A reader emails that she doesn’t get the idea of gift giving for the sake of gift giving, or just to not look bad in front of others. She’s referring to Black Friday, and goes on to say that people … Continue reading
Category: Life’s a Beach!
Mean People Suck…So Why Put Up With Them? (DE Wave)
I see so many examples of spouses and partners who endure consistent and systematic meanness from their significant others. This pattern is more prevalent than you might think, and the clinical term for it is emotional abuse. There are a … Continue reading
Is “Feeling Good” Really the Purpose of Life? (DE Coast Press)
Barely a day goes by when someone doesn’t ask, “How are you feeling?” Given all this concern (sincerity notwithstanding…), it seems like “feeling good” should be the primary goal of our human experience. But in fact it’s not. Think about … Continue reading
“Closure” After Breaking Up — What’s It Mean? (DE Wave)
A reader is seeking “closure” from his girlfriend who recently dumped him; closure meaning a neat, painless ending that might come anyway with the passage of time. But time can’t be rushed, and closure can’t be faked or forced. People … Continue reading
Amazing How a Little Respect Gets Things Done (DE Coast Press)
I hear horror stories all the time about bad experiences with service providers such as plumbers, electricians and the like. I find it hard to believe that there can be so many tradespeople out there who are rude and/or routinely … Continue reading
How to handle an obnoxious person (DE Wave)
A reader emails that the new president of her condo association is just plain obnoxious. He barks orders, talks too much, and has taken to sending nasty letters for even the slightest infraction (or what he sees as an infraction). … Continue reading
Don Draper and the Psychology of “Write It Down”
In AMC’s award-winning TV series “Mad Men,” the lead character Don Draper — a man with deep internal conflicts and significant character flaws — starts to write down his thoughts and reflections about people and events in his daily life. … Continue reading
False & True Beliefs About Failure & Success
People often tell me how concerned they are that they or their children not be “losers.” They’re surprised when I tell them that losing can sometimes be good for your mental health. Of course, in a competitive sense, it’s clearly … Continue reading
The Psychology of Costume (DE Coast Press)
The high holy days of masquerade are upon us, and rarely does a Halloween go by without people asking me about the psychology of costumes and disguise. Ancient mystical beliefs held that if you disguised yourself on All Hallows Eve, … Continue reading
Avoidance NOT the Way to Curb Irrational Fear! (DE Wave)
‘Tiz the season for goblins, ghosts and whatever else might strike a little fear (and maybe some fun) into the Halloween season! Pretty much everyone has something that they simply do not want to touch or otherwise encounter in the … Continue reading
Alcohol Use and Abuse (DE Coast Press)
It never ceases to amaze me how people can fire off a snippy email to me when it’s obvious that they haven’t even read the entire article. (I encourage those people to keep on firing, however – I get many … Continue reading
The Advantages and Perils of Advice-Taking (DE Wave)
A reader writes, “What does it say about a person who offers unsolicited advice without at least a polite shift in the conversation? As an example, as I was serving a guest in a fast-food restaurant where I work, he … Continue reading