How often are small kindnesses extended without a second thought, simply an automatic gesture between human beings, just because. … Probably millions of time daily around the world. What a wonderful image this suggests. People offering help, care, love and consideration. Society values and rewards such gestures. Studies have shown time and again how gestures of kindness and consideration … [Read more...]
The Beatles, psychologists of rock
Humming along to "Eleanor Rigby," I began listening more acutely to the astounding lyrics of this Beatles song from 1966. How profoundly insightful their music was when it came to the the human condition from a psychological point of view. The Beatles were the pop psychologists of their times! "Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been. ... All the lonely people, … [Read more...]
A modern-day Children’s Crusade
In the year 1212, a crusade of more than 30,000 Christian children led by 12-year-old Stephen of Cloyes and young shepherd Nicholas sought to regain the Holy Land from the Muslims. The children's mission was to "peacefully" convert Muslims while securing Christians' right to the Holy Grail and Jerusalem. They were sent by the priests, backed by parents and the village communities of Northern … [Read more...]
15 minutes of fame — do we really need it?
Andy Warhol made his career in part insisting that we all will achieve 15 minutes of fame at some moment in our lives. What did he mean by this? Is this true? Certainly society promotes the premise and thrives on it. The entertainment media has tapped into a wellspring of psychological and emotional needs. Reality TV shows take us deep into jungles, where casts of everyday people try to … [Read more...]
Why do we mourn celebrities?
There are a few celebrities whose lives and deaths touched us in ways that we can't always put into words. Year after year, as the anniversaries of their passings come around, we take a moment to pause, reflect and mourn the loss of such lives. John Lennon was mourned once again last month on the 30th anniversary of his death -- a day always recalled by radio and the media. Hearing such … [Read more...]