I received an email from a website visitor on the subject of bullying. He’s in his thirties, and tells me that schoolyard bullying has had a profound effect on him since his childhood; causing him great distress in many areas … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd: What’s the difference between shame and embarrassment? And does a highly confident person with self-esteem ever experience shame? Dr. Hurd’s reply: Embarrassment is an emotional state of intense discomfort with oneself, experienced upon having a socially unacceptable … Continue reading
It’s a mistake to look for ‘the techniques’ to make you break a bad habit—drinking, overeating, or whatever it is. There’s an error in asking the question, ‘What steps can I take to break my habit?’ The question implies that … Continue reading
But small government gives you big freedoms–and Big Government leaves you with very little freedom. The opposite of Big Government is not small government, but Big Liberty. The bailout and the stimulus and the budget and the trillion-dollar deficits are … Continue reading
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said the Obama administration has created a “culture of intimidation” with its widespread misuse of government power to target and intimidate its political foes. Speaking on the Senate floor on Wednesday, the Florida Republican said reports … Continue reading
One of the things I don’t understand is the reason most often given for not wanting a divorce. Or similarly, the way people look back on their former marriage as a “failure.” In reality, this usually isn’t true. Most often, … Continue reading
The Obama Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records of reporters and editors for The Associated Press in what the news cooperative’s top executive called a “massive and unprecedented intrusion” into how news organizations gather the news. The … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd, I read your column every week, and I like what you say. But sometimes, when I try to make suggestions to my husband or my adult children, it turns into an unpleasant ‘heated discussion.’ I am truly … Continue reading
‘An apology is a good way to have the last word.’ If this old saying is true, then why is it difficult for many people to apologize — even when they know they’re wrong? I talk to a lot of … Continue reading
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY., is demanding President Obama order a complete review of his administration in the light of the IRS revealing Friday that it had targeted conservative groups that included the words ‘tea party’ or ‘patriot’ in … Continue reading
You’re a good man Dr. Hurd. I’m hopeful about a world that has men like you in it.
In response to my article on the Ariel Castro torture/kidnappings in Ohio [‘Her Father the Monster’], a reader wrote the following: Dear Dr. Hurd: You wrote in your article, “Aside from torturing innocent people, he [Ariel Castro] betrayed her [his … Continue reading