It’s so poignant when we hear of children who feel life isn’t worth living, who feel doomed to lives of misery or even feel like killing themselves. And if childhood suicide rates and admissions to hospital for self-harm are anything to go by, childhood depression is trending upwards. So why might childhood depression be on […]
Articles on: Uncommon Philosophy
Philosophy Piece: 5 Psychological Strategies to Control Catastrophic Impulsivity
With the demise of religion and an increasing sense that “now is all there is”, some people have bought into the idea that personal pleasure and shortcuts to fragile and fleeting happiness are really all that matter. But we all become more efficient, effective, and happy when we master or at least gain more control […]
The Role of Humility in Personal Development
Being humble (and not in the way some people boast of being humble!) is not just a virtue because people say it is, but because it is a pathway to greater efficiency and greater perception. So what exactly is humility, and why is it so important to the individual, the community, and the world as […]
The Underappreciated Art of Taking Risks
Success may be associated with certain kinds of intelligence, diligence, and certainly conscientiousness, but – perhaps more than we realize – also with the capacity and willingness to take risks. Often the greater but less obvious risk lies in trying to avoid risk at all costs.
The Pandemic and Us
The world has changed. We have become divided, even splintered. What did this series of coronaviruses do to society? To collective and individual psychology? Certainly, anxiety conditions, depression, and addictions, as well as sleep disorders may well have increased hugely during the pandemic.3 And the treatment of other illnesses and diseases has been, in some […]
Why Do People Believe Weird Things?
We can all be induced to believe strange things and having ‘weird’ beliefs has real world consequences.
When Happy Fantasy Meets Hard Reality
Many of us have sometimes dreamed of fame, riches, perhaps even the words we might use during an award acceptance speech to display how simultaneously amazing yet humble we are. These kinds of fantasies may not be that uncommon and may not cause too much harm in and of themselves. But overwhelmingly seeking fame purely […]
How Brainwashing Works (and is Working on You)
We are, many of us, prone to shame, guilt, and the need to please others and fit in. These needs were exploited by the Chinese Communists, and they continue to be exploited today. An online climate of fear, guilt harnessing, revenge, collective shaming, and enforced grovelling apologies produces super fertile ground for brainwashing.
Hidden Secrets from the Past
We assume knowledge progresses in straight lines, that we know more now than 10, 20, 30, or 3,000 years ago. But the history of knowledge tells us otherwise. Assuming we must be more ‘advanced’ than those who went before is a mistake.
Not waving but drowning: Are we leading lives of quiet despair?
We do, and should, often take people at face value. Insisting all the time that someone tells you how they really are can spoil the atmosphere quicker than a parent at a prom party! Interrogation has never been a substitute for just letting people talk.
