A koala sits among burnt trees after bushfires on Kangaroo Island, Australia, January 14, 2020 (RSPCA South Australia/via REUTERS): I do not wish to depress you, or to bring you down. I do not wish to overwhelm you or to inspire hopelessness. I do not wish to break your heart. I simply wish to wake …
If there’s one new year’s resolution we all need to make, it’s to be more humble. We need to listen more, and speak less. See the strength in modesty. And renounce our egos—or try to. Because the world depends on it. Most of our problems today are driven by what lies opposite to humility: egotism, …
We have become complacent; and in our pursuit of happiness, we desire to be content above all else. I used to believe that judgment was something to be avoided, at least consciously so, in so much that I had no right to compare my losses to those of others; no right to judge my experiences …
For all the climate change deniers and doubters among us, the following three points warrant some further deliberation. (And if you’re already convinced, they may prove helpful in future debates.) 1. Climate change science IS good science. What makes good science? The ability to make reliable predictions, for one. Contrary to what you may have …
It’s hardly necessary to look for evidence that the world is in need of serious change—that we are in need of change. Indeed, the idea that we are overdue for a revolution is hardly novel. The need for large-scale change is substantiated by a variety of global developments, from rising nationalism and xenophobia to unabated …
An alternative title for this post went something like this: “Coping with Climate Change: What to Do When the World Begins to Burn.” That sounds pretty ominous, I know, and while I struggle to be a realist about our current circumstances, it is not my goal to inspire fear or despair. I do not believe …
What’s in a like? Not much, really—another toggle from 0 and 1; an electronic stamp of approval, existing nowhere real and barely contemplated. It is reactionary. Visible, yes, but hardly tangible. Constructed. Created. Imaginary. But it feels good. And sometimes it even matters. This week, in my Psych Café series at UBC (in which my …
Narcissism, egotism, aggression, dishonesty, far-right extremism, xenophobia, and white nationalism—all elements of the growing sociocultural phenomenon known as Trumpism—are on the rise around the world, affecting citizens and politicians alike, and compromising our efforts to promote and uphold the common good. This is how to stop it… What follows is a slightly revised, late-night train …
Disabling Trumpism: Target the Followers, Not their Leader Read More »
In Back to the Future, a pivotal moment surrounds Marty McFly’s ability to cement his parents’ romance—in the past. His entire existence, his future, hinges on a single moment in time. Marty’s parents, George McFly and Lorraine Baine, fell in love at the ‘Enchantment Under the Sea’ Dance on November 12, 1955. This is when …
Rising sea levels, ocean acidification, deforestation, ecological collapse—should our time on Earth end early, these are just a few of the ways in which catastrophe will unfold, given current trends. But these things are not our real killers… From a psychological perspective, it would be wise to consider the human qualities underlying the environmental changes …
The World Will End in Apathy & Entitlement (Or, Our Killer is Narcissism) Read More »