Adam Blatner
Words and Images from the Mind of Adam Blatner
Playfulness Included
I realized after reading that previous post that supported the spirit of intellectual rigor and critical thinking that readers might perceive my wife and me as being serious thinkers. We are, indeed, and that is part of our spirituality as well as our lives. We talk about all manner of things with great seriousness—but that’s […]
Posted in Foolin Around, My Favorite Things, Zordak's Journal | No Comments
Cut Me Some Slack: Forgiveness or Excuse?
My dear wife Allee is one of the most meticulous and intelligent people I know, and recently she was bemoaning her own lack of clarity: She had composed an email to a friend and on receiving a response that had obviously misinterpreted her message, realized that what she had sent was understandably confusing. I was […]
Posted in Follies, Psychological Literacy, Wisdom-ing | 3 Comments
Re-Enchantment (Cultural Trends-Part 2)
This continues a reflection on “whassup?”—what cultural trends we may be in the midst of. I wrote in a previous blog about the emergence of creativity. Another trend, I think, is towards what I call re-enchantment, or perhaps a more precise (and non-existent) term might be re-mythologize-ation. (what a mouthful!). It marks a swing back […]
Posted in Current Events, Essays and Papers, Spirituality and Philosophy | 1 Comment
Brahma-Hurta: Spirit of Mid-Night Inspiration
Some of these musings emerge from mid-sleep—a time in the South Asian yogic tradition called “brahma-hurta” (I think that’s how it’s spelled)—when awakening between dreams, at 2 -4 in the morning, certain ideas intrude and begin to elaborate on each other, building an impulse to get up and write. It’s a mixture of inspiration and […]
Posted in Autobiographical, Foolin Around, Whassup? | No Comments
Considering Cultural Trends I
Reading Jeremy Rifkin’s excellent and recommended recently published book, The Empathic Civilization, makes an erudite and extensive case for the emergence of a more complex type of consciousness. Recommended! But what occurred to me is that not only is he right, but that also history has been moving towards the emergence of other cultural and […]
Posted in Current Events, Essays and Papers, Whassup? | 1 Comment
Responsibility Reconsidered
A friend wondered, “Why haven’t humans done a better job of taking care of themselves and the environment?” I responded, after a friendly greeting: “Fair question: Why have humans not done a better job? Answer: Species wise, homo not-so-sapiens is, as a species, fairly immature, emerging through several species levels over 1,000,000 years to be […]
Posted in Current Events, Follies, Psychological Literacy, Wisdom-ing | 4 Comments
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 […]
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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