Applied Psychology

It seems like daily we are inundated by superficial social media, “fake news,” political demagogues, intolerant youth, and oppressive societal institutions. How can one find concentrate on what is real, wholesome, and reliable? Can we reach back into the past and access classical wisdom, traditional values, and a greater sense of fulfillment, meaning, and optimism? Values & Ethics: From Living Room to Boardroom (2017; Palmetto Publishing Group; $17.95 softcover) aims to address big-picture topics such as values, virtues, ethics, and wisdom. The following is a pitch for the book, including endorsements, reviews, an excerpt, description, and author bio.

A poem about self-knowledge and personal growth:

My life is a map; proud ink on olde leather
Relief depicts the saga of my life:
Love is represented by the mountain
The river symbolizes pain…

Circa 1999, this lamentation about self-doubt and loneliness, depression and anomie, begins with the following lines:

Reminiscent of a palm tree placed involuntarily on a faraway, tropical island,
I live a life saddled with melancholy and self-doubt and loneliness.

I was speaking with my wife yesterday about our dog, as it was the 1-year anniversary of his death. I noted that I was having trouble feeling acceptance, finding meaning, and being “okay” with his passing. It feels to me to be a loss — and very little consolation comes with that. It hurts. I feel like I used to have a great dog, but no more. She feels quite differently…

Struggle, protest, dissent, and organization is a big part of this country. Almost everything that the people have was worked hard for. We forget how much striking, sitting in, and agitating there was in times-past, in part because the powers that be want to tamp down on that kind of progressivism. That kind of lobbying for rights is not good for business, as it were. I want to extol the virtues of dedication, courage, and standing up for something. As Peter Marshall said, “Give to us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for — because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything.”

Optimism is a way of viewing the world that is positive, hopeful, and open. There are many quotations on optimism that are inspirational and enlightening. Hope is a somewhat less-assertive and features less personal agency, if you will. For example, an optimistic person will be positively expectant about future events, the world in general, and the self; they basically see the “glass as half-full.” Hope is similar but somewhat more passive; for example, hope that one lives when battling a terminal illness, or hope that there is a God who looks down favorably upon oneself. These nuances are differentiated by the typical phrases we hear: “I’m optimistic I will finish the marathon because I have trained a lot and I feel good” vs. “I hope the plane that went down was not the one John was on!” In nonverbal terms, optimism is cracking one’s knuckles, and hope is putting one’s hands together to pray. This blog presents a bit of background and many interesting quotes about the subject.

Do You Know What Your Values Are? Are You Enthusiastic About Them? How Can You Improve Yourself and Your World?  These questions get at the concept of ‘living a life of value.’ In this blog, I will explore the place where applied philosophy meets applied psychology, personal growth, and ethics. The goal is to share my thoughts and feelings about this wonderful idea that is bound to make a difference in everyone’s life who spends a little time and thought on the phenomenon. This is vintage Values of the Wise!