Adam Blatner
Words and Images from the Mind of Adam Blatner
December, 2010
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
There’s a trend towards introducing practical psychology in the schools—under the term, "social and emotional learning" or SEL. I have known some of its pioneering people and been to some conferences and am most eager to promote this. (Some resources are linked here on my website.)I wouldn’t be surprise if some practitioners mangle the method—that […]
Posted in Current Events, Psychological Literacy, Wisdom-ing | 3 Comments »
On Understanding
A friend of mine responded to my blog #104 writing that he wonders about whether anyone can understand another person. The answer is: Partially, yes, if the goal is that the other person feels understood. The best way to do this is to empathically respond to what is being said and allow oneself to be […]
Posted in Follies, Psychological Literacy, Psychotherapy and Psychiatry | No Comments »
Singin’ for the Fun of It (Songbook)
I write about the joys and values of singing on another webpage on this website. Here are some of my favorite songs. This will make a nice little song sheet for get-togethers. Table of Contents Accentuate the Positive Amazing Grace Ballin’ the Jack Blowin’ in the Wind Don’t Fence Me In Enjoy Yourself Feelin’ Groovy […]
Tags: lyrics, singing, songbook
Posted in My Favorite Things | No Comments »
On Bullshit*
Sorry, but that is the title of this tiny book by the philosopher Harry Frankfurt and published in 2005 by Princeton University Press. To save your sensibilities, I’ll just use the term b.s. It has some good ideas, but the idea of selling as a book that which more properly should be a longish article […]
Posted in Book Reviews, Essays and Papers, Foolin Around | No Comments »
Singin’ for the Fun of It
I like to promote song fests, opportunities for all those who would like to enjoy singing together to do so. There’s singing well enough to be applauded as a performer; maybe well enough to even be paid for it—but that’s only for the top 2-8% of people! Most of us who like to sing and […]
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And the Devil will Drag You Under…
That phrase from the Broadway musical Guys and Dolls (“Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat”) is evocative; but really, it’s not “the” devil—really they’re just old patterns of childish motives combined with the imps of facilitating mental magic that work to seduce you. They’re prevalent, in everyone, not intentionally malignant to begin with. This is […]
Posted in Follies, Psychological Literacy, Wisdom-ing | No Comments »
The Wise-Elder Role
A friend of mine is a part of a “crone” group—no, not the withered old hag of some popular children’s stories. Unfortunate word, very age-ist. (If you floss your teeth, you need not lose them and become toothless as you age! Read more about flossing on my website.) Crone is really a term for wise […]
Posted in Psychological Literacy, Spirituality and Philosophy, Wisdom-ing | No Comments »
Wisdom-ing and Consciousness-Transformation
Hello, sports fans—er, well, if the sport is seeing how well we can penetrate the veils of illusion in which we live, or how well we can construct a more useful philosophy of life. Today I just posted on my website a couple of papers, both published in a now-defunct journal several years ago—or at […]
Posted in Follies, Psychological Literacy, Wisdom-ing | 1 Comment »
Epiphany or “Epiphanosis”?
For several months now I’ve been developing a kind of low-grade epiphany that re-cognizes the unconscious mind as partaking of two levels—one is the ordinary muddle of conflicting desires, immature modes of adjustments, unrealistic expectations, and other elements I discuss in the section called “follies” on this blog, but also another hardly appreciated by Freud […]
Posted in Follies, Psychotherapy and Psychiatry | 1 Comment »
Christmas on Other Planets
Zordak told me: On your planet humans became fixated on the idea of kings as saviors. Your Western Bible has the interesting story of Samuel warning the Israelites against wanting a king, but to them the idea seemed compelling. They confused of the nature of leadership in military matters and spiritual development. Other peoples did […]
Posted in Spirituality and Philosophy, Zordak's Journal | 1 Comment »