Coping Skills We hear a lot about behavioral triggers these days but what are these triggers? How do they affect individuals? How should they react to them? and What can they do about them? These are questions that help to understand what emotional triggers are. I explore these issues in... Read more →
What Will It Take to Be More Considerate of Others? While many people think compassion and empathy are the same, the fact is there are important differences. By discussing each as a separate ethical value, we can begin to see how each might influence ethical behavior and the response of... Read more →
Shared Values Have you ever wondered what shared values you have with a partner? Why would we care so much about them? One reason is a relationship may not work well without shared values. The old saying ‘opposites attract’ is not true with respect to what should be the values... Read more →
Please Be Considerate of Others Pet peeves are annoying behaviors that other people do, and which irritate someone. Pet peeves are particularly irritating because they often tap into our values, preferences, or past experiences. When something bothers us, it can feel like a personal affront, even if it seems trivial... Read more →
Can We Save Society From Rampant Incivility? By age sixteen, George Washington had copied out by hand, 110 Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior In Company and Conversation. They are based on a set of rules composed by French Jesuits in 1595. The first rule is: “Every Action done in... Read more →
Workplace Costs and Benefits According to Very Well Mind, an online resource that provides useful information about mental health, “Multitasking involves working on two or more tasks simultaneously, switching back and forth from one thing to another, or performing a number of tasks in rapid succession." Most of us have... Read more →
Affirming Your Belief in Others From time to time, I read postings on Psychology Today that really resonate with me. I value their analyses on all issues related to emotional development, including kindness, empathy, caring and consideration. These are ethical values that make for a good person, one who knows... Read more →
Causes, Effects and Solutions Anyone who has read my blog over the years knows I believe that the moral values of Americans are in decline. This is an important issue to discuss, especially in light of the debate between former President Trump and President Joe Biden tomorrow night. Should we... Read more →
What Message Does it Send? Under California Penal Code § 240 PC--California Assault Law-- an assault is the unlawful attempt, along with the present ability to cause violent injury to another person. Simple assault is a [standard] misdemeanor punishable by up to 6 months in jail and fines of up... Read more →
Why We Have Lost Our Way as a Moral Society I've never seen the level of divisiveness in America as I have for the past decade. While I have blogged about the decline of civility in America before, nothing has changed, and it has gotten much worse, so I decided... Read more →
“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” (Aristotle) Can we teach students to be ethical? This is something I’ve thought about a lot during my 30+ years teaching ethics at the university level. On the one hand, I know that I can teach it. I... Read more →