1. I meet one of Leonard Syme’s students at a party.
2. I learn about Syme’s unusual teaching methods (and later interview him about them).
3. One of Syme’s students, Michael Marmot, writes a book called The Status Syndrome (2004).
4. Nassim Taleb, author of The Black Swan, writes an excellent review of The Status Syndrome:
You are a hot shot in a company, though not the boss. You are paid extremely well, but, again you have plenty of bosses above you (say the partners of an investment firm). Is it better than deriving a modest income being your own boss? The counterintuitive answer is NO. You will live longer in the second situation, even controlling for diet, lifestyle, and genetic predispositions.
5. I quote Taleb’s research ideas approvingly.