Anthropology professor Douglas Raybeck was included in a segment on NPR's Morning Edition on Thursday, Dec. 28. The piece was focused on New Year's resolutions, and Raybeck reviewed the earliest reliable records of them. He discussed Romans vows that included resolutions similar to ours, to quit drinking and to "improve their bodies," for example. He also related how they, too, may have been subject to failure in their efforts.
Raybeck noted that planning ahead and trying to change things is uniquely human. He, however, does not make New Year's resolutions.
