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
It’s hard to believe, but (for those of you who are counting) this is my 400th weekly column for the Delaware Coast Press! Though you’d be hard pressed to find a nicer bunch of folks than their able staff, I’m … Continue reading
Is your romantic relationship smooth and effortless? Or is there a constant sense of “walking on eggshells” and trying not to offend the other? Over 30 years of clinical experience have convinced me that truly good relationships do not require … Continue reading
People often ask me about the virtue of loyalty. The mental health profession generally falls into line behind widely accepted virtues as a measure of mental health, so is loyalty in fact healthy, wise and good? Many people equate loyalty … Continue reading
One of the highlights of my week is the quiet morning when I sit down with a cup of coffee and confront my glowing computer screen. It stares blankly back at me, and I know what it wants: The first … Continue reading
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said it best: “We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done.” And it works both ways! If you underestimate your potential, or if you ignore … Continue reading
John R. Schafer, Ph.D. writes on psychologytoday.com: “Changing negative first impressions is difficult. A person who forms a negative impression of another person will be less inclined to meet that person a second time because that person has been judged … Continue reading
I received several reader emails about my column from a few weeks ago where I wrote about an associate from my former practice in Washington, D.C. who likened resort dwellers to “outlaws.” I took it (and she meant it) as … Continue reading
Two approaches to life, especially in the business or professional environment, characterize most human interactions. The first is the adversarial mentality; the second is the realistic mentality. The adversarial mentality rests upon illogical but (to some people) emotionally appealing ideas … Continue reading