Philosophy

We all know what's meant by "can't see the forest for the trees." It's a great turn of phrase reminding us not to lose scope and to keep the big picture in mind.

But what are scope and the big picture anyway? Read More

Daphne Merkin's essay in a recent NY Times Magazine illustrates the perils of a psychoanalytic culture that privileges understanding over helping.  Current trends involving post-modernism and paradigms focusing on countertransference further muddle the professions commitment to therapeutic aims.  We need a "practical psychoanalysis." Read More

The subject of self-esteem is a topic that has generated a fair amount of controversy over the last few decades, but one thing seems clear: you don’t get healthy self-esteem from constantly telling yourself how great you are, or even from other people telling you how great you are. You get healthy self-esteem from behaving in ways that you find estimable.

In other words, the best way to feel better about yourself is to do something worthy of your own respect: keep a difficult resolution, meet a challenge, solve a problem, learn a skill, cross something unpleasant off your to-do list. And one of the best ways to feel better about yourself is to help someone else -- do good, feel good. Read More

In my last post, I discussed the value of commitments, and also why commitment—especially in the case of marriage—gets a bad rap. In this post, I want to elaborate on those thoughts a bit, this time focusing on obligations within relationship. Read More

Exercise is a KEY to happiness. Research shows that people who exercise are healthier, more energetic, think more clearly, sleep better, and have delayed onset of dementia. They get relief from anxiety and mild depression. They perform better at work. Read More

A life of wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice ensures happiness, according to Plato. Read More

Human nature is real and in many ways unchanging, and leaders in high places act on their own ideas about it. Psychologists and social scientists should try to describe and understand it, not pretend it doesn't exist. Read More

After a long, hard day of work you want to come home to relax, enjoy your family, share the day's events with each other, have dinner and settle down to watch a television show or listen to music. On weekends you attend congregational meetings, visit friends, play games or watch your children play games. Read More

I've written about my children's literature reading groups before -- yes, groups. Along with friends, I've started THREE of these groups, and each one is a huge engine of happiness for me.

My friend Pamela Paul (who is herself a member of Kidlit) wrote about the Kidlit groups in the New York Times Book Review today: The Kids' Book Are All Right. Fun! Read More