“If self-control is so important,” a reader asks, “how are we supposed to achieve it?” Personally, I don’t much like the term “self-control.” It suggests a desperate struggle between willpower and cravings, or between restraint and impulses. The term promises endless … [Read more...] about How Do We Achieve Self-Control?
Anger and the APA
Lots of people are angry these days. Social conservatives are angry at secular liberals, and liberals at conservatives. Democrats are angry at Republicans, and vice-versa. People are angry at the police, and the police are angry at the mayor. That’s not such a bad thing, … [Read more...] about Anger and the APA
A Painful Game People Play (Part I)
People frequently play painful games with one another—and they don’t have a clue what they’re doing. Psychological insight can help avoid such clueless behavior. One such game involves the readiness to devalue another person—and then to identify with what that person is likely … [Read more...] about A Painful Game People Play (Part I)
Prisoners of Guilt
Do guilt trips lock you up in an emotional prison? What do you need to know to deflect or neutralize guilt trips? Let’s look at Tom’s encounter with guilt. He was concerned this past Christmas about picking out presents that his nieces and nephews would need or like. So he … [Read more...] about Prisoners of Guilt
Neurosis Unbound
One of the obstacles to human progress is the widespread extent of neurosis. It’s important that we clearly see the nature of this psychological impairment—this common virus of the psyche—in order to overcome it. Amid the world’s turmoil, we need signposts for orientation and … [Read more...] about Neurosis Unbound