The Side Effects of Endorphins

Describe something you learned in high school.

When we were kids, we moved around a lot. I just settled into eighth grade and my first class was German. Unfortunately it was a second year German class. That is what I remember from my one hour of that German class. Welches Datum Haben Wir Huete which means what is the date today?

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And Math

When I was younger. What a useless sentence as I have always been younger. Somehow, I became a huge fan of the Los Angeles Rams. Their helmets were cool and for other unknown reasons.

Rams

I do not know why I noticed this, but I took notice of my relationship with winning and losing. When the Rams won, I was happy and when they lost, I was depressed. I also noticed the magnitude was much higher when they lost. 

Completely Made-Up Math

Rams Win (+ 4,5 Happy points)

Rams Lose (- 6.0 Unhappy points) 

So, using that swaggy math, if the Rams went 8 and 6 in a season it was a wash. 

Writing Submissions 

So, I started doing the same math with sending short stories and artwork to magazines. The ratios are so different. Let us assume a 1 in 10 rejection rate. Mine is a bit lower. 

Rejection (-2 unhappy points)

Acceptance (10 happy points)

While the rejections are more frequent, the elation for acceptance that much higher. With any of these equations there are diminishing returns as you grow accustomed to the rejections. I would have to introduce a different differential equation here but that is over complicating the situation.

But you do grow accustomed to the rejection, so that number should theoretically decrease. 

Note – against the run of play I just had another story accepted this week.

Simultaneous Equations 

This equation does not sit by itself. Or does the one with the football example? As the joy of watching a game or creating a story should factor into the equation.

Race

Today I contemplated running a race. I have not run a race in seven years. About an hour before the race, I contemplated not showing up. There were so many reasons not to run including a sore hamstring, my age, my ego, and the warmth of this chair.

Equations

They do not matter all that much. Remember that girl you wanted to ask out in the tenth grade but never did. You never know until you toe the starting line. 

I showed up today and ran the race. I did well. 

Let us use that equation on the girl from the 10th grade.

Tenth Grade {Ask out that pretty Girl) 

She says yes (+ 11 happiness)

She says no ( -8 unhappiness)

You never ask (-1) but this may linger for years, oh my goodness.

Misplaced Math – of course every situation in life is not a mathematical equation. We still do them in our head, even if we do not realize that. And we are not always right.