How you think about the people you encounter will alter your well-being throughout the day. In a bad mood? Feeling anxious? Iowa State University psychologists found that thinking well of others can lift your spirits and calm your nerves, whether you realize it or not. Previous research has shown that what psychologists called “downward social […]
Pretty frequently these days there is a big news story about the latest con artist who seemed to have pulled off an amazing scam until the glittering house of cards collapsed. Bernie Madoff comes to mind, referred to in Wikipedia as “the confessed operator of the largest Ponzi scheme in world history, and the […]
Being easily distracted makes you a target for pickpockets, and experts know that extroverts are more likely than introverts to be preyed upon by con artists. Now researchers are zeroing in on a personality trait that makes a person a target of cybercriminals. According to research published in Social Science Computer Review, that trait is […]
ARE YOU A CAT PERSON? Whether you are an “agreeable” type or have neurotic leanings, researchers who surveyed more than 3,000 cat owners in the UK found that your personality is likely making an impact on how your cat behaves. University of London and Nottingham Trent University researchers point out that the personality/behavior matchup […]
John Oldham M.D. What do George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan and Harry Truman have in common aside from being past presidents? All developed a psychological condition called the hubris syndrome while in office, says Lord David Owen, a peer in the U.K.’s House of Lords and a physician-author of several remarkable books, including In Sickness […]
By John M. Oldham, MD At the Menninger Clinic, where I work, we speak a lot about the importance of mentalizing. It simply means the ability to see yourself from the outside and to see others from the inside. In other words, the ability to put yourself in another person’s shoes and try to see […]
