Conversational Insights and Openings
We frequently abandon conversations before they really get started. Once sparks begin to fly – or we fear that they will – we back off. Yet that is precisely the moment to engage in discussion, but that would require commitment to overcoming the fears of our own imaginings. Our excuse is that that to keep talking will make things worse. It doesn't, if you go about it the right way. The trouble is, no-one ever tells us how to do it, so we grow up with childish notions about opposition...
It Speaks for Itself
We can learn a lot from our elders and betters, yet we often disregard their wisdom. When somebody has been around for a long time they might have something interesting to tell us.
Simple Solutions Are Best
Faced with a dilemma? Here's how to choose.
Life Affirming Interviews
If you have ever done a meaningful interview with another person you'll know how difficult it is to predict or control the course of the conversation. It's an organic process which can be revealing and life affirming. In this TED Talk Dave Isay tells how he set up StoryCorps, and the unexpected and moving consequences.. [ted id=2222]
Zelda the Mouse
Zelda the mouse had a problem, she was in love with a rat. “Where’s the problem?”, you might ask “plenty of people are in love with a rat!” Love is blind, so things like this are bound to crop up from time to time, after all. Actually, their ill-matched love wasn’t a problem at first; Zelda felt protected by the muscular presence of her companion, and proud to be seen with him. Her sense of safety was all the greater for the reputation of his species, which meant that most ...
News Is Bad For Us
Anything we consume affects us. As well as the food we eat, the air we breathe, and other elements that we absorb, we should consider the stuff that we absorb into our minds.
Dependence is a Virtue, You Can Depend On That
Dependence has become synonymous with inadequacy in the pop-psychology lexicon. This is flawed thinking because we are necessarily dependent of each other for fulfilment and even our existence. Denial of this fundamental truth causes all sorts of problems not least that it weakens, rather than strengthens, the social bonds that we rely on for our wellbeing.
While On the Topic of Blame…
...As I have been lately, it is worth thinking about the purpose that blaming serves in a person's life. Blaming is pernicious and often misplaced. It is certainly redundant.
“I Can’t Say No”.
It's often easier to get someone to say "No" than it is to get them to say "Yes". But some people get caught in a self-defeating loop by generalising the difficulty they have with refusal.
