Bits and pieces

I just read this New York Times article on how some people, in spite of the fact that they don’t have jobs, still maintain appearances by taking the same commute and donning the same attire. The difference is that these people, instead of going to a construction site or to an office, might be going to a local coffee shop or the library (which reminds me of this article about how librarians nowadays often deal with newly laid off people, but I digress). Stories like these are sobering looks at how everyday people are being affected by the economic downturn, and they’re doubly good because they manage to penetrate my college bubble and allow me a more informed perspective on current events.

Anyways, after the article presents this new phenomenon of unemployed people maintaining their daily routines, it speculates on the psychology behind their actions. The crux of the article is that this could be a healthy activity, at least in the short term. Just as smiling may offer a fleeting but actual boost to your overall happiness, expressions of pride can motivate you to be proactive.

It’s well known that expressions of pride will cause others to perceive you as high status. This by itself is old news, but recent research (detailed in the article) demonstrated that all pride looks the same, whether authentic (stemming from real accomplishments) or hubristic (stemming from narcissism or arrogance).

Then there’s the question of whether proud people will be perceived as arrogant and full of themselves. The results from yet another research study seem to say no. Instead, more prideful people strike others as both more dominant AND more likable. “We found that pride is quite undeserving of its negative reputation,” said David De Steno, associate professor of psychology and co-author of the study. “Pride actually constitutes a functional social emotion with important implications for leadership and the building of social capital.”

In a nutshell, temporary false pride is a useful psychological crutch for those who are now in hard times.

I just finished reading an article in the times about the trials and travails of bankers’ girlfriends. It’s about as you’d expect. When the market goes down, the bankers are more stressed and spend less time on their girlfriends. But what makes the article worth reading is the part describing the club that these women formed, Dating a Banker Anonymous, and the blog that the support group keeps.

On the blog, the objects of their affections — and disdain — are referred to as F.B.F.’s, for Financial-Guy Boyfriends. Financial news is conveyed via a color-coded daily warning system: red, when the Dow fell 300 points on Oct. 6 (“Good night to have dinner with your girlfriends and do laundry”); yellow, when Warren Buffet invested $3 billion in General Electric (“Good night to hang out with your F.B.F.”); green on Jan. 21, in honor of President Obama’s hope.

On the whole, the entire thing is rather absurd. These women just sound like bratty teenage girls whining that their credit cards have been cancelled, and that their bankers can’t keep mistresses anymore. Big. Deal.

Remember that piece about how Palin couldn’t recognize Africa as a continent. Turns out that the McCain aide who leaked the story doesn’t exist.