by John M Oldham MD I recently came across a term that was new to me: “gray rocking.” It refers to a behavioral strategy of being deliberately nonresponsive—being stone-faced, if you will. Nonresponding in a colorless, expressionless fashion, like a gray rock. It’s a conscious choice not to get rattled by someone who likes to […]
by John M Oldham MD If your financial status is solidly in the black, what’s your savings strategy? Probably not cash under the mattress, maybe a rainy day fund in a savings account, but most likely investment in equities, i.e., the stock market. Does your personality make a difference in how you invest? A recent […]
Personality Disorders Update John M Oldham MD At the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in New York City this month (May, 2024), I was asked to be interviewed on video, to review recent developments in our understanding of the personality disorders. That brief video, about 10 minutes, can be accessed here: https://www.hcplive.com/view/john-oldham-md-history-personality-disorder-pathology. As […]
What is a sociopath? by John M Oldham MD. In today’s media, it’s not unusual for someone to be referred to as a “sociopath,” often accompanied by sensational news about the person’s crafty, deceptive, self-serving behavior. This is nothing new, since scoundrels have been around throughout history. In the 15th century, Machiavelli wrote his famous […]
by John M Oldham MD, March, 2024 “Friendship Recession” is a term I hadn’t come across before. Perhaps it’s a sign of our times. Journalist Daniel Cox used the term in a piece focusing particularly on American men (https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/07/american-men-suffer-a-friendship-recession/). Drawing on data from the Survey Center on American Life, he reported that “the number […]
Listening NPSP25 Blog, February, 2024 John M Oldham, MD How good a listener are you? How well do you listen to what other people say? And I’m referring especially to one-to-one conversations with people you know well or people you would like to get to know. In today’s hustle-bustle world, it’s harder than it […]
Keeping Secrets (Good Ones) John M Oldham MD We all know about keeping secrets, but usually they are things we don’t want anybody to know. Things we’re embarrassed about or ashamed of. Sometimes they can be really big deals, such as losing a lot of money when an investment tanks and you knew it […]
