Haley Burton Psych Blog 2023

 "Acquired Tastes" going extinct thanks to capitalism Capitalism has seeped into every aspect of decision-making, stunting the developmental growth associated with the progression into adulthood, especially in dietary choices. Today, the bitter tastes our grandparents loved because of low prices are becoming a relic of the past as adults cling to their childish love for sweets and aversions to less biologically-incentivized flavors.  Fruit and vegetable sales are falling, forcing companies to genetically modify them into sweeter versions and coffee is rarely seen without milk and sugar today; why? Humans naturally crave sweet, oily, carb-heavy foods because they contain the most energy--an evolutionary benefit--but the high prices that forced older generations to adopt healthier diets are reversed today.  Per calorie, sugar-loaded foods are infinitely cheaper than produce, so the majority of lower-income adults in developed nations opt for childhood favorites instead of s...

She acquired superpowers in the lamest way possible: drinking too much coffee.  It was one too many late nights spent studying, one too many quad-shots of espresso.  The norepinephrine in her body surged, and instead of caffeine having less of an effect on her, it resulted in permanent damage.  She was always stressed now!  Her heart was pumping, blood coursing through her veins.  Tossing and turning in bed, she wished for just an ounce of drowsiness.  To her dismay, nothing came.  She leaped out of bed, overcome with the need to do something, and found that her usual clumsiness was nowhere to be found.  She ran down the stairs, faster than she ever had before.  There was almost too much energy in her body--it needed to escape. The night air was crisp--cold, damp, breezy.  It invigorated her, allowing her to ascend to a level of alertness she never thought possible.   Against her previous aversion to exercise, she ran.  Ra...

Past:  I was born in Houston, TX on August 15, 2005, around 1 pm (I like to say 12:37 because it's my favorite number, but my mom thinks it's 1:43-ish, but she also used to think I was born in 2006, so I don't know what to trust). Not long after I was born, we moved to Brampton, Ontario for my dad's job, and we lived there until I was 8 years old and we returned to Houston. Clumsy since a young age, I don't believe my first steps were all that smooth, but my mom did say that they happened early on (about 10 months old) compared to my siblings. My first word was in the ballpark of the word "mom," and much of early puberty was a contest against myself to see how long I could hide it from my mom.   Future: I am scheduled to graduate from high school in either late May or early June of 2024, and from there I plan to pursue a bachelor's degree in Finance. Where I will achieve this, I have little clue, but hopefully somewhere prestigious enough to make me a ...