By linking baboons' behavior with their health, he has learned that some individuals handle stress better than others. And those coping strategies from the Serengeti may prove relevant here in the Silicon Valley. We're ecologically privileged enough that we can invent social and psychological stress. Baboons in the Serengeti, who only work three hours a day to meet their caloric needs, are similarly privileged. They ulcerate because of social complexities.
Mental stresses show up in the body.
Sapolsky observes baboons in the wild to determine their ranks, personalities and social affiliations. Then he anesthetizes them with a blowdart to collect blood samples that reveal levels of stress hormones, antibodies, cholesterol and other indicators of health status. Sapolsky has found a key to handling stress may be cultivating friendships. And when keeping calm, perspective helps. Baboons who cannot tell if a situation is a real threat have twice the stress-hormone levels of those who can discern hazards from histrionics.