Pathological narcissists are considered to be boastful, aggressive, and domineering, therefore easy to distinguish. Most of us believe that we…
The Love-Bomber’s Con: Why Already Believing You’re Special Can Make You His Victim
For a con to work, it’s best for it to have already been accepted before the con-artist entered the room.…
Why Haters Will Always Hate and You’ll Never Be Liked by Everyone
No matter how brilliant and beautiful you are or become, you will never silence all of your critics. We want…
Why Psychotherapists Don’t Give Advice
People often enter treatment searching for wisdom, searching for advice that hasn’t already been given. In the popular HBO show…
How Our Philosophies of Love Become Barriers to It
“If he loves me, he’ll love me unconditionally.” “If she loves me, she’ll want to become the best version of…
Why We’re So Defensive and How to Stop
We make significant mistakes when we’re protecting ourselves. Defensiveness, self-aggrandizement, bragging, deflecting, perfectionism; whatever you want to label it, we…
When Self-Help Turns Toxic: Why We Can’t Always Be Rational
In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, there’s a process labeled cognitive restructuring, wherein beliefs are explored in a systemic manner to confirm…
Obsessed with Status and Popularity: An Exploration of Cultural Illness
Love only matters to us if we accept it. Like Jay Gatsby, most of us find ourselves in the throes…
For When You’re Feeling Shame
Shame compounds. Of all of the negative emotions, shame is the worst. Anxiety subsides when we avert a threat. Sadness…
Being Great Isn’t That Great: The Inevitable Distorted Thinking Involved in Success and High Achievement
Why are we chronically unsatisfied? Someone close to me once told me that she wanted to have everything she wanted…