August 2014 - Session NotesSession Notes

Are we developing the right kind of smart?
August 29, 2014 Comments Off on Are we developing the right kind of smart?

HBR

There seems to be wide support for the idea that we are living in an “age of complexity”, which implies that the world has never been more intricate. This idea is based on the rapid pace of technological changes, and the vast amount of information that we are generating (the two are related). Yet consider that philosophers like Leibniz (17th century) and Diderot (18th century) were already complaining about information overload. The “horrible mass of books” they referred to may have represented only a tiny portion of what we know today, but much of what we know today will be equally insignificant to future generations.
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Neuroplasticity?
August 28, 2014 Comments Off on Neuroplasticity?

Fast Company

Science has shown we actually can thank a phenomenon called experience-dependent neuroplasticity. “It’s a fancy term to say the brain learns from our experiences,” says Rick Hanson, neuropsychologist and author of the book Hardwiring Happiness. “As we understand better and better how this brain works, it gives us more power to change our mind for the better.”

Hanson assures he isn’t just talking new-age mumbo jumbo.
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Abstinence after marriage?
August 27, 2014 Comments Off on Abstinence after marriage?

Esquire

After a few years, the researcher checked back to find fourteen of the men had since gotten married. She discovered that their lifetimes of fighting sexual desire conditioned them to regard sex as taboo even after the knot had been tied, causing poor communication in the bedroom.

“After marriage, the church culture assumes that couples become each other’s support, regardless of the issue at hand,” Diefendorf said.
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How to stay married.
August 22, 2014 Comments Off on How to stay married.

NYT

The recession hit our family hard, too, but somehow we are still married. I’m not sure why. I’d like to say it’s love, but perhaps it’s simply luck. At one point, as we faced our construction business faltering, our life savings dwindling to nothing and a slew of other problems, we looked at each other and said, “Let’s not make it worse by getting divorced.”

And so we stuck it out. Sometimes staying together is just about pragmatism.
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The most wonderful time of the year?
August 21, 2014 Comments Off on The most wonderful time of the year?

Guardian

You may be feeling zen now but for many teachers, the start of term is like an onslaught. To help you get ready for a new school year, psychologist Gail Kinman offers advice on how to prepare and how to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year —
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What happens when you crowd-source marriage advice?
August 19, 2014 Comments Off on What happens when you crowd-source marriage advice?

HuffingtonPost

Getting married is quite possibly the biggest commitment two people can ever make to each other — but how do you make sure that promise lasts a lifetime?

Thanks to a recent Reddit thread that asked married couples to share their best piece of advice for newlyweds, we have a better understanding of how to make a marriage work for the long haul.

“Make sure that you make time for sex.”

“Choose your battles. Sometimes you just need to breathe and carry on.
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When is a marriage really in trouble?
August 18, 2014 Comments Off on When is a marriage really in trouble?

Psych Central

“But,” you say, “I have only threatened divorce a handful of times, only under stress, or when we are fighting, which is only often and not constantly, and half of the threats are in my own head. We still have sex at least a couple of times a month, and I like my partner at least half the time. Well, a third. What percentage is a fifth again?”

“Surely others,” you continue, “who are truly bad off, are the ones who need couples counselling.
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Food for thought…
August 16, 2014 Comments Off on Food for thought…

Imgur –

The image mostly speaks for itself — disturbingly so. Think it over — what colour is most of our world? What colour are the vast majority of our public institutions, social networks, political leaders and churches?

(For full-sized image, just right click and open in a new tab — or click the link to the main image host.)
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Are you trying to be different?
August 15, 2014 Comments Off on Are you trying to be different?

DumbLittleMan

Consider assertiveness, as a random example. People who are very assertive were simply born that way. They were the little 2nd graders bartering for extra candy from the teacher while you looked on, probably rolling your eyes.

Sure, they reap the benefits of being assertive. However, is it really self-improvement when we try to mould ourselves into those we view as “successful?” If a timid person coerces herself to be assertive, does she really reap any benefit?
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I’ll bet you’re right and she’s WRONG!!!
August 14, 2014 Comments Off on I’ll bet you’re right and she’s WRONG!!!

Huffington Post

At the end of the study, researchers found that when parents argued, their relationship with their child was negatively affected. However, mothers were able to recover from this fairly quickly and the next day, even showed improvement in their parent-child relationship.

“Moms appeared to compensate for their marital tension,” said Chrystyna D. Kouros, lead author of the study, in a press release.
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