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Making Judgments that Shine

by Jeffrey Rubin, PhD

Welcome back to From Insults to Respect. For those of us who seek to be respected members of our community, when we declare our judgments on the different issues of the day, we have a great opportunity to shine. Today, I want to present a model that just might help you to explain why you have reached your opinion in a manner that could help…

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Has Psychology Sold Out to Psychiatry?

by Jeffrey Rubin, PhD

Today, I want to consider if the American Psychological Association’s participation in the mental disorder labelling practices promoted by the the American Psychiatric Association is due to something other than science and promoting human welfare? The American Psychological Association’s Emphasis on Science and Human Welfare First of all, I should note that I am a member of the American Psychological Association, and have been so…

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My Upcoming APA Speech on Psychiatric Diagnosis

An Invitation to Critique My Position

Last year at the American Psychological Association Convention, I presented a paper on a proposal for an alternative to the current psychiatric diagnosis system, which can be read HERE. It provoked supportive comments, suggestions for making some improvements, and an invitation to write up my approach for an article in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology.  Now I have been invited to present an update to…

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Bob Dylan on Addiction

by Jeffrey Rubin, PhD

Welcome to From Insults to Respect. Today’s topic, addiction. When we see we have become addicted to something and find we are having difficulty breaking the habit, we may begin to lose some self respect. And sometimes our actions related to our addictions lead to others losing respect for us. So, it makes sense that we spend a little time giving this topic some thought….

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Are Mental Illnesses Really Illnesses?

And Why Do People Care?

In 1961 psychiatrist Thomas Szasz published an article in the American Psychologist titled, “The Myth of Mental Illness.” There he proposed that the set of experiences, behaviors, and thoughts viewed as “mental illness” are more aptly construed as “problems in living.”  The following year, Dr Szasz published a best selling book by the same name. Some loved it while others writhed in anger. One reviewer, for example,…

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Einstein and Freud on World Peace

by Dr. Jeffrey Rubin

Between 1931 and 1933, Albert Einstein engaged Sigmund Freud in a discussion that addressed the question, “Is there any way of delivering mankind from the menace of war?” Their exchange was subsequently published as a pamphlet that is available for free on line by clicking HERE. In today’s From Insults to Respect post, we’ll take a look at the main points that both men made back then,…

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Achieving World Peace: An Einsteinian and Freudian Perspective

by Dr. Jeffrey Rubin

Between 1931 and 1933, Albert Einstein engaged Sigmund Freud in a discussion that addressed the question, “Is there any way of delivering mankind from the menace of war?” Their exchange was subsequently published as a pamphlet that is available for free on line by clicking HERE. In today’s From Insults to Respect post, we’ll take a look at the main points that both men made back…

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Can Humor Help to Resolve Conflicts?

by Dr. Jeffrey Rubin

In an earlier post I provided readers with a parable that illustrates how to utilize the conflict resolution skill of “Summarize and Delay.” In the parable, both parties remained very serious throughout their interactions. We found that there was a satisfying outcome that came about as a result of the technique being used. Although remaining serious throughout a conflict has some merit, many people like to…

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Bob Dylan On ADHD

by Dr. Jeffrey Rubin

To regular readers of “From Insults To Respect,” and to first time visitors, I’m delighted you’ve dropped by. From time to time, I like to enrich some ideas that I introduced in earlier posts with some relevant thoughts that Bob Dylan has shared on his Theme Time Radio Hour show. His entertaining mixture of insightful observations with songs, humor, and poetry leaves us with a…

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On Being Called Gay

by Dr. Jeffrey Rubin

When I first started writing a blog about name calling, insults, and respect, the very first comment that I received was from a guy who called himself Richard from Colorado. “Even if you don’t think that your words hurt,” Richard wrote, “they can. I’m gay and struggling with it. I don’t want people to know yet, but it still hurts inside when someone says that’s…

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