The Greeks are some of the most hardworking in the advanced economies, putting in over 2,000 hours a year on average. Germans, on the other hand, are comparative slackers, working about 1,400 hours each year. But German productivity is about … Continue reading
Life is for the living, not for the dead or the dying. However, we can learn a lot from those who die. In a fascinating article entitled, “Nurse Discusses 5 Regrets People Tell Her Before They Die,” [source: Bronnie Ware, … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd, We enjoyed your recent column about Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan’s approach to canine (and people) psychology. [National Geographic Channel] My wife and I were invited to a party at the home of a very nice couple we … Continue reading
Most of us claim we want to be happy—to have meaningful lives, enjoy ourselves, experience fulfillment, and share love and friendship with other people and maybe other species, like dogs, cats, birds, and whatnot. Strangely enough, however, some people act … Continue reading
Will Rogers said: “Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.” It’s true. What causes this? Lack of self-respect. If you respect yourself, you don’t need to spend … Continue reading
Here are some more arguments against “love is selfless.” If you love someone, you want them to be happy. And it’s very nice to think that you can make another person happy, but it’s also very arrogant. What really makes … Continue reading
Wow. I thought the worst news, these days, was in the politics and government sections. Who knew that the most horrible perspectives were found in the subjects of marriage and ethics? Of course, it makes sense. The wrong approach to … Continue reading
A reader asks what I can write about ‘conditioning.’ He writes, ‘I go to a psychiatrist here in my country. Children are conditioned to think in a certain way by their parents and authority figures like teachers, priests etc. I … Continue reading
Several readers wrote and asked me why some people talk badly about their friends behind their backs. The rational question: Why spend time with people you don’t like or respect? Or, if your really do like and respect them, why … Continue reading
A reader comments: Once a psychologist told me my mother abandoned me. It had never occurred to me to think like that. I had never put expectations or demands on my mother like that and more, I thought it would … Continue reading
Says one thing; does another. This applies to both big and little things. It’s a form of lying, even if it’s not deliberate. Even if the lie does you no harm, it tells you something about the person’s relationship with … Continue reading
A reader wrote and asked me to please be more positive in my articles on politics/society, like I am with my psychological articles. He asked me to please make people feel uplifted about our political and social situation, the same … Continue reading