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Happiness, Right Before Your Eyes (Review of The Happy Show)
Within the first five minutes of walking into graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister’s “The Happy Show” at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia, I found myself being instructed to drop a quarter into a machine whose destination seemed to be smack in the middle of the sidewalk outside (and conferred no immediate gratification to do so: no gumball, no decoder ring, no stuffed toy to reward the action). On blind faith and curiosity, I did so. I then found myself reading the inner thoughts of the random permanent fixtures on the wall, black marker scribbles wrapped in bubble cartoons. The thermostat by the Exit door said “Hello. Somebody there? … Anybody??” The phone jack near the floor said “I LAY DOWN AND DIED TWO years ago … PLAYING FUNERAL.” I’m still scratching my head over that one.
A Primer for Pessimists
Obesity and smoking may be the most conspicuous causes of illness in this country, but physical factors don't account for everything. Your psychology — namely, your personality and outlook on life — can be just as important to your well-being as exercising and eating right. And especially these days, with the world's economy tumbling toward a depression, it's a good time to prevent yourself from slipping into one too.
