The 134,000-member American Psychological Association recently published its annual report on stress. The report is trademarked: Stress in America™. Yet this official stamp of self-approval can’t hide the hollowness of the report. Millions of Americans are struggling to … [Read more...] about Stressed Out in America
Four Steps to Stifle Our Inner Critic
We all have an active inner critic. It’s a force of human nature that I can, in whimsical moments, visualize as the leader of an outlaw trio that includes the gun-slinging desperado, Yosemite Sam, and his fellow Looney Tunes cartoon character, the ferocious, dim-witted Tasmanian … [Read more...] about Four Steps to Stifle Our Inner Critic
Oh, Sweet Narcissism
Centuries ago our ancestors, in the throes of self-centeredness, cherished the commonly held belief that the Earth was right smack at the center of the universe. Even the poorest peasant could find solace in the notion of being at the center: “If the Earth is at the center, then … [Read more...] about Oh, Sweet Narcissism
The Pain We Lock Away
It’s so important to see through our psychological defenses if we want to become emotionally strong and escape from suffering. Through our defenses, we lie to ourselves in much the way that parents lie to children to protect them from life’s harsher realities. Some experts … [Read more...] about The Pain We Lock Away
Cognitive Therapy’s Distorted Thinking
Recently I came across a best-selling psychology textbook, and I believe the sections of it dealing with the essentials of self-awareness are not accessing a deep enough level of understanding. The widely used textbook, written by three Harvard University professors of … [Read more...] about Cognitive Therapy’s Distorted Thinking