Martin Lábaj

2023 has been a very exciting year. That’s a big problem. The word “exciting” is the most misunderstood word in today’s English. When you meet someone new, it is common to say “I am so excited to meet you”. When you visit a new place, you say “I am excited to be here”. When you want to praise an idea you say “what an exciting idea”. Apparently, people think “excited” means happy, and excitement is always good for us. But excitement can sometimes be the opposite of happiness. Negative emotions like outrage and fear greatly excite people. When the body senses danger, the nerves flash emergency messages, the neurons fire rapidly, and the whole body is excited. In 2023 the entire world has been far too excited. Nowhere is the epidemic of excitement more evident than in politics. The world is flooded with exciting politicians who create exciting news. We desperately need more boring politicians. To flourish, humans certainly need to be excited sometimes – about people, places, and ideas – but we also need to wind down. Next time you meet someone, try saying “I am relaxed to meet you”. I hope 2024 will be a relaxing year.

In today's noisy world, so many opinions are expressed all around us. Having views on things often shows that you care, and a healthy debate can widen our perspective. But it's important for opinions and arguments to be based on facts that can be scientifically validated, as far as possible. People are entitled to have their own views, but they are not entitled to have their own facts. #quotes #science #facts #knowledge