If we want our society to put a stop to bullying—an excellent goal, of course, one embraced by President Barack Obama, educators, and celebrities—we can help the cause by better understanding the underlying psychological dynamics of bullying and by teaching this knowledge to our … [Read more...] about Underlying Dynamics that Breed Bullies
Search Results for: psychological defenses
The Dire Determinants of Divorce
The list is long of the sundry ways we can suffer in a marriage or romantic relationship. We can, for starters, feel controlled, trapped, restricted, deprived, refused, criticized, belittled, disrespected, betrayed, rejected, abandoned, undervalued, and unloved. If we’re … [Read more...] about The Dire Determinants of Divorce
The Helplessness Trap in Cravings & Addictions
This post is a revised and expanded version of an earlier post, “The Negative Emotions behind Addictions,” which was published here last October. In this version, I go into the heart of the emotional experience of the “helplessness trap” which addictive personalities experience … [Read more...] about The Helplessness Trap in Cravings & Addictions
Overcoming Incompetence and Its Miseries
One way to be happy (or happier) is to operate in the workplace at a higher level of competence and effectiveness. Performing at our best is a great source of pleasure. Performing at our worst is, well, just ask Dilbert. The comic strip featuring that forlorn character and … [Read more...] about Overcoming Incompetence and Its Miseries
Terrorism and the Death Drive
The front page of today’s The New York Times has a photo of the aftermath of a suicide bomber’s horrific attack on a group of Afghan Shiites who were taking part in a religious ceremony. Human perversity sometimes seems unfathomable, but we must keep trying to make sense of … [Read more...] about Terrorism and the Death Drive