In 1967, psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe ranked 43 life events by how much adjustment they demand, based on ratings from nearly 400 people. Death of a spouse scored 100, divorce 73 and marriage 50. Even vacations (13) and Christmas (12) made the list. Their insight: stress comes from change, whether happy or sad. The scale is still in use today, despite its limitations.
Remembering is not replaying a recording — it is rebuilding. Each time you recall a memory, it becomes temporarily malleable and can be altered before being stored again. That is why two people can sincerely remember the same event… differently.
In 2003, Johnson and Goldstein compared European countries. Where you must tick a box to become a donor, consent rates ranged from 4% to 28%. Where you're a donor by default unless you opt out, they topped 85%. People aren't more generous on one side; most simply stick with whatever option was chosen for them.