I was just strolling to class on an amazing day (perfect temperature with a nice breeze) and I noticed how everyone on campus was so happy and active, including myself. Then i compared this to the day before when it rained and was a bit chilly. Everything and everyone seemed a little more dismal than everything and everyone on this perfect day. I started wondering if the weather or temperature actually, or scientifically, affected how humans act and feel. I did a little research and got some information. Studies have actually been done, and from the range of responses the study's subjects recorded in their journaling, the researchers determined in the end that "people differ in their sensitivity to daily weather changes." If you ask a kid to draw two pictures, one on a rainy day and another one in the sunshine, you pretty much know what you're going to get. In the first, blue raindrops fall from the top of the page and the stick figure behind the window is frowning. In the sunny picture, the stick man is smiling with his arms in the air and colorful flowers at his feet. Even his stick dog is smiling. The rain is gloom and sunshine is happiness is more of metaphor than scientific, though it rings true because we humans are inherently sympathetic to our environment. But we are not its victims. Barring a mood disorder, our emotions are not casualties of the weather. (Rich Maloof)
It made me reflect on how the weather affects me personally. I'm a very optimistic and energetic person in general, but when it's cold and rainy I do feel a bit sluggish and worn out. I know I'll think twice before I walk to campus to go to class or anything of that sort. I think Rich Maloof said it well with the words "rain can be guilty by association, but not causation."
~Chadams
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