Study Links Greeting Neighbors with Better Well-Being
We have all seen those perfect streets in movies with the bright green front gardens, pretty white fences and happy neighbors saying "good morning" to each other.Not only do they look perfect, new research from the US suggests that people who greet their neighbors have a higher well-being score. That's right — even one "hello" can make you feel good, according to the study by Gallup.As part of the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index, the company asked more than 4,500 adults in the US how many neighbors they usually greet every day.People were also asked about their well-being, focusing on five different areas: their job, money, physical well-being, friends and community.The results showed that people who greet their neighbors score higher on Gallup's well-being index.The people who scored the highest in that index were those who greeted six people every day.Greeting more than six people didn't increase well-being scores any further.The research also found that older people are much more likely to greet their neighbors.Adults under the age of 30 greeted an average of 2.9 neighbors every day, while those aged over 65 greeted an average of 6.5 people.These numbers may not be difficult to explain. Dan Witters, from Gallup, told CNN that young people may be more likely to live in apartments in city centers where they may not even know who their neighbors are.Older people, he added, may be more likely to live in smaller places, where it's easier to meet neighbors.
Questions:1. Detail the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index's research.2. What did they find out about those people who regularly greet their neighbors?3. How are the 2 age groups differ in terms of the number of neighbors they greet? Why is that so?4. What are your thoughts on Gallup's findings? Does it surprise you that greeting neighbors is good for our well-being?5. How often do you greet your neighbors? Are you good friends with any of them?
