When I get together with friends, I often find that one of the conclusions that we’ve arrived at independently is how much better our lives are when we don’t watch too much news. Don’t get me wrong. Being uninformed or ignorant is no badge of honor. At one time, I considered myself a bit of…
As I write this blog, terrible wars are going on in Ukraine and the Middle East, virtually every country has enemies that with whom they have no diplomatic relations, politics are more polarized than ever, and even the party that has the majority in the House of Representatives hasn’t been able to agree on a…
Being social is part of being human, and it’s nice to have a good set of friends, co-workers, and family members with whom you regularly relate. Holding a special place among those relationships are the groups of individuals who make up your support system – that network of people whom you can rely upon for…
Whenever you were born, there is a name for your generation. There’s “The Greatest Generation,” “Baby Boomers,” “Gen X,” “Gen Z,” “Millennials,” etc. The name is kind of a shorthand used to describe the generation – as if all members of a particular generation have a uniform set of behaviors and attitudes. Those of us…
You’ve undoubtedly heard the expression that “the one constant in this world is change”. In his theory of the survival of the fittest, Charles Darwin stated that it’s not the strongest or most intelligent of the species that survives, it is the one that is most adaptable to change. For example, we don’t see dinosaurs…
The Harvard Study of Adult Development is 85 years old. It is probably the longest study of human development in history. During the few decades that I’ve been following its updates, the study consistently leads to the conclusion that there is one factor that leads to greater happiness, health, and longevity. That factor is the…
Summer has unofficially begun in the Northern Hemisphere. It is typically a time for many people to go away on vacation. After several years of Covid-related lockdowns, it is an especially appealing idea this year. Although it’s a terrific idea and should definitely be encouraged, I would like to also make a pitch for exploring…
On many occasions, I’ve discussed the importance of social connectedness. Being socially connected provides you with more opportunities to have fun and to have a support system. Furthermore, during the aging process, there is a strong association between loneliness and poor health and a shorter lifespan. Something that can get lost in the process when…
Many years ago, when I was in school, we would occasionally get a test where you lost more points if you got the wrong answer than if you left the item blank. In essence, there was a penalty for guessing. I could never understand why. Perhaps my thinking in that regard may have been one…
Social connectedness is one of the cornerstones of mental health. I consider it as being one of the “non-negotiable 4” elements necessary for emotional growth – along with keeping the brain active, eating healthy, and owning your body through exercise, proper sleep, and meditation. The average person has various categories of social connections, many of…
In working with individual patients, I’m often intrigued by the fact that individuals with low self-esteem can be quite critical about others with whom they interact. It’s actually quite paradoxical but frequently observed that a person with low self-esteem is bothered by the fact that some of their peers choose to act in ways or…