Dr. Ellen Langer

And it's Christmas, all the presents coming in, you know, we're burned, all the ones going out. It's now Christmas Eve and I go out for dinner and I come back to the hotel room and it's full of gifts. Not from the owner of the hotel, not from the management, but from the so-called little people. the chambermaids, the people who parked my car, the waiters and waitresses.

And it's Christmas, all the presents coming in, you know, we're burned, all the ones going out. It's now Christmas Eve and I go out for dinner and I come back to the hotel room and it's full of gifts. Not from the owner of the hotel, not from the management, but from the so-called little people. the chambermaids, the people who parked my car, the waiters and waitresses.

Andrew, I tell you, I could not tell that story for months, maybe years, without it bringing tears to my eyes. It was beautiful. Every Christmas I'm reminded about what feels to me the basic goodness of people. And I couldn't tell you except for one thing what I lost in that fire. So, you know. One stuffed parrot. No, no, that I don't remember that until right now. No, it was kind of fun.

Andrew, I tell you, I could not tell that story for months, maybe years, without it bringing tears to my eyes. It was beautiful. Every Christmas I'm reminded about what feels to me the basic goodness of people. And I couldn't tell you except for one thing what I lost in that fire. So, you know. One stuffed parrot. No, no, that I don't remember that until right now. No, it was kind of fun.

Andrew, I tell you, I could not tell that story for months, maybe years, without it bringing tears to my eyes. It was beautiful. Every Christmas I'm reminded about what feels to me the basic goodness of people. And I couldn't tell you except for one thing what I lost in that fire. So, you know. One stuffed parrot. No, no, that I don't remember that until right now. No, it was kind of fun.

I was teaching, going to be teaching, you know, as soon as school began again, a large lecture class and all my notes were burned. And so, oh, my God, what am I going to do? And so what I did was I called a student who got an A in the course the year before, borrowed her notes and omitted those and taught the course.

I was teaching, going to be teaching, you know, as soon as school began again, a large lecture class and all my notes were burned. And so, oh, my God, what am I going to do? And so what I did was I called a student who got an A in the course the year before, borrowed her notes and omitted those and taught the course.

I was teaching, going to be teaching, you know, as soon as school began again, a large lecture class and all my notes were burned. And so, oh, my God, what am I going to do? And so what I did was I called a student who got an A in the course the year before, borrowed her notes and omitted those and taught the course.

And it was the best course I ever taught because I was not relying on anything that I would then repeat in any absolute – I was totally there.

And it was the best course I ever taught because I was not relying on anything that I would then repeat in any absolute – I was totally there.

And it was the best course I ever taught because I was not relying on anything that I would then repeat in any absolute – I was totally there.

No, no. I don't think that they necessarily are. I think that if something happens – You should take advantage of it and learn something from it. And, you know, so there's data, not from my lab or yours, but that people who have heart attacks and you live through a heart attack or a stroke, all of a sudden you realize, gee, this is not going to go on forever. I've got to start living.

No, no. I don't think that they necessarily are. I think that if something happens – You should take advantage of it and learn something from it. And, you know, so there's data, not from my lab or yours, but that people who have heart attacks and you live through a heart attack or a stroke, all of a sudden you realize, gee, this is not going to go on forever. I've got to start living.

No, no. I don't think that they necessarily are. I think that if something happens – You should take advantage of it and learn something from it. And, you know, so there's data, not from my lab or yours, but that people who have heart attacks and you live through a heart attack or a stroke, all of a sudden you realize, gee, this is not going to go on forever. I've got to start living.

And it's a shame. I mean, I think most people are sealed in unlived lives and, you know, that you need a heart attack to wake you up or somebody else's death, you know.

And it's a shame. I mean, I think most people are sealed in unlived lives and, you know, that you need a heart attack to wake you up or somebody else's death, you know.

And it's a shame. I mean, I think most people are sealed in unlived lives and, you know, that you need a heart attack to wake you up or somebody else's death, you know.

Yeah, I don't think people – when people are afraid of death, I don't think it's really death that they're afraid of. They're afraid of pain and having no control at that moment. The old people I know, studying this for so long, I know lots of – Very old people. None of them seem to be afraid of death.

Yeah, I don't think people – when people are afraid of death, I don't think it's really death that they're afraid of. They're afraid of pain and having no control at that moment. The old people I know, studying this for so long, I know lots of – Very old people. None of them seem to be afraid of death.

Yeah, I don't think people – when people are afraid of death, I don't think it's really death that they're afraid of. They're afraid of pain and having no control at that moment. The old people I know, studying this for so long, I know lots of – Very old people. None of them seem to be afraid of death.