The character Prufrock in T.S. Eliot’s ironically titled great poem, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” personifies the painful plight of people who are unable to connect with their authentic self. Contemplating “a hundred indecisions,” Prufrock saw the moment of his … [Read more...] about The Love Song of the Self
Finding Inner Longitude
The marine chronometer invented in the 18th Century made ocean navigation much more precise. The chronometer determined longitude, and it enabled sailors to avoid ramming their ships into unexpected reefs and shorelines. Emotionally, many millions of us still crash upon … [Read more...] about Finding Inner Longitude
Overcoming a Type of Resistance to Studying
This topic is addressed as an exchange of e-mails between me and a visitor to this website. Reader’s comment: I have always been a studious person. Grades were important . . . I was also interested in learning and still am. However, now that I’m at university I’m avoiding … [Read more...] about Overcoming a Type of Resistance to Studying
Understanding Anorexia
Recently I watched a YouTube clip of Phil McGraw (Dr. Phil) counseling a 79-pound woman with anorexia, and it was a sad sight indeed. My sadness was felt both for the plight of the woman and for the plight of all people who get only shallow psychological knowledge from so-called … [Read more...] about Understanding Anorexia
The Human Weakness behind Alcoholism
Many alcoholics and addictive personalities resist the idea that their plight is in any way due to character weakness. Any such allegation, they feel, categorizes them as substandard people who are to blame for their troubles. Weakness of character or “moral weakness” is not what … [Read more...] about The Human Weakness behind Alcoholism