Blog

  • “Techno-Tyranny”

    Another distraction alarm op-ed, this time from Bob Herbert. I was talking to a guy who commutes every day between New York and New Jersey. He props up his laptop on the front seat so he can watch DVDs while he’s driving.  “I only do it in traffic,” he said. “It’s no big deal.”

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  • Narcissism Epidemic?

      David Brooks on (Mel Gibson and) narcissism, including this stat from the book, The Narcissism Epidemic: In 1950, thousands of teenagers were asked if they considered themselves an “important person.” Twelve percent said yes. In the late 1980s, another few thousand were asked. This time, 80 percent of girls and 77 percent of boys…

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  • Wisdom (The Book)

    Here’s a not-so-recent review of Wisdom: From Philosophy to Neuroscience (via aldaily.com).  And here’s the article that preceded the book.  From the article: The Berlin Wisdom Paradigm…was built in part on research using hypothetical vignettes to discern wise and unwise responses to life dilemmas. “A 15-year-old girl wants to get married right away,” one vignette…

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  • Less Net, Less Depression?

    UPI: Fighting depression by logging off. A recent study by researchers at Stony Brook University in New York found that online forums and chat sites can aggravate symptoms of depression. Over the course of a year, 13-year-old girls were found to become increasingly depressed and anxious when they participated in online chat sites allowing the…

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  • Meditation and Attention Span

    PsychCentral reports on a study that shows improved attention span–long-term–following a meditation retreat. “People may think meditation is something that makes you feel good and going on a meditation retreat is like going on vacation, and you get to be at peace with yourself.  That’s what people think until they try it. Then you realize how…

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