Bill Pierce
Well-known
The following is an excerpt from a NY Times story.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/14/s...lia-can-be-a-predictor-of-well-being.html?hpw
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Dr. Cloninger, a professor of psychiatry and genetics at Washington University in St. Louis, tracked people using a personality test he developed two decades ago, the Temperament and Character Inventory. By administering the test periodically and chronicling changes in people’s lives over more than a decade, he and colleagues looked for the crucial combination of traits in people who flourished over the years — the ones who reported the best health, most friends, fewest emotional problems and greatest satisfaction with life.
What was the secret to their happy temperament and character? A trio of traits. They scored high in novelty-seeking as well in persistence and “self-transcendence.” Persistence, the stick-to-it virtue promoted by strong-willed Victorians, may sound like the opposite of novelty-seeking, but the two traits can coexist and balance each other.
“People with persistence tend to be achievers because they’ll keep working at something even when there’s no immediate reward,” Dr. Cloninger says. “They’ll think, ‘I didn’t win this time, but next time I will.’ But what if conditions have changed? Then you’re better off trying something new. To succeed, you want to be able to regulate your impulses while also having the imagination to see what the future would be like if you tried something new.”
The other trait in the trio, self-transcendence, gives people a larger perspective. “It’s the capacity to get lost in the moment doing what you love to do, to feel a connection to nature and humanity and the universe,” Dr. Cloninger says. “It’s sometimes found in disorganized people who are immature and do a lot of wishful thinking and daydreaming, but when it’s combined with persistence and novelty-seeking, it leads to personal growth and enables you to balance your needs with those of the people around you.”
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Read the full article. Does this mean that photographers who have moved to digital are happier than those who remained with film?
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/14/s...lia-can-be-a-predictor-of-well-being.html?hpw
=====================
Dr. Cloninger, a professor of psychiatry and genetics at Washington University in St. Louis, tracked people using a personality test he developed two decades ago, the Temperament and Character Inventory. By administering the test periodically and chronicling changes in people’s lives over more than a decade, he and colleagues looked for the crucial combination of traits in people who flourished over the years — the ones who reported the best health, most friends, fewest emotional problems and greatest satisfaction with life.
What was the secret to their happy temperament and character? A trio of traits. They scored high in novelty-seeking as well in persistence and “self-transcendence.” Persistence, the stick-to-it virtue promoted by strong-willed Victorians, may sound like the opposite of novelty-seeking, but the two traits can coexist and balance each other.
“People with persistence tend to be achievers because they’ll keep working at something even when there’s no immediate reward,” Dr. Cloninger says. “They’ll think, ‘I didn’t win this time, but next time I will.’ But what if conditions have changed? Then you’re better off trying something new. To succeed, you want to be able to regulate your impulses while also having the imagination to see what the future would be like if you tried something new.”
The other trait in the trio, self-transcendence, gives people a larger perspective. “It’s the capacity to get lost in the moment doing what you love to do, to feel a connection to nature and humanity and the universe,” Dr. Cloninger says. “It’s sometimes found in disorganized people who are immature and do a lot of wishful thinking and daydreaming, but when it’s combined with persistence and novelty-seeking, it leads to personal growth and enables you to balance your needs with those of the people around you.”
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Read the full article. Does this mean that photographers who have moved to digital are happier than those who remained with film?
daninjc
Well-known
Maybe you're missing the point by confusing the technical aspect of photography (film, digital, whatever) with the end of photography (your photographic output).
If you change the prospective, a happy photographer might be the one who on the long run is persistent in his passion, exploring new directions of work while consolidating his existing vision. Not sure this has much to do with technique.
If you change the prospective, a happy photographer might be the one who on the long run is persistent in his passion, exploring new directions of work while consolidating his existing vision. Not sure this has much to do with technique.
thegman
Veteran
I know that I am happiest when I am occupied with something new. It's something to think about and occupy my mind. However, for me, as someone new to photography (well, a couple of years), film *is* new, and far more interesting and exciting than digital. I come from a background in computers, so digital to me seems sort of played out, boring, and just an extension of personal computing. Conversely, chemicals and machines not powered by batteries are novel to me.
I think there is a lot of truth in the article, for me at least.
daninjc makes a point that we should not confuse the cameras with the output of the cameras, but I do think the fact that we are on this site at all means we are probably as interested in the cameras as the photos we take. This is after all, a gear head site, and there is very little talk of creativity, just of cameras really. That's not a criticism, I'm not ashamed to admit that I like the cameras as much as the photos.
I think there is a lot of truth in the article, for me at least.
daninjc makes a point that we should not confuse the cameras with the output of the cameras, but I do think the fact that we are on this site at all means we are probably as interested in the cameras as the photos we take. This is after all, a gear head site, and there is very little talk of creativity, just of cameras really. That's not a criticism, I'm not ashamed to admit that I like the cameras as much as the photos.
Yeah, I'd have to agree with daninjc... to me film and digital are too similar to be related to the article.
pvdhaar
Peter
I doubt that owning a digital camera makes you happier in the long run.. Happiness has more to do with experiences, people you meet and places you go.
Here I was, with only an Oly-XA2 loaded with a $1.50 film. It was freezing, snowing, and the windchill was horrid. I had one foot wet from standing in an icy stream, and my fingers hurt really bad from the cold because I couldn't get the shutter fired with gloves on.. but I couldn't have been happier. Then, and now when I got to see the prints and have this feeling of accomplishment..
Attachments
mfunnell
Shaken, so blurred
I have read the full article, and I think you're drawing a very long bow to turn it into a digital vs film discussion. As to your question, how do your categories cope with those of us who use both film and digital?
...Mike
Teuthida
Well-known
Of course not, Bill. But it does mean that folks who branch out photographically and push their boundaries (e.g stop photographing their cat and do an extended photo essay on transsexual prostitutes) will find more psychic reward in their photographic pursuits.
shadowfox
Darkroom printing lives
What about people who move from digital to film?
The study got one thing correct. Happiness depends on one's perspective. Gaining that one perspective that will give you happiness is the tricky part.
janosh
Member
If you print your own (inkjet or darkroom) you have a basis for an opinion. Otherwise...
robbeiflex
Well-known
I don't see the connection between "—the ones who reported the best health, most friends, fewest emotional problems and greatest satisfaction with life" and a decision between film vs digital. For me these criteria transcend decisions such as film vs digital, carbon bike vs steel bike, petrol car vs diesel car, sparkling or flat water, ski vacation or beach vacation, etc. If we worry about these things too much, then it is a sign that we should spend more quality time with family and friends. I don't need a study to tell me that.
Thanks,
Rob
Thanks,
Rob
furcafe
Veteran
Exactly. Considering most photography is now done digitally, it would seem to me that film is a new experience for many.
What about people who move from digital to film?
The study got one thing correct. Happiness depends on one's perspective. Gaining that one perspective that will give you happiness is the tricky part.
ColSebastianMoran
( IRL Richard Karash )
There is a lot of literature about being happy, real happiness and well-being.
As for photography, here's a little story. I was set up to take a photo at sunset in the Boston Public Garden (of the Washington statue, sunset light, with the tall buildings in the background). It was a nice September evening with lots of people. As I stood there for more than an hour waiting for the right light, I watched the people. Lots of people with lots of cameras, serious cameras, fun cameras, mostly digital, some film, some camera phones. Everyone was taking photos, smiling, confirming their images, and moving on with life.
That evening, I concluded that photography is alive and well, and people are enjoying their images. Photography is making their lives happier.
Who cares whether it's film or digital?
As for photography, here's a little story. I was set up to take a photo at sunset in the Boston Public Garden (of the Washington statue, sunset light, with the tall buildings in the background). It was a nice September evening with lots of people. As I stood there for more than an hour waiting for the right light, I watched the people. Lots of people with lots of cameras, serious cameras, fun cameras, mostly digital, some film, some camera phones. Everyone was taking photos, smiling, confirming their images, and moving on with life.
That evening, I concluded that photography is alive and well, and people are enjoying their images. Photography is making their lives happier.
Who cares whether it's film or digital?
paulfish4570
Veteran
happiness is a choice ...
n5jrn
Well-known
I work with computers in my career. For me, it is classic, mechanical film cameras that represent variety and novelty.
ferider
Veteran
“They’ll think, ‘I didn’t win this time, but next time I will.’ But what if conditions have changed? Then you’re better off trying something new.
I don't think it has any implication on film vs. digital.
However, it explains why ebay and the Gear Acquisition Syndrome makes some people happy
GAS = happy
I don't think it has any implication on film vs. digital.
However, it explains why ebay and the Gear Acquisition Syndrome makes some people happy
GAS = happy
f6andBthere
Well-known
Possibly ... based on their reasoning.
Too many people are hanging on to film for the wrong reasons IMO and a comfortable move to digital would indicate a calmer more balanced attitude in many cases ... as against clutching to something they feel is right for them because they read it somewhere.
Trius
Waiting on Maitani
True happiness has nothing to do with externals.