have to direct our actions for the common good all the time.

On many occasions we may have a feeling to perform a virtuous or meritorious act to instil ‘the feel good’ factor. This is a noble thing to do and one can increase the benefits arising from such actions by being mindful of a few things.

Often when actions of such nature are performed they may arise out of a feeling of guilt, of pride in doing good deeds, or to fuel ambitions in this life. While such feelings will bring no benefit at all, those that arise out of a pure mind, uncontrived, unconditioned and unconceptualized, the merits of such actions can be magnified.

Actions by themselves have no direction of their own; they have no capacity to bring merit unless the action is dedicated from an arising from the source, towards a particular person or people and the goal of directing the dedication.

One day, the residents of a town invited the Buddha to a meal. Soon after they left, 500 pretas – those born in the hungry ghost realm – arrived and requested him to dedicate to them the merit of the alms the people would offer to the Buddha. On asking the reason, the pretas said they were the parents of these residents and were reborn as pretas due to their miserly behavior. The Buddha agreed on the condition that they accompany him. On seeing them the people were horrified. On the Buddha’s explanation and reassurance to them they calmed down. The Buddha made a request for dedicating their sources of merit to the pretas. The people agreed unanimously.