Flourishing and Personality John M Oldham and Lois B Morris There is a fascinating initiative at Harvard called “The Human Flourishing Program” (https://hfh.fas.harvard.edu). The program has developed a Flourishing Measure that focuses on these 5 domains: Happiness and life satisfaction Mental and physical health Meaning and purpose Character and virtue Close social relationships. This […]
Mattering John M Oldham and Lois B Morris Do you feel that you matter to anyone? That things you do make a difference? That you have skills and talents that you’re proud of and that others appreciate? A few years ago, Gordon Flett, a Canadian psychologist, wrote a book called “The Psychology of Mattering: Understanding […]
Are you a procrastinator? Chances are the answer is yes, at least some of the time. And if not, it’s a good bet that you know people who are. Why do we put things off that we know we have to do? There are lots of reasons, some good and some not so good. On […]
Risky Behavior John M Oldham and Lois B Morris July, 2023 Headlines abound these days with reports of risky behavior. Amazing success stories like the rescue of a moribund climber attempting Mt Everest. Or tragedies like the deaths of two hikers in 119 degree heat in Big Bend National Park. Or the days of […]
Loneliness John M Oldham and Lois B Morris June, 2023 Most of us need some “alone time,” to think, to work, to meditate. Or just quiet time to read a book or listen to music, without interruptions. But feeling lonely is different. It’s a dark-colored place. An unhappy, empty room, filled just with longing, […]
John M Oldham MD One of the most rewarding privileges I’ve had in my career was to serve as Chief of Staff at the Menninger Clinic, the private teaching hospital of the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine. After retiring from that role in 2020, I continue to serve […]
BY JOHN M. OLDHAM, MD & LOIS B. MORRIS Given the success of the Meyers-Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI), why does the world need another personality test? A recent obituary got us thinking about the MBTI versus the New Personality Self-Portrait (NPSP25). “People-sorting” The New York Times periodically runs “Overlooked,” a series of obituaries about remarkable […]
