Fascinating article in Scientific American that possibly answers why depression still plagues roughly 30-50% of all people, everywhere.  Since the brain plays such an essential role in promoting survival and reproduction, and depression can debilitate so thoroughly, why hasn’t mankind simply evolved beyond it?

Well, according to Doctors Paul W. Andrews and J. Anderson Thomson, Jr., maybe it’s time we start considering depression a “useful” disorder.  One which is, “in fact, an adaptation, a state of mind which brings real costs, but also brings real benefits.”  The pair backs this up with some brain-confusing brain chemistry, then moves on to make some simpler sense:

This is not to say that depression is not a problem.  Depressed people often have trouble performing everyday activities, they can?