Using brain imaging, researchers have discovered that pleasure is activated in the brain when people get positive feedback concerning their reputation or character. These researchers do not appear to understand that such pleasure is not necessarily genuine or healthy. A … [Read more...] about The Futility of Compulsive Approval-Seeking
Search Results for: psychological defenses
The Mysterious Allure of Kinky Sex
Sadomasochistic consensual sex play may be gaining some acceptance as a socially or culturally sanctioned sexual orientation. The New York Times reports in a featured story, “A Hush-Hush Topic No More,” that a significant effort is underway in the United States and Canada to … [Read more...] about The Mysterious Allure of Kinky Sex
Hooked on Deprivation
New research published this year by the American Psychological Association says “the warm glow” and “emotional benefits” that result from spending money on someone else rather than for personal benefit appear to be a universal response among people in rich and poor nations. The … [Read more...] about Hooked on Deprivation
The Psychology Behind Mass Shootings
While some mass shooters are psychotic or schizophrenic, only about five percent of violence in the United States can be attributed to people with mental illness. The rate of mental illness is higher---an estimated 20 percent---among rampage or serial killers. Most of the mass … [Read more...] about The Psychology Behind Mass Shootings
Wallowing in the Lap of Bitterness
Bitterness is rat poison we feed our memories. It’s the tedious self-torture of desolation row. Bitterness cavorts with evil. It causes people to disown their children or to seek revenge, while it sends others off on maniacal shooting rampages. It shatters the political unity … [Read more...] about Wallowing in the Lap of Bitterness