If you use different guidelines for relating to different folks, it’s possible that you’re simply sensitive to the differing needs of various personality types. Yeah, it’s possible… … or you may be running double standards. For example, if you’re a boss, do your male and female employees get the same pay for doing the same [...]
Are there people in your life who sometimes rub you the wrong way? Someone says the wrong thing, in the wrong way, and it just sets you off? Or it might be somebody who does the dumbest thing possible, or conversely, it may even be someone who thinks you’re the dum-dum and tells you so. [...]
For some, the movie “The Matrix” represented a wild and innovative new concept: everything is interconnected, and we have a direct effect on the world around us merely through our awareness. But for others, the movie showed only a vague and limited version of an ancient concept – one that was has been taught for [...]
In my email recently was this question: “How do I stay positive when I’m bombarded constantly by the negativity, complaints and cynicism from the people around me? It’s hard to keep my own attitude up.” I get asked that a lot. And of course, every case is different, so it’s not always possible to give [...]
Ever wonder what makes some people such fascinating conversationalists? How do they capture the interest of others and keep them spellbound with seemingly simple chit-chat? I’ve mentioned before that a friend of mine, Peter Murphy, teaches conversational skills to people who have difficulties speaking up. And I’ve also commented that I didn’t think I could [...]
About eight and a half years ago (on September 14, 2001) I wrote an article in response to the shock and horror of the 9/11 disaster. Yesterday someone found that old article and reprinted it on their blog. I’d forgotten I ever wrote it, but the message is just as important now as it was [...]
There are different kinds of people in the world – we’re all aware of that, sometimes painfully so – and especially when our own “commonsense” way of doing things collides with someone else’s interpretation of sensible behavior. “No right-minded person would behave that way,” we tell ourselves… and anybody else who’ll listen. Unfortunately, we’re not [...]
There’s so much anger in the world. And much of it seems to be already primed, cocked and needing only the gentle nudge of a hair trigger to fire off at whoever gets in the way. It can be worth your life to piss somebody off on the freeway or at the post office. And [...]
Over the centuries, experts have categorized personalities according to a wide variety of systems. One of the more recent (and useful) of these is the unlikely but surprisingly effective “True Colors” system. Though it has only four divisions, and you’d think that’s not enough to cover the seemingly endless varieties of human behavior, many professionals [...]
Below is a note I recently sent out to a bunch of my friends and acquaintances regarding how they can slow the growth of spam in their email inbox. Although it’s off-topic, I’m sharing it because you may find it useful to know what kind of people are out there manipulating and taking advantage of [...]
