Recent posts tagged psychology
2022
Join The Faker's Club
On the sociology of impostor syndrome.
But Of Course You Have Heroes
Maybe one should not have heroes, I once said, if only because they are mortal and have feet of clay and will inevitably disappoint you. But I know I have them.
Multiplicities
Examining your inner creative voices: "Are you 'one' writer or 'many' writers?"
Solving The Ego Problem(s)
"Solving the problem is more important than being right." A quick guide for writers.
Short Attention Span Theater
Distraction or recreation? On the meaning of fun.
Here Comes The Pain
I fight the idea that the only sensible response to a world that seems to be driving itself mad is to hide under one's desk with one's head in the wastebasket.
The Strongest Poison
A nightmare of how the power of modern envy makes it the deadliest of human emotions.
2021
The Impossible Immutable
In a story that spans multiverses and multi-selves, do we even need to talk about a "self"?
Public Image Limited
In re: "People care as much or more about their identity and having it validated as they care about material interests."
To Make The Ghosts Smile
On being haunted by those I've known, and no longer know.
Fearful Asymmetries, 2021 Edition
When we talk about the ugly asymmetries in modern politics -- one side is far less sane than the other, let's face it -- talk arises of whether or not said people are in fact out of their minds.
No Comparison
On that tricky phrase "Do not compare yourself to others."
How Can You Say You Know Me When I Don't Even Know Myself?
It's impossible to control what happens when people pay attention to you in numbers. Just respond as gracefully as you can.
Let's Blow This Popsicle Stand
When you are faced with a world this chaotic and nasty, is the only sane response to reject it wholesale?
World Brain Blues, And Cheers
"...the mind extends into the world and augments the capacities of the biological brain with outside-the-brain resources."
Talkin' Bout Some Bad Mothers
We shouldn't confuse tragedy with misplaced sympathy for the devil.
The Demon's Sermon
On "the world of demons" in Buddhist study, and other things in it that are routinely misunderstood.
The Not-David-Brooks Road To Character
Stephen Downes and a few wise words on the idea of "character".
2019
Something To Think About
On the use and abuse of thought experiments.
Snoopy's Neck
On a childhood possession and the nature of grasping.
The Impersistence Of Memory
How our lives slip through our own fingers.
The Destructive Frivolity Of The Incurably Serious
"The most destructive frivolity of all comes only from the incurably serious."
How To Listen To Your Gut
And how to do what scares you, at the same time.
Jerks-R-Us
People who say "I'm a jerk and proud of it" are sending a signal they should be avoided. The problem is we aren't always in a position to enact that advice.
2018
Mop And Pail, Dustpan And Broom
How PCs become trash accumulators that rival any closet, garage, crawlspace, or basement.
