Field Notes: Anger is pain, hiding
Plus, a carrot soup with sun-dried tomatoes, a favorite quote, new studies around long Covid treatments, and more
Hello, dear friends!
I hope you are doing well this March. We had a snowstorm yesterday, fittingly in the middle of Winter Camp, which is going wonderfully and I can’t wait to invite you to the next Winter Camp session in November. Though between now and then let’s please savor spring, summer, and fall. 🌱☀️ 🍁
Today is Wednesday, which is Field Notes day. I’m going to try a few things differently. First, I read somewhere that starting off a newsletter with a number (like Field Notes #48) is a waste of space. No one cares what number it is! As a reader, I thought, Oh, this is true…
Also, I’m sharing a list of 6 notes — hence “Field Notes” — I’ve run across lately, but no longer slotted into particular categories, like 1 insight, 2 quotes and 3 links. Let’s try 6 simple things. (Brianne, don’t most people share 10 or 5? Well, that’s ok. They can do them. We can be different! Let’s try 6 on for size.) Let me know what you think. If you don’t like this format, I can revert back!
Masks: There is a big kerfuffle over masks sparked from a recent major meta-analysis in the Cochrane Review, which concluded that the studies examined did not show that medical masks or N95 masks made much or any difference in how many people caught a respiratory illness. As always, there are many caveats. I am not a scientist or a data analyst, so I rely on experts to interpret this complex analysis. But the experts seem to be in disagreement. Have you been following this? Here are a few takes: “Do Masks Work?” by Katelyn Jetelina, MPH, PhD and Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD; “The Cochrane Mask Fiasco” by Vinay Prasad, MD, MPH; and “Yes, masks reduce the risk of spreading COVID, despite a review saying they don’t” by four experts in The Conversation.
Latest data on long COVID: I appreciated this update from Dr. Katelyn Jetelina on new studies related to long COVID. For example: “People should consider Metformin, especially women who are at higher risk for long COVID. It’s best taken within 4 days of infection.”
Carrot soup with a kick: I’m looking forward to trying this carrot and sun-dried tomato soup with tahini and harissa from Hetty Lui McKinnon.
Risks of H5H1 pandemic: Caitlin Rivers, an infectious disease epidemiology professor, has written a detailed, eye-opening piece in Foreign Policy about why we should prepare for a bird flu epidemic. H5N1 could potentially morph to be able to spread between humans. She writes: “Although it has attracted relatively little public attention, the scope of the avian flu outbreak is far beyond anything the world has seen before. The World Organization for Animal Health has recorded hundreds of H5N1 outbreaks in dozens of countries.” Go through her Force of Infection newsletter to a free link to the Foreign Policy story.
Anger is pain, hiding: In a recent episode of Tim Ferriss’ podcast, he interviewed Matt Mochary, a coach to top tech executives. Like all of Tim’s interviews, the conversation is filled with intriguing tidbits. But this part I found unforgettable: Matt talked about his temper, and how his wife had asked him repeatedly to please stop acting in anger. Matt thought this was unrealistic, which eventually ended their marriage. After his last explosion, Matt explained: “I happened to be talking to a coach, world-class, and he shared with me, he said, ‘Matt, anger is not a base emotion. Anger is a cover for pain. But if you allow yourself…’ Because it’s so painful that the brain doesn’t want to experience it, so it takes it and shoves it outward as anger, but all you’re doing is taking your own pain and shoving it on the people around you.” Matt went on to explain that once he allowed himself to notice and feel the underlying pain, he was in tears; he truly hadn’t felt that depth of pain before. This concept alone was mind-bending. Anger is not a base emotion? Anger is actually pain, hiding? Alongside this revelation, I was pondering how learning this is changing the brains of millions of people — and Tim’s podcast audience is 75% men — who listen to these intimate, vulnerable, wise conversations. I marvel at the good Tim is doing for all of us. It gives me hope to hear these two men grappling with emotions and learning from their discoveries.
One of my favorite quotes: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” — Viktor Frankl
Thanks, as always, for being here.
To our journeys,
Brianne
p.s. I always love hearing from you. If you have a thought about the format or any of the Field Notes, you can comment below or just reply to this email. Thanks!