An apology to end an argument with a female friend has twice the number of benefits: the argument is over, and it also could decrease her chances of a heart attack. Recent studies coming out of the University of Massachusetts' medical school have claimed that a well-timed "sorry" could help a woman's blood pressure return to its normal level 20 percent faster than usual. Men do not seem to respond as positively, however, because the study suggests that their blood pressure takes 20 percent longer to return to normal after hearing an apology. Results were measured by having male and female subjects take a math test, during which researchers impatiently interrupted the test takers three times, telling them to "hurry up." After the test, subjects were told they were "obviously not good enough." Researchers later apologized for this behavior, but only to half of the participants. Women who received an apology seemed to calm down much faster, even as men who received apologies showed the exact opposite reaction. If those elevated blood pressure levels persist into the long term, though, they greatly enhance the chances for stroke and heart attack.
-compiled by Aradhya Nigam
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