A Guide To Anger And Conflict Resolution
Welcome to From Insults to Respect. One insult we often hear is someone being called conceited. On Oh Mercy, Bob Dylan’s 1989 album, he has a song titled “Disease of Conceit” that powerfully, poetically, and musically captures the emotions that can come about from this behavior. Emphasizing each of his major visceral reactions related to conceit are crashing piano chords, and as the song drifts…
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Welcome to From Insults To Respect. Recently, I came across an article by Hanna Wallace that presents in a Q&A format a discussion with Mónica Guzmán, author of the book, I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times. The article appears in Reasons to be Cheerful, a nonprofit publication founded by artist and musician David Byrne, who…
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Welcome to From Insults to Respect. In a recent post titled, “Is Depression Really So Bad?” I presented the theory that conceptualizing depression as an awful mental disorder too often discourages active coping beyond taking a pill. In contrast, if we frame depression as potentially a healthy functional signal, it may lead to less self-stigma and greater self-efficacy in making healthy life-style improvements. Quite a…
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Welcome to From Insults to Respect. Today we shall look at a theory that is certain to fire up some mighty strong emotions. Most advocates within the medical profession say their prescriptions for psychiatric drugs, which they refer to as “medications,” improve the health outcomes for their patients. There are some within the profession that fervently object to this claim and provide extensive research evidence for their…
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by Jeffrey Rubin, PhD Welcome to From Insults to Respect. Recently, I began to think about forgiveness. It started while writing my previous post, “Saying Goodbye at Life’s End: A Meditation on Bob Dylan’s Song, ‘When the Deal Goes Down.’ In the song, Bob has a line that says, We learn to live and then we forgive O’er the road we’re bound to go Where is…
Read More by Jeffrey Rubin, PhD Welcome to From Insults to Respect. Today I’ve decided to discuss a sad topic. It came about as I listened to music while gazing out my window at the pleasant green garden of my neighbor’s backyard, reflecting upon what I might discuss in my next blog post. At one point it occurred to me that when my next birthday comes around I’ll…
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Welcome to From Insults to Respect. Sometimes we say something to a lover, friend, or colleague and find we are being angrily criticized because what was said offended the listener. Regular visitors to this blog know I have discussed how to deal with criticism in a manner that enhance how much people will like and respect you (see as examples HERE, HERE, and HERE). In these…
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Welcome to From Insults to Respect. For those of us who seek to be respected, increasing our wisdom offers a promising path. In thinking about this, I recall a paragraph by John Stewart Mill: “In the case of any person whose judgment is really deserving of confidence, how has it become so? Because he has kept his mind open to criticism of his opinions and conduct….
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Welcome to From Insults to Respect. Our topic today–conceit. If you are seeking to be respected, actions by you that suggest to others that you are conceited are probably not helpful. To increase your motivation to change such behaviors, listening to Bob Dylan’s emotionally powerful song, “Disease of Conceit,” just might help. The song appears on Bob’s 1989 album, Oh Mercy. The first verse tells us,…
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Welcome to From Insults to Respect. In my last post, I made the following argument: Supporters of Kamala Harris would be wise to seek to make friends with Trump supporters rather than to demean them. Here’s my approach for doing this. I explain to his supporters that I get why they are awfully angry about such things as the prices at the supermarket and the…
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