You Are Not Alone

by Greer Hendricks

Numbers never lie. Statistics, charts, percentages—they don’t contain hidden agendas or shades of gray. They’re pure and true. It isn’t until people start meddling with them, spinning and shaping them, that they become dishonest.

Strategies to alleviate panic attacks: 1. Breathe in through your nose to the count of five, hold it for the count of five, and breathe out through your mouth to the count of five. 2. Count backward from 100 by 3’s. 3. Tune into four things you can see, three things you can touch, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.

On average, women report having eight close friends. Studies have found that, when under stress, women tend to seek out these female friendships. Instead of simply experiencing the adrenal-based “fight or flight” response, women also secrete the “bonding hormone,” oxytocin. This phenomenon has been termed “tend and befriend.”

We tend to like people whom we perceive as similar to us. And the less information we have about a person, the more important these perceived similarities are in influencing our approval.

One of the best ways to get someone to like you is to ask them to do a favor for you. In one study conducted in both the U.S. and Japan, people who thought they were working on a joint project ended up reporting liking someone more when that person asked for their help with the task. This is called the Benjamin Franklin effect. The phenomenon is named for the way the founding father used this tactic to appeal to a political rival, by asking the man to lend him a book from his library.

The term déjà vu means “already seen,” and as much as 70 percent of the population reports having experienced it. The rates seem to be highest among people aged 15 to 25, and déjà vu experiences decrease with age. When it comes to what déjà vu really is and what causes it, there are more than 40 theories—ranging from reincarnation to glitches in our memory processes.

Four indications people may be uncomfortable with you: 1. They touch their neck (where there are nerve endings; this can unconsciously help calm them down). 2. Their feet are pointed away from you. 3. They avoid eye contact or wince. 4. They cross their arms or physically withdraw and place an object between you (such as pulling a pillow on their lap).

According to one comprehensive survey, the odds of having three children in one family who are all girls is 21 percent. In the 1920s, Alfred Adler—himself the second of six children—studied birth order and how it shaped personality. He theorized that the oldest child can develop a “taste for power” and can dominate younger siblings. —Data Book, page 75

The Double Jeopardy Clause in the 5th Amendment means no one can be tried twice for the same crime. There is no statute of limitations when it comes to murder. There are currently 54 correctional facilities in New York. They hold about 47,000 prisoners.

the average person will walk past sixteen killers in the person’s lifetime.