Peter H. Kahn, Jr. is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Washington and the author of The Human Relationship with Nature. See full bio
Old men are like babies. With their boneless gums they're beggars for love and supplicants for life...You want to know the Truth? My friend, Listen!... Read More
Think of two harnessed water buffalos pointed in opposite directions. They are connected with a metal chain. They each give everything they have going forward. What do you think happens? ... Those water buffalos are our minds.
A reader posted the following response to an earlier discussion of mine. He said, "We can't turn back time, we need to adapt." But adaptation is many things. Sometimes when we adapt it's good for us - biologically and psychologically. And sometimes it's bad for us. I'd like to discuss different types of adaptation. This discussion forms part of the argument for smaller cities, fewer people, and bigger nature. Read More
There's a marvelous body of ecstatic poems by the Indian poet Kabir from the 15th century. The translations by Robert Bly are especially beautiful. It's in that style that I'd like to continue my dialog about how wildness exists not just "out there" but through relation.
By destroying nature, we're destroying the wellsprings of our life. But some people argue that we can adapt to these changes. I think it's a pernicious argument, and wrong, but grounded in some truth. I'd like to explain what I see going on here. Read More
We do the bidding of our jealousy and anger. We do the bidding of our hatred. We do the bidding as procreation thrives. There are as many ways to mask a slave as there are rooms in my Father's mansion. But what if the truth is this:
There's a mountain pool that you find hiking up the wild river. The water emerges into it from porous volcanic rock. The water flows from the cold country. It's too cold to plunge in. But you're in. You're in because your lover is nearby and you need to prove your manly-hood....Read More
It's easy to get caught up and caught out with the daily demands of the world. We can shut down. We can go through the motions. Sometimes it drives me half-crazy. But what if.... Read More
I know many of you don't want to hear this. I know many of you love zoos. You might take your children to zoos on a Sunday afternoon. The human-animal relationship is a beautiful and powerful one in human life. But would you take your children to gape at interesting-looking people in a jail? Read More
The speedy physical and psychological changes that children undergo from birth through adolescence often leave parents wondering how best to care for them at each stage. From how to talk so kids will listen to when to back off and allow them to fail, PT's experts weigh in.