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
Our Messy Mix of Aggression and Passivity
Here we stand, aggressively destroying our planet while passively letting it happen. We simply don’t have a lot of insight into two primitive aspects of our mental and emotional functioning—aggression and passivity. Certainly we need some amount of aggression—make that healthy … [Read more...] about Our Messy Mix of Aggression and Passivity
Speeding Up Our Evolution
With the right knowledge, we can quickly become happier and more evolved. Our emotional and behavioral problems emerge from blind-spots in our psyche. As we uncover hidden knowledge, we can avoid a lot of suffering and self-defeat. Overcoming emotional and behavioral problems … [Read more...] about Speeding Up Our Evolution
Why Our Emotional Suffering Persists
Were we born to suffer? William Wordsworth seemed to think so when he wrote: “Suffering is permanent, obscure and dark. And shares the nature of infinity.” Indeed, ignorance in centuries past doomed many people to perpetual suffering. Much physical suffering has been … [Read more...] about Why Our Emotional Suffering Persists
Easing Tension and Stress at Family Gatherings
Lingering emotional wounds from our family of origin are like riptides in our psyche. At times, most of us in childhood experienced betrayal, rejection, and other painful hurts. As adults, many of us, swept along by emotional undercurrents, are unable to enjoy our time together … [Read more...] about Easing Tension and Stress at Family Gatherings