Inner passivity is an unconscious realm of our psyche that’s very much “in our face” emotionally. I write a great deal about inner passivity, and I keep trying to bring this psychological aspect into better focus. My readers keep asking me how, exactly, can they eliminate … [Read more...] about Breaking Free of Inner Passivity
human nature
Deeper Reflections on Inner Passivity
A few years ago the actor and filmmaker Seth MacFarlane made a brave and honest observation about his inner life: “I wish I was better at taking in how great my life is, but that’s surprisingly elusive. I tend to be very hard on myself and insecure about failing no matter what … [Read more...] about Deeper Reflections on Inner Passivity
The Thrill of Fear
An outbreak of fear is degrading our humanity. A particular weakness in our psyche—a “bug” in our unconscious mind—causes fear to feed upon itself, making the current pandemic of fear especially virulent. Terrorism triggers fearfulness, but it’s not the cause of it. The cause … [Read more...] about The Thrill of Fear
Unconscious Bias in Race Relations
Protests against the handling of racial tensions broke out this month on university campuses across the United States, and once again we find ourselves confounded by the deviltry of human nature. Why does skin color in 2015 still inflame animosities? Depth psychology provides us … [Read more...] about Unconscious Bias in Race Relations
Acquiring a Feel for Natural Aggression
Some psychologists claim that aggression is an undesirable trait. At Wikipedia, aggression is defined as an “overt, often harmful, social interaction with the intention of inflicting damage or other unpleasantness upon another individual.” Assertiveness is acceptable, these … [Read more...] about Acquiring a Feel for Natural Aggression