The central project of Maslow in Motivation and Personality is to study the psychology of healthy minded people. Thus far, psychology has been restricted to the study of mental illnesses but this exclusive focus does not inspire hope or optimism in either the layman or the scientist. The hierarchy of needs has become a common … Read more
So far, Pinker has argued that the history of human beings has been shaped by violence. He has also noted that violence has declined. There is nothing about human nature that is exclusively violent or peaceful. The environment that we occupy, either through our own innovations or by sheer accident, is what determines our movement … Read more
Man and his Symbols is Jung’s introduction to the unconscious. Initially, Freud saw the unconscious as the place that holds repressed memories or unwanted desires. Many of the best ideas by artists, philosophers, scientists are sudden manifestations of the unconscious. But Jung sees the psyche as representative of the Self as well. The unconscious is … Read more
Regarding IQ tests, there are three important questions that are asked. 1) Do IQ tests predict success? 2) Are IQ tests indicators of intelligence? 3) Are IQ tests biased towards certain groups of people? The first question is debatable. Some argue that IQ tests can only predict one thing – how well people do on … Read more
In The Master and His Emissary, Iain McGilchrist explains our reality through the perspective of brain lateralization. He includes in his study neurology, mythology, art, science, literature, and psychology – to explain how the hemispheres of the brain are different, and how this explains why experience contradictions in our own thinking, such as the mismatch … Read more
It is difficult to understand the human mind without understanding its pathology. One of the ideas that struck me as odd and pathological is masochism – when people derive pleasure from the experience of pain. Freud defined masochism as any action that brings harm to oneself. At work, the masochist repeats his mistakes or gets … Read more
In The Lucifer Principle, Howard Bloom sets on an ambitious undertaking, to find a single explanation for why there is evil in the world. Bloom is a controversial figure. He once suggested that Islamic cultures treat their children harshly, they despise open displays of affections, and the result is a society of violent adults. If … Read more
This book is about Ikigai – a Japanese philosophy for how to live a long life and enjoy it. The authors make references to well-known psychological ideas such as Flow and Logotherapy, but also criticizes Western psychoanalysis for placing too much emphasis on control, direction, and intellectualizing – this is the opposite of Morita Therapy, … Read more
In Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart, Dr. Gordon Livingston, a psychiatrist, imparts 30 pearls of wisdom in this short book. He has had his share of suffering in life. Within a year, one of his sons committed suicide and another died in an accident. He was also run over by a snowmobile while standing … Read more
The Female Brain Summary The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine is about how female brains differ from male brains. Studies around the world showed that women are more likely to be depressed than men are by a ratio of 2:1. As a medical student, Brizendine thought this was because of the patriarchal oppression of women, … Read more