We preach the value of honesty to our children, and we espouse honesty as one of the most valued goals of society; yet most people lie every day. One study found that most people lie at least once a day and some as often as two to three times every 10 minutes. We have an ambivalent […]
Put the Chill on Heat Wave Anger
When the temperature rises, tempers flare. It doesn’t take long in 90-degree heat for small irritations to ignite into angry rants. The frequency and volume of childish squabbles escalates. Frustrated parents lose their cool and yell at their kids. Spousal bickering escalates to angry arguments. When it’s hot outside, everyone gets more than a little […]
What’s Love Got to Do With It? Everything!
Love is the force that binds us, one to another. A husband’s love for his wife, a mother’s love for her child, the love shared by siblings, the love of lifelong friendships — these are the ties that define us as human beings. Love gives us the courage to persevere in the face of life’s […]
Cornerstones of Good Mental Health
Two important cornerstones of good mental health are resiliency and the ability to develop supportive relationships. Even though disappointment, loss and change are normal events in life; they often cause feelings of stress, sadness and anxiety. People who lack good mental health can be overwhelmed by these feelings. Resiliency, the ability to persevere in the face […]
Can Brain Scans Detect Lies?
Brain scans are opening new avenues in science, including forensic psychiatry. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is being used to discover new insights into how the brain works and what makes people tick. By studying which areas of the brain “light up” on MRI images, researchers are uncovering differences in how men and women communicate […]
Is Happiness Contagious?
Happiness has the same ripple effect as dropping a pebble in a pond. Its effect radiates outward in ever-greater rings, affecting everyone it touches, brightening each person’s life in turn. Surrounding yourself with happy people, just being near a happy person, even knowing someone who knows a happy person, makes you happier. Happiness is contagious, […]