This is an interesting article

http://www.psychologytoday.com/htdocs/prod/PTOArticle/pto-20031029-000001.asp

Say something. Anything. If you're on a bus or subway, push yourself to sit next to someone who looks interesting and say something: "Do you think this bus will ever get to its destination before sunrise?" Of course you run the risk of rejection. Even here an evolutionary perspective is helpful. When our ancestors lived in small bands, rejection was painful because there were dire repercussions. Rejection by even one person would be communicated to the whole group. Your status was diminished, your position threatened. In 2003 the repercussions are negligible--although we still react emotionally to rejection as if our existence depended on it.

Weird, I just learned my mom had this

http://nytimes.com/2003/11/01/national/01FDR.html


And here is an article about Guillain-Barre and how Roosevelt might have had it instead of polio.