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Pixabay, John Hain

Letter to Young Activists

This post is adapted from a talk recently given to young community organizers about self-care and well-being on the journey to a more compassionate and just society.

Courtesy the author

Coming Home to Tibet: Author Tsering Wangmo Dhompa

"Coming Home to Tibet: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Belonging" is a wonderful new book that explores the people and land of Tibet. Here is an interview with the author.

Pixabay, John Hain

Grit: Is It Baloney?

Angela Duckworth has popularized "grit." But here's why I believe the concept is flawed, and in the end a remedy that produces mental health problems, and ignores social needs.

Photo by David Bundy, courtesy of the Southern Poverty Law Center

Orlando – Terror, Hate or Antagonistic Style?

A discussion of hate, terror and the underlying antagonistic style that must be addressed if we are to deal with gun violence.

Courtesy The Last Season

Last Season’s Director on War, PTSD, Healing and Filmmaking

The Last Season, a documentary about two men with PTSD who become unlikely friends, gives insight about relationship, trauma and healing. Here's an interview with the director.

Justice Breyer: Social Media Qs “Staring at Us in the Face”

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer weighed in on social media at the APA last week. Social Media problems are "staring us in the face," he said, and neuropsychology matters.

Report From the APA: It’s About Love

The American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting brought together over 10,000 attendees from all over the world. It was inspiring, informative, thought provoking, and humbling.

Valerie Soe, with permission

Taiwan Love Boat Doc Sets Sail, Its Mind on a New Romance

A new film explores how often marginalized Asian Americans found identity and camaraderie - and parties on Taiwan's famed "Love Boat". Help make this film happen!

Sadness, from Pixar's "Inside Out". From Pixar's Wiki page

A Noble Sadness: The Benefits of Sorrow

What are the benefits of sadness, sorrow and grief? We tend to shy away from these emotions, because they make us feel vulnerable. But could sadness lead to love and belonging?

by Ravi Chandra, in Saigon/HCMC

Moped Mind: Mindfulness and Nonduality Inspire in Vietnam

On the eve of the 41st anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, here are some reflections on mindfulness and nondual awareness, inspired by Vietnam and – crossing the street!

Could #Striving Be the New #Woke?

Buddha was called "The Awakened One." Are you "woke"?

Trillin v. Twitter: Have They Run Out of Ordnance Yet?

Calvin Trillin drew online ire for a satiric poem about Chinese food. What does this tell us about the psychology of anger, racism and social media?

From the cover of Nancy Jo Sales' book

Sense and Sensibility - and Sexting? A Wake-Up Call

Teen girls are at risk from social media, pornography and sexual pressures. What are the dangers and what can we do? Here are the stories, as told by Nancy Jo Sales.

Top Pacific Heart Stories of 2015-2016

April 1, 2016 marks the end of my 5th year of blogging for Psychology Today. Here are my top and essential reads for the last year.

Trump's Language: Psychology, Politics & Danger of Disgust

Donald Trump often uses the word "disgusting" in describing his opponents, protestors or people he doesn't like. What is the psychology of disgust and its potential dangers?

Social Media - Do We Need a Medium?

A year after deactivating Facebook, I feel happier and the world seems more vivid and interesting. Here's why I think that is.

Davidlohr Bueso, Flickr Creative Commons

#Oscarssowhite: Antidote for Anti-Asian Racism is CAAMFest

Diversity has become an important issue for the Oscars. Yet tonight featured racist anti-Asian jokes. These jokes can perpetuate bullying and worse. The antidote - CAAMFest!

Donald Trump Should Be Charged With a Crime!

Donald Trump has been regularly making threats. Why are black men being charged while this billionaire gets off scot free with inciting violence, causing trauma to half of us?

Flickr Creative Commons

The Year of the Monkey: Which Monkey Are You?

It's the Lunar Year of the Monkey. Are we more bonobo-like, favoring sex, or chimp-like, favoring aggression?

Wikipedia commons

The Power Tactics of Donald Trump

Jay Haley’s 1969 essay “The Power Tactics of Jesus Christ” came to mind recently. Trump is no Jesus, of course, but we have to grapple with his alarming use of power.

The Facebook Charitable Initiative Disaster

Facebook CEO and Founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, just announced they would be giving away most of their fortune. But is the applause misplaced?

Friendship Gardens – the Modern Victory Gardens

A meditation about both changes in San Francisco and the necessity of community, home and belonging in this time of war and refugees. World War II called for Victory Gardens. Maybe our time of division calls for Friendship Gardens.

Slow Is From the Heart

A trip to Cambodia, 40 years after the fall of Phnom Penh to the Khmer Rouge, leads to an encounter with ancient wisdom in the form of a dancer, Vong Metry. Here's what she taught me, and what is so relevant in the aftermath of violence and rage.

The Assault on the American Mind

Are students less resilient? Or are they protesting in their own way by demanding safe spaces and trigger warnings? A response to "The Coddling of the American Mind" in Atlantic.

Social Media Shaming: A Call to Conscience or Mob Madness?

Recently two books explore the good, bad and ugly of online shaming. Here's a brief review and reflections on where we are in the age of social networks

Press Photo, Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

No, the Dalai Lama is not a Sexist (Taming the Angernet)

Social media scapegoating hit a new low a few days ago, in the attempted shaming of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. A Jezebel article about the Dalai Lama went viral. Here are the facts and a response, and my own reflections on the "angernet."

Bringing an “Empathy” button to Facebook

Facebook announced that it was working on an alternative to the "Like" button. Some users clamor to "Dislike" posts, but here are some other, more pro-social options.

6 Reasons You Have to Read This Article – NOW!

Click to learn the ouroborus of listicles. Click to find out what Ouroborus means.

Mora Stephens on the set of Zipper, with permission of Mora Stephens

Sex, Love and Politics at the Movies

Mora Stephens' new film "Zipper" explores private needs and the public good. Starring Patrick Wilson, Lena Headey and with an appearance by John Cho, it's a great conversation starter about politics, the libido and ethics.

Geek Heresy cover

Geek Heresy: Bursting the Hi-Tech Hype Bubble

Kentaro Toyama takes aim at geek myths and cybersolutionism in his new book Geek Heresy. Social media gets a close look as well. Toyama draws important conclusions from his work in India, Africa and the U.S. on what really makes a difference in personal and societal development. Hint: it’s not your smartphone.

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