[Junk] Rooftops

Photo Credit: Brennan Burling and u/TheMadcapLaughter

I heard an off-handed remark from a credible source (probably The Indicator) that said people who live by the water are happier. Part of my agreeableness personality I’m finding out is my natural inkling to not disagree with anything or anyone. After reading a while and reading books, I am who I am. I used to think that people naturally will and always will change; however, I’m second guessing that. Part of the problem is that “personality” is such an ambiguous term. There’s likely a name for it if I spoke with the right scientist, but I’m finding that certain aspects of one’s personality are solidified by at a certain age.

There are multiple (see me.mchase.me), but my agreeableness is the one that has stuck with me and has never changed no matter how I sometimes want it to. It’s a part of me; it hasn’t changed since it’s been fully established around the age of 10, and I don’t expect it to ever change without a lot of therapy or intentional effort.

All those wasted words to day: I believed him. His claim matched my prior limited experience of people around water. Nothing seemed to contradict that; however, upon further consideration, I’m mixing causation with correlation again. I should be skeptical; it’s not the body of water causing people to be happy. It’s likely the fact that me and everyone else near a body of water is on vacation since that’s namely the only time I find myself next to a large body of water.

Well, his claim is true. In March of 2013, The Guardian published an article titled “What Impact do Seas, Lakes and Rivers Have on People’s Health?” Tim Smedley, the author cited research from professors, environmental psychologists, and the ECEHH (European health) to explain that being surrounded by natural spaces provokes a “positive response” (Smedley 2013). A similar article written by Jenny Rough from The Washington Post titled "Where you live has a bigger impact on happiness and health than you might imagine” (ugh the clickbait and uncapitalized titles) published in 2018 concurs.

I’m now at the point where I must differentiate whether I want to procure a Red Bull to finish my point or go to sleep. Well, I’m writing from a very nice rooftop and I was going to write a synthesis with a YES… AND approach because I’m enjoying the rooftop I’m sitting at. However… a body of water would. be realy nice too.