Conclusion of yesterday’s column. Rationalization # 3: ‘It’s OK to lie if the subject is nobody else’s business.’ This rationalization implies that if someone is violating your privacy, you have no other choice but to lie to them. If, in … Continue reading
Category: Psychology & Self-Improvement
The Psychology of Honesty (Part 2 of 3)
Continued from yesterday’s column. It’s not enough to ask people, intellectually, if they subscribe to these rationalizations or not. They might say ‘no,’ they sincerely don’t agree with these statements. Yet they could still feel something different on the emotional … Continue reading
The Psychology of Honesty (Part 1 of 3)
There are two types of liars. The first type does not feel comfortable with lying. He feels guilty for betraying other people with his lie. He also feels awkward because lying complicates his life and his mind. He has to … Continue reading
When Communication Becomes Self-Defeating
Dear Dr. Hurd: There are those among us who think that it is perfectly fine to blurt out whatever “truth” that they feel/think at the moment and simply disregard the impact, effect or relevance of their unfiltered utterance. When they … Continue reading
Dr. Hurd vs. Dr. Phil (part 2 of 2)
Conclusion of Wednesday’s column. Dr .Phil.: ‘If you want confidence, you have to take on a confident posture. This can be as simple as putting more confidence in your walk and in your demeanor.’ Dr.Hurd.: Confidence comes from something much deeper … Continue reading
Dr. Hurd vs. Dr. Phil (Part 1 of 2)
Readers of The Daily Dose of Reason and Life’s a Beach have repeatedly asked for Dr. Hurd’s opinions of celebrity psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw, popularly known as ‘Dr. Phil.’ Here, Dr. Hurd replies to some of Dr. Phil’s comments as … Continue reading
Lying On a Resume–Justified or Not?
Dear Dr. Hurd: I have been unemployed for four years as a result of a combination of abnormal circumstance (a health problem in conjunction with the depressed economy). As the length of time that I’ve been unemployed increases, my odds … Continue reading
Fear of Flying
A reader writes: How can I overcome my fear of flying? When I’m on an airplane, every little bit of turbulence makes me jump. It’s not so much that I’m afraid of terrorism as I am of the possibility of … Continue reading
The Past Doesn’t Shape You–Your Ideas and Beliefs Do
Many people have this idea that the purpose of therapy is to ‘deal with the past.’ I suspect they get this idea from all those silly authors who appear on ‘Oprah’ and elsewhere. The interesting thing is: What does ‘dealing … Continue reading
Deterministic Thinking is Bad For Your Health (Part 2 of 2)
Conclusion of yesterday’s column. Many people never talk to a therapist or read a self-help book. They nevertheless develop a stance of anger towards the rest of the world. Why? ‘Because I had a lousy childhood, and because things haven’t … Continue reading
Deterministic Thinking is Bad For Your Health (Part 1 of 2)
Q: Dr. Hurd, you write a lot about deterministic thinking. What is deterministic thinking and how does it develop in people? A: Deterministic thinking refers to the subconsciously (or sometimes consciously) held viewpoint that a person is less in control … Continue reading
Are All Therapists Lunatics?
Dear Dr. Hurd: In your experience, are most psychologists and psychiatrists liberal Democrats? If so, why do you think this is? Is it because they are enamored with the idea that the government can forcibly commit people to psychiatric institutions? … Continue reading