In 2009, I resolve to be…


Filed Under Various | Jan 5, MST 12:46 pm

Welcome to 2009, everybody!

2008 was a hell of a year.  Wallstreet tanked, taxpayers gave billions of dollars out to the rich,  and people all over the world are now worried about the future.

Over at Mister Misery, things in 2008 were decidedly quiet. This is a tiny, itty bitty blog. I don’t spend nearly as much time on it as I should. The reason I run this site is to learn more about pain and suffering. I’m an abolitionist, a transhumanist. I believe that a world of pleasure is possible, and to make that world a reality, I spend my time studying how to turn misery into happiness.

Alas, dear readers, I haven’t done a very good job so far. I’ve taken this site too seriously, so In 2009, I resolve to be less serious on this blog. I want to share all the craziest, juiciest, most interesting studies with you. I want to show you that a better way of living is possible, that happiness is within your reach, and that misery is nobody’s destiny.  What I don’t want, is to be grim and serious. I don’t want to pander to academics, I don’t want this blog to be dull, and I don’t want to post anything that requires a thesaurus to read.

In the past, I had trouble writing for this site because I always felt the need to qualify whatever it was I was saying.  This made my posts dull, grating affairs. Yes, if I don’t qualify things in my posts, they’ll be considerably less accurate — but also infinitely more readable and entertaining. When you qualify an argument, you’re asking people to connect the dots themselves when they’d rather have other people do it for them. In 2009, I resolve to take more stands, even if that means ignoring some opposing points of view.

Finally, this site has been rather lazy when it comes to post frequency. Once a week simply isn’t enough.  Expect much more material in 2009. I’ll be traveling extensively throughout the year, and during my travels, I’ll be interviewing interesting people and posting about it on this site. I’ll also be producing a videos for this site about psychology, misery, depression, and the future of pleasure.  It should make for a much richer blogging experience, and hopefully this site will go from being pretty damn weak to being incredible awesome.

Quackery, Pseudoscience, and You.


Filed Under Various | Dec 8, MST 11:59 am

Quack Attack
Ben Goldacre is in the business of challenging quackery. In one recent post of his, he takes on the braingym movement. It’s a wonderful read, and I invite all of you to saunter on on over and digest what he has to say.

Mister Misery is a mental health website with a particular focus on depression, anxiety, and stress. We often cover conditions that tie into the preceding big three mental states — things like diabetes, heart disorders, anorexia, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, and the likes. Though this site isn’t necessarily focused on debunking quackery, it’s important to cover the topic now and then.

A Gullible Species

Human beings are, as a rule, a gullible species. We gloss over scientific studies while placing a premium on testimonials, we place faith in products and therapies that have little proof to back them up, and we often believe nonsense despite a mountain of overwhelming evidence disproving our pet theories and causes.

We aim to provide a balanced view on this website. We offer no guarantees about anything covered on Mister Misery, and in some cases we’re fairly skeptical about some of the therapies, studies, and theories that we present to our readers. We write under the assumption that our readers take everything they read with a grain of salt, and that they always explore multiple arguments before deciding on whether they agree with whatever it is they’ve read on this site.

Controversial Treatments

People who are depressed are often in a tight spot, which leaves them open to predatory practices of quacks and charlatans. It’s important for them to be very careful with the treatments they take on. For example, personally, I’ve had excellent success with certain NLP exercises, but I’m very aware that those exercises have never been the subject of rigorous scientific study. As a whole, NLP has fared poorly under scientific scrutiny. Frankly, there’s a strong argument to be made against the quality and scope of the studies that have been done, but that doesn’t make up for the fact that there is still, as of yet, limited scientific evidence in favor of NLP as a form of therapy.

I think there’s very little harm in people trying certain NLP exercises on their own — in my case, it helped. However, I would strongly caution people against spending thousands of dollars on weekend NLP seminars. If, against their better judgment, they decided to take those seminars, I’d ask them to be very careful not to sign up with a snake-oil instructor. Some NLP teachers are trained psychologists with University backgrounds, but others are simply quacks preying on the weak for a quick buck.

I use NLP as an example of a controversial therapeutic treatment that we’ve covered on this blog. It’s a field that is full of quackery, though I do believe that buried under the bullshit, there’s some solid things it has to offer the world. However, there’s still plenty of bullshit to dig through before we find any gold. That requires a discerning mind that approaches new information from a variety of angles.

Practice Cautious Skepticism

We expect our readers to practice a certain cautious skepticism, even when they assume it’s unnecessary. We’d rather that they be safe then sorry. Reading a site like Goldacre’s is a step in the right direction.

A healthy skepticism is an excellent antidote to the gullible tendencies that are part and parcel of human nature. The more reluctant you are to buy into what you read, the more insistent you are on exhaustively researching the pros and cons of the therapeutic treatments you are considering, the less likely you are to be taken advantage of by unscrupulous snake oil peddlers.

The Power of Posture


Filed Under Various | Nov 17, MST 12:16 pm

 
Improving your posture can help improve your mental state. Though studies are few, there does seem to be a link between how you carry yourself physically and how you feel emotionally. If you spend your days hunched over, your shoulders pulled forward, and your head hanging down,  you might want to consider improving your posture. It’s not a cure-all, but it can help change your frame of mind. At the very least, you’ll look better — which can pay social, physical, and financial dividends.

Look Skinnier, Taller

In one study, researchers found that women who stood up straight looked younger and more attractive then their slumping counterparts. Subjects in the study thought that a 125 pound model with good posture looked thinner then a 105 pound model with bad posture.

Meanwhile, men with poor posture can look taller and more confident simply by learning how to carry themselves properly. It’s no secret that taller men are more likely to be promoted, or that shorter police officers are more likely to meet with resistant suspects. People respect height, and walking tall is an easy way of adding an inch to your frame.

Use it or lose it

You might also want to keep the following in mind: men and women who fail to improve their posture are at risk of losing inches later in life. Good posture can help prevent you from growing shorter in your golden years.

How can you improve your posture? You’ve got a few options at your disposal. Yoga, pilates, stretching, or lifting weights will all do the trick. You might also want to consider meeting with an Alexander Technique practitioner, who can give you some one-on-one advice for getting your body back in order.

Posture is an essential, though sometimes neglected, aspect of our personal health. Better posture can lead to better health over all, so it’s important not to ignore it.

John Arbuckle, The Lonely Everyman


Filed Under Various | Sep 25, MDT 12:23 pm

The Dublin based artist Dan Walsh has quite a hit on his hands. A while back, he decided to reinterpret Garfield by simply cutting Garfield out of the comic which bears his name. Garfield Minus Garfield was the result. What your left with is a revealing picture of John Arbuckle, the American everyman.

In Real Life

In real life, John Arbuckle would be a single man who spends most of his time at home speaking to his cat. With Garfield missing, you get a good taste of how lonely John’s life is.

Read more