18
kilkennyobserver.ie
The Kilkenny Observer Friday 03 June 2022
Science & Wellbeing In short, a crush is a feeling of affection and attraction— sometimes intense — towards another person. It’s usually brief, lasting a few weeks or months. It is essentially a mental state, engaging psychological processes. Sometimes, the crush causes false perceptions and can even create physiological reactions. One way to look at crushes from a psychological perspective is that they are all about projection. When you have a crush on someone, you imagine the best things you wish about them. This is why you need not know the person very well to have a crush on them. The chances are that if you develop a crush on someone, it will be someone you already know and interact with in other aspects of life. Perhaps it’s a work colleague or someone in your social circle. Evidence also suggests that people who live close to each other and see each other regularly will be more likely to develop an attraction. Even if it isn’t immediately apparent, you likely identify with certain personality traits in someone you have a crush on. This may mean you subconsciously react in similar ways to triggers or that you see desirable characteristics that you wish for yourself. In a sense, you look for yourself in other people you’re attracted to. If you like the same things, you’re more likely to develop an infatuation with a person. Perhaps you’ve seen them have the same lunch choices in the cafeteria, or they happen to wear the same training shoes in the gym. These similarities in choices may not be the thing that draws your immediate attention, but they certainly can deepen a passing interest in someone. Creepy as it sounds, a study
You must remember this, a crush is just a crush conducted in Scotland discovered that people might inadvertently be attracted to someone who reminds them of their parents. This seemed apparent in the men studied, who indicated that they were drawn to subjects that somewhat resemble their mothers and women with their fathers. It was not all that surprising to researchers, who have long held that people gravitate towards that which is familiar in many aspects of life. Contrary to the ‘wisdom’ espoused in romance novels, there is no real idea of how long it takes to feel an attraction to someone. It can happen immediately or take days, weeks, months, or even years to come to the fore.
Researchers managed to identify physiological reactions to physical attraction (lust) and emotional or romantic love. But they could not determine a specific trigger or time frame for it. A university in Austria found an interesting statistical anomaly when it comes to people and their eyes. They discovered that people who had different coloured eyes were more likely to be attracted to or develop crushes on each other. Some biologists theorise that the reason people inadvertently attract opposites could be a genetic impulse to help diversify the gene pool. There’s no guarantee you’ll find love just by looking for this trait. So don’t take it too seriously.
There is another fact well worth knowing about the eyes, though. The longer two people look at each other, the higher the chances of them finding something attractive about the other. If two people lock eyes and perhaps even maintain that stare for a few seconds, the chances of attraction go up even more. If you notice someone’s pupils dilate when they look at you, chances are they like you, too. There is one caveat: At least a few other studies suggest that men will stare at the subject of their crush, while women may, in fact, avoid looking at theirs altogether. It seems obvious, but your walls come down when
someone smiles at you. And their chances of attracting your attention in that way increase substantially. Stony Brook University contends that their study showed you needed only seven seconds to subconsciously (and consciously) tell whether someone likes you. They also insist that it had little to nothing to do with physical looks. Most teenagers would probably disagree on all counts. Most people think that looks are among the primary factors, and it might be. But smell also has a role to play, as humans seem to feel very comfortable with familiar smells. Whether someone wears perfume or cooks a meal that reminds you of a comforting memory, it all
plays a part in finding them attractive or developing a crush. Far from being a minefield, flirting playfully when welcomed (without being overbearing) can lead to increased confidence and a general sense of happiness. Provided you don’t invest too much into absolutely demanding something from someone for it, that is. Overall, leaving a great conversation or interaction with a good sense of fun is good for you. It’s important to note here that being open to conversation and interaction is fine, but it’s no reason to assume that your crush feels the same way as you do. Respect boundaries and good social etiquette at all times. Not to overstate it, but studies show that someone who makes us laugh may seem more attractive to us. They don’t need to be a stand-up comedian, but seeing the funny side of the same things makes it that much easier to relate to someone. They’re also probably easier to get along with. At least, that’s what we begin to assume. One of the key ingredients of the potent concoction known as ‘attractiveness’ is self-confidence. People tend to be drawn to others who exhibit at least an internal happiness or satisfaction with themselves. This translates to an interesting observation. When you crush on someone, you tend to let them do a lot of the communication — the talking. You subconsciously enjoy their confidence and self-expression. A crush is a mind-bending experience, and it can warp reality. When you crush on someone, you tend to see much of what they do as perfect. Flawed as they may be in reality, you simply cannot see any shortcomings
Statins really are a miracle drug Up to 200 million people worldwide are prescribed cholesterol-lowering statins leading some to question whether such common use is called for. Reviewing the available evidence dispels most concerns. Statins are amazingly effective at reducing death from cardiovascular disease, with minimal side effects. The term ‘wonder drug’ often gets used haphazardly, usually to describe unproven supplements. But statins genuinely may be wonder drugs, with few risks but large, life-extending benefits. The reason that Lipitor, the first statin and the first truly effective cholesterol-lowering medication, earned Pfizer $150 billion between 1997 and 2017 — making it the topselling pharmaceutical drug of all- time — is simple: It works. Amazingly well. A doctor once (half?) jokingly remarked: “It’s just a matter of time before
they put statins in the water supply.” Most statins like Lipitor are now generic, making their tremendous benefits far easier to afford. Statins can lower a patient’s ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol by an astounding 30-50%, translating to a “23% reduction in heart attacks, 17% reduction in fatal or non-fatal stroke, 19% reduction in death from cardiovascular causes, and a 12% reduction in allcause mortality,” according to a meta-analysis of trials with over 135,000 participants. Statins are great with generally minimal side effects. About one in 10 patients will experience muscle aches (which are entirely reversible when use is halted or dosage is decreased), along with a few but rare adverse effects. Statins work by reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the body. LDL cholesterol serves a useful
purpose, transporting needed lipids (fats) to cells throughout the body, but when there’s too much, LDL can aggregate along the walls of blood vessels, causing them to narrow or even stop flowing entirely. Known as atherosclerosis, this can result in a heart attack or stroke. And it seems that many of us have too much LDL cholesterol. So, who should take statins? It is that final, somewhat confusing category, that draws the most debate, as it could apply to almost anyone over age 65, even relatively healthy people. The grey area leaves room for patients and physicians to have nuanced conversations about statins. Dr Buzz Hollander, a health writer and family GP, recently offered this reasonable take after wading through the evidence: “It’s probably better to try first to see if someone can
improve their diet, exercise, sleep, stress, and so on. We will never have scientifically sound numbers to put on this, but lifestyle improvements might amount to 50-60% reductions in heart disease risks. They also can carry other benefits, too, like weight loss, fitness, and unearthed joy, which are hard to find in a 40mg atorvastatin pill.” Dr Christopher Labos, a cardiologist, offered a slightly different, but also reasonable, take. Noting that it can be very difficult to lower cholesterol with diet and exercise alone, he says: “Lifestyle changes and medications are not mutually exclusive. You can do both simultaneously and you probably should.” While there’s room for these small disagreements, doctors generally agree that statins’ widespread use is entirely called for (though not via the water supply).
