When Illness Becomes a Source of Sympathy: Be Careful What You Wish For

There is a very human instinct to feel compassion when someone tells us they are seriously unwell. Cancer, chronic illness and serious health difficulties naturally evoke concern, empathy and a desire to help. But what happens when illness becomes repeatedly used to gain sympathy, attention, forgiveness, financial assistance or exemption from accountability? This is where… Read More When Illness Becomes a Source of Sympathy: Be Careful What You Wish For

When People Refuse to Face the Consequences: The Psychology of Avoidance, Accountability and Emotional Courage

There is something deeply revealing about the way a person behaves when life becomes uncomfortable. Some people face difficult situations head-on. They attend the difficult conversation, answer the questions, acknowledge what has happened and accept that their actions have consequences. Others disappear. They avoid the conversation. They don’t attend the meeting. They refuse to engage… Read More When People Refuse to Face the Consequences: The Psychology of Avoidance, Accountability and Emotional Courage

Healthy vulnerability 

This is a powerful subject, particularly because children don’t learn emotional resilience from watching adults pretend that nothing hurts. They learn it by watching adults experience difficult emotions and handle them safely. There is an important distinction between healthy vulnerability and making a child responsible for an adult’s emotional wellbeing. A parent doesn’t need to tell a child… Read More Healthy vulnerability 

Hollywood’s Latest Obsession: Older Women and Younger Men

Age-gap relationships are becoming more common off-screen, too For decades, Hollywood had a very clear idea of what an age-gap relationship was supposed to look like. The man was older. The woman was younger. And nobody seemed particularly surprised. Older male actors could continue playing romantic leads well into their 60s, 70s and beyond, often… Read More Hollywood’s Latest Obsession: Older Women and Younger Men

When Luxury Becomes Something You Are Taught to Feel Guilty For

My first marriage began with very little. We started from nothing and built our life together. And that distinction matters. There is something incredibly satisfying about building a life with someone when you both start with very little. You work, you save, you make decisions together and, slowly, you create something that belongs to both… Read More When Luxury Becomes Something You Are Taught to Feel Guilty For