“The present time has one advantage over every other—it is our own.” (Charles Caleb Colton) People say that there’s a lesson to be had from COVID-19; that as a species, we have something to learn from the recent pandemic. Perhaps it will remind us of what really matters in life, or perhaps it will alter …
What’s in a like? Not much, really—another toggle from 0 and 1; an electronic stamp of approval, existing nowhere real and barely contemplated. It is reactionary. Visible, yes, but hardly tangible. Constructed. Created. Imaginary. But it feels good. And sometimes it even matters. This week, in my Psych Café series at UBC (in which my …
Narcissism, egotism, aggression, dishonesty, far-right extremism, xenophobia, and white nationalism—all elements of the growing sociocultural phenomenon known as Trumpism—are on the rise around the world, affecting citizens and politicians alike, and compromising our efforts to promote and uphold the common good. This is how to stop it… What follows is a slightly revised, late-night train …
Disabling Trumpism: Target the Followers, Not their Leader Read More »
Rising sea levels, ocean acidification, deforestation, ecological collapse—should our time on Earth end early, these are just a few of the ways in which catastrophe will unfold, given current trends. But these things are not our real killers… From a psychological perspective, it would be wise to consider the human qualities underlying the environmental changes …
The World Will End in Apathy & Entitlement (Or, Our Killer is Narcissism) Read More »
What is it going to take to make this work? This is a question I often ask in my final lecture of Personality Psychology, a class that is both advanced degree fulfillment and crash course in human nature. The question is a reflection on just that—our nature. But it it is an increasingly difficult question …