All parents lie to their kids, claims a columnist writing for “Daddy Files” on Facebook [reprinted as “19 Lies Parents Tell Their Kids” at huffingtonpost.com 5/12/14] Says who? The writer-father, Aaron Gouveia, lists a number of lies (19 total) which … Continue reading
I need help understanding a few things. It has to do with smoking cigarettes and legalizing marijuana. Take the case of Maryland. Just this last week, I learned two things about Maryland. One, they’re decriminalizing marijuana possession — not just … Continue reading
The leading indicators of insanity involve arbitrary claims and magical thinking. For examples of both, consider this recent story: A proposal by University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) junior Bailey Loverin would force professors to issue “trigger warnings” before teaching … Continue reading
What does it mean to accuse someone of being on an “ego trip”? Let’s start with the concept of “ego.” In the original Greek definition of the term, “ego” basically refers to the self, or “I.” In the Freudian version … Continue reading
Success makes so many people hate you. I wish it wasn’t that way. It would be wonderful to enjoy success without seeing envy in the eyes of those around you. — Marilyn Monroe
A lot of people love to do affirmations first thing in the morning – to keep themselves feeling peppy and positive. I myself have some favorite go-to affirmations which I love. But, I gotta say, sometimes I’ve noticed that affirmations … Continue reading
More and more people are writing me with questions about Asperger’s Syndrome. What is Asperger’s Syndrome? Is it a legitimate classification, or a faux disease? Regardless, what can one do about it? Asperger’s Syndrome is the latest, newest and coolest … Continue reading
It might surprise you that at least one member of Barack Obama’s party, in the U.S. Senate, thinks Obama is too much of right-wing capitalist for the country’s good. U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) discussed her relationship with President Barack … Continue reading
“The ‘private sector’ of the economy is, in fact, the voluntary sector; and the ‘public sector’ is, in fact, the coercive sector.” (Henry Hazlitt, 20th century American journalist and columnist on business/economics) Hazlitt nailed it. When you say: “Health care … Continue reading
In a recent article, I stated that being authentic and honest with others stems from a strong sense of self-esteem and self-respect. People with poor views of themselves tend to be phony, and pretend to like people or things they … Continue reading
Psychologist Mark Dombeck, writing in an online article entitled “Pedophile Priests: Monstrous But Not Monsters,” claims there are two possible ways to think about the subject. The first is the “monster” hypothesis and the second is the “all too human” … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd, We recently bought a nice house here in the resort town where we live, and we occasionally welcome our friends to stay with us. Two of them stayed with us a few weeks ago and they were … Continue reading