As I work on the final section of my eBook about Greg Mortenson and Lance Armstrong (“The Hero as Narcissist”), I’ve been thinking about why the public so ready to believe the stories they invented about themselves — that is, why we need heroes/heroines to admire. In my research, I came across an interesting quote.… Continue reading Who Are Your Heroes and Why?
Hatred in Politics — New Article for The Atlantic
My most recent article for The Atlantic — this one about splitting and hatred in politics — went live this morning. You can find it here.
Outgrowing Your Parents
During a recent session, Becca (mid-20s) was describing a typical argument with her mother. She and her mom have a close but combative relationship; in their fights, Becca often feels frustrated at her mom’s immaturity. Becca’s parents have been divorced for many years and her mother has drifted from one low-level job to another, never… Continue reading Outgrowing Your Parents
Diary of a Shame Attack
On Saturday, I made a short new video, making use of what I’d learned in media training. I felt very good about that video because I’d confronted some underlying shame and the related wish to remain invisible — that is, relying on a blank facial expression and little modulation in my voice in order to… Continue reading Diary of a Shame Attack
The Difference Between Anger and Hatred
In preparation for my appearance later today on Sandy Weiner’s BlogTalkRadio program Courageous Conversations, I’ve been thinking about anger and hatred. Sandy and I will be discussing how to cope with the eruption of hatred in our intimate relationships and I needed to clarify how hatred differs from anger. We can distinguish between anger and… Continue reading The Difference Between Anger and Hatred