How sweet it is to cry and water heaven with our tears, romantic poets are wont to say. Such poets venerate tears as “the heart’s own dew” or “summer showers to the soul.” Yet the sources of our tears are as varied as the mixtures of water, salts, antibodies, and antibacterial … [Read more...] about Tears of Self-Deception
failure
Cultivating a Life of Disappointment
Strange but true, many of us actively cultivate a life of disappointment, meaning we unconsciously look for ways to feel disenchanted, disheartened, and dissatisfied. Whoever would have thought that we humans, so sensible and smart according to conventional wisdom, would be … [Read more...] about Cultivating a Life of Disappointment
Avoidable Miseries of the Workplace
Work, paradoxically, is a blessing and a curse. It can torture us when we have it and depress us when we don’t. What’s worse, loading “Sixteen Tons” of manure from “9 to 5” on “Maggie’s Farm” after “A Hard Day’s Night,” or having to beg, “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime” in … [Read more...] about Avoidable Miseries of the Workplace
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