While I was in the midst of delivering a somewhat provocative talk on the subject of change, a gentleman in the audience indicated that he… Continue reading What Informs Your Belief?
Author: Mel Schwartz
Getting Past the Right or Wrong Impasse
In the previous post we looked at how dominant the motif of seeking to be right is in our culture. It is one of the… Continue reading Getting Past the Right or Wrong Impasse
Why Is it so Important to Be Right?
One of the most prevalent – and damaging – themes in our culture is the need to be right. It’s one of those essential memes… Continue reading Why Is it so Important to Be Right?
The Paradox of Confidence
As with many goals that we struggle to attain, we tend to go after them in a way that blocks our success. Quite often I… Continue reading The Paradox of Confidence
Shared Meaning
We take for granted that our words convey exactly what we intend them to. This is a particularly misinformed assumption. I have observed that upon… Continue reading Shared Meaning
Does Familiarity Breed Contempt?
The expression “familiarity breeds contempt” is all too familiar. Yet, as the case with many common sayings, we might benefit from taking a look at… Continue reading Does Familiarity Breed Contempt?
Who Am I?
This question — asked so often — suggests that there is actually a plausible answer. Almost as if our identity were a fixed thing. People… Continue reading Who Am I?
Can Your Feelings Be Wrong?
This question comes up so often in my therapy sessions. The greatest source of invalidation comes from denying our feelings — whether we do it… Continue reading Can Your Feelings Be Wrong?
What is a mistake?
Most people try to avoid making mistakes. In fact, many people experience considerable stress and anxiety around avoiding mistakes. We may labor and fret over… Continue reading What is a mistake?
Self-Esteem or Other Esteem?
After some consideration and many years of practice as a therapist, I have come to believe that the term self-esteem appears to be a misnomer.… Continue reading Self-Esteem or Other Esteem?