Q: I have been thinking about the topic of self-esteem and self-love as the foundation of happiness. It seems like one cannot exist without the other, and are really one and the same. Is one a byproduct of the other … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd: I wonder if you could help me explain the difference between being kind and being everyone’s keeper. Is kindness “looking after others?” And, is this way of relating to others contagious, as many people believe? Reply: Kindness … Continue reading
A graduate student in clinical psychology recently asked to interview me for a study he’s doing. Below are his questions and my answers, published here with his permission. Many readers have written in with these questions themselves, so I thought … Continue reading
A new study reported in the General Archives of Psychiatry suggests that differences in people’s brains make some people susceptible to hypnosis, and others not. The authors of the study maintain that there are no personality differences explaining the different … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd, Please explain very simply like Economics 101 how to deal with people who insist that the rich do not pay their fair share. Before people get paid money is taken out for taxes. How does it work … Continue reading
One of the biggest impediments to human associations is the unwillingness to say what you think and request what you want. Notice how I phrase this. I say ‘request’ what you want. None of us are entitled to something—time, or … Continue reading
A true debate is over ideology and principle. This wasn’t that. It was a debate over attitude; but in this respect, there was a winner. Obama’s attitude — as we know from watching him govern for four years — is … Continue reading
Self-help and psychology spend a lot of time exploring ‘how to find love’ or ‘how to keep the love that you want.’ But rarely do we actually take the time to ask: ‘What is love?’ To start this study, I’ll … Continue reading
Q: What are your thoughts on the psychology behind the old saying, ‘the grass is always greener,’ where people search endlessly for something better than what they already have? Is that an unhealthy mindset? I know that it’s always good … Continue reading
Someone once offered me a great analogy of being in a dysfunctional relationship. People asked her why she stayed in it so long. She replied, “It’s kind of like being in a room with a bad odor. After awhile, you … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd: When someone in a romantic relationship expresses no preferences for both small things and values, are they compromising or self-sacrificing? Is it wrong to resent a love interest who consistently does this to themselves? Dr. Hurd’s … Continue reading
Freedom is crucially important for mental health, as well as the other things psychotherapists and psychiatrists “treat.” For example, consider a person who’s depressed. Depression is a state of learned helplessness. In a free country with a booming economy, and … Continue reading