I think pretty much everyone will admit that most new year’s resolutions fail. In spite of the best of intentions, most are destined for disaster. Why? Because they’re artificial. You can’t resolve to do something just because it happens to … Continue reading
Champagne and too many of those little cocktail wieners can result in some pretty outlandish new year’s resolutions. It’s tricky to say what you mean and mean what you say when you’re counting backwards from 10 and balancing a lampshade … Continue reading
Apparently somebody out there is reading this page, because over the last week or so I have received a number of emails asking me to reprint this article from a couple of years ago. The response then was amazing, and … Continue reading
Holiday festivities with family and friends can be fun. But increased interaction (and perhaps cramped quarters) can create frustration over what some people may say or do. So how do you deal with it – short of creating a CSI-style … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd, I’m at a crossroads. I’ve fallen in love with my best friend whom I have known for years. The catch? She’s married with kids and dedicated to her family. I’m not entirely sure of the depth of … Continue reading
A website visitor writes to complain about a “smart slacker” in her office. I suspect many of us have known a smart slacker; pushing the limits, just as children often do, to see how much he or she can get … Continue reading
One of the subjects that occasionally comes up in my office is the issue of anorexia; generally defined as a pathological refusal to eat. According to Dr. Walter Kaye, professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, people with anorexia … Continue reading
Of all the subjects people talk about in my office, one of the most common is issues with (and questions about) relationships. Partnered couples often tell me that they don’t feel “connected,” or that their relationship failed because they were … Continue reading
So many relationships – business, personal or otherwise – end up boiling down to honesty. For example, are you obligated to deal honestly with somebody who has been proven to be dishonest? The person who asked me this question suggests … Continue reading
A Delaware Wave reader writes, “I hate to admit this, but I feel like my second grader’s mistakes and blunders are a reflection on me, as if I have somehow bungled his upbringing. Obviously, I’m as ashamed to feel this … Continue reading
Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful. That sounds very nice, but it’s a bit too general for my taste. I like to look at Thanksgiving as a time of perspective: To think about what’s right, both with the world … Continue reading
No matter how hard you try, you can’t change another person. Even a trained psychotherapist can’t change somebody without their consent and effort. It is, however, still possible to influence others. But success presupposes that the subject is open to … Continue reading