Chronic defensiveness, like chronic avoidance, isn’t a victimless crime. In our self-protected cocoons, sheltering us from the exaggerated slings and … More
Tag: Shame
Knowing Why to Quit
My rigidity is a gift and a curse. On the one hand, I’m determined; on the hand, I’m quite stubborn. … More
Understanding Shame as the Source of Depression: How Learned Hopefulness Can Backfire
With great power comes great responsibility, the degree of which most of us can’t handle. Kennon Sheldon, one of the … More
Learning How to Listen to and Tolerate Your Negative Feelings
Traumatic childhoods can cause people to attempt to flee their lives by cultivating and pursuing fantasies, or utopic lives, believing … More
The Internal Guilt-Tripper: Why You’re Partially Responsible for Some of Your Most Negative Feelings
Internal pressure is often externalized and disavowed. Most of us have a strong tendency to blame others for how we’re … More
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 … More
Shame and Guilt: Necessities for Character; Catalysts for Change
Character is founded on honesty, humility, agreeableness, helpfulness, assertiveness, courage, resilience, and regret.
All of the Words We Can’t Say: A Story of Domestic Violence
Trauma. What the hell is trauma? How does one define it and make sense of it? How do you live … More
Recovering My Voice: How My Writing Helped Me Overcome Trauma
When we’re children, most of us have a lot of chutzpah, which is a Yiddish word meaning audacity or fearlessness. … More
Leon's Existential Cafe 