November PsychNotes
Happy November! Sometimes it seems like everything is a competition. My own brain can’t even get along with itself. Here are some recent tidbits about our subtle inner tug-o-wars. …
Is Feminism Making Women Undatable?
Did you know sandwiches are a tool of patriarchal oppression? It’s true. A person can be oppressed by anything if they have an indignant outlook and a good imagination. Modern feminism possesses an abundance of both. Fortunately, plenty of women approach life more cheerfully. …
October PsychNotes
We’re approaching binge-eating season. It seems natural selection has saddled us with a powerful hankerin’ to bulk up for the winter. There was a time when a little extra weight helped us live longer, and science has shown that being not-dead makes it easier to pass on DNA. Hence, DNA tells us to store extra fat for what it thinks will be lean times.
But as Steven Pinker said, “my genes can go jump in a lake.” You are free to disobey your DNA if it is telling you to snuggle up with a Cinnabon for the next six months. Here are some compelling, brain-related reasons to burn calories rather than store them this fall. …
Why College Men Should Not Date College Women
Romance is risky for men. The right relationship can be the best thing that happens to a man, or the wrong one can ruin him. Ask any man who lost his shirt in family court or was trapped with an abusive woman because staying was easier than leaving. Good men need to manage romantic risk the way good investors manage monetary risk.
That’s especially true on college campuses, where the safest course for men may be to avoid dating classmates altogether. Examples of disastrous college romances are plentiful. Let’s start at Columbia University. …
Denver’s Peaceful Warriors: Developmental Disabilities and the Martial Arts
“Hi Mark, I’m breathing!” Click.
That’s one of hundreds of voicemails Mark Nothdurft has received from his students over the years. This one is from Nick, a spirited young man with autism who has studied martial arts with Mark for more than a decade. …
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PsychNotes • Get Me Some Numbers, Stat!
Here’s a fact of life as comforting as it is troubling: most everything regresses to the mean. The good news: every sweltering day will eventually be followed by a cooler one. The bad news: every eight-year-old with a stratospheric IQ will be closer to average by the time they’re 10. Numbers are so beautiful and so heartless. Here are five (5) stories on the subject. No more, no less. …
A Practical Guide to Forgiveness
Mike asked a question that comes up frequently in my office: what the heck does forgiveness mean, and how does one do it? We’ve all heard flowery sentiments that work fine when someone cuts us off in traffic, but how do you move on after someone causes real damage? …
July PsychNotes • Sweet Memories
It’s been ten years and one child since I wrote a blog post titled How Does Memory Work? It’s held up well, for the most part. It’s one of the more frequently visited posts because memory is fascinating business. Here are some more recent thoughts from more smarter people. …
Why Victimhood Is Thriving at College, and What We Can Do about It
Here’s a modern-day riddle. In a world where predators prey on weakness, why would anyone pretend to be gutless and fragile? Bad guys search for vulnerability in their victims. It makes no sense to paint a target on oneself by feigning weakness. …
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June PsychNotes • Summer with the Young ‘Uns
My nine-year-old daughter is pretty gloomy these days. She loves her school and she’s sad the year is over. Me, I’m pretty happy about it. We get to go places and do things together. We’re even going to build an arcade machine this summer. She’s going to teach me how to use tools and arrange electronics. …