How to love work

by Richard C. Raynard, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist


A 2013 survey of 12,115 workers found "a lack of a fulfilling workplace" (Schwartz & Forath, NY Times 6/1/14). Here are some of their survey results. These qualities of a fulfilling workplace follow closely the requirements for mature Love, or "Flow".

Reflection          A regular time for creative thinking          No = 70% 
Concentration    Ability to focus on one thing at a time      No = 68%
Attraction          Opportunity to do what is most enjoyed    No = 60%
Transcendence  Level of meaning and significance             No = 50%
Commitment     Connection to corporate mission               No = 50%
Community       A sense of community                               No = 49%
Curiosity           Opportunity for learning and growth         No = 49%
Competence      Opportunity to do what you do best           No = 47%

Mature love has been found by several scientists to involve the qualities in the left hand column above.  Mature love means offering all and the best you have - whether from an emotional perspective (Hook, Frederickson, Fromm, Seligman) or from a work perspective (Seligman, Csikszentmihalyi).

Speaking of hate of work - hate is based, emotionally, on disappointment in an area where you had high expectations. A let-down, a betrayal, a disillusion, a failure, "pulling the rug out", all express this hurtful, often angry experience.

The two authors also set up a pilot group of employees with changed work conditions: alternate 90- minute of focused work with 10-15 minute breaks, a full 1 hour break in the afternoon, permission to leave when finished. They got more work done in less time, left earlier in the evenings, and had less stress over the busy season than regular workers. Turnover was far lower.

Most employers don't allow their workers to love their work, and instead supervise out of fear they "won't accomplish their work without constant oversight".

The path is clear. Using employee-centered organization, Costco has shown that their employees generate twice the sales of Walmart, at an average $20.89 an hour wage.

About Dr. Raynard
Dr. Richard Raynard is a licensed clinical psychologist with 35 years experience resolving a broad range of emotional problems. As a cognitive-behavioral therapist who has specialized in anxiety and phobic disorders since 1980, he has spent the last 35 years fulfilling his life-long desire to explore and define the true purpose of emotions and how people can easily use emotions to create meaning and satisfaction in their lives. Dr. Raynard's series of books on emotions can be found onAmazon.com. His other books include Don't Panic, and Anxiety & Panic Medications.

Mindfulness Anybody?

Mindful or what?

by Richard C. Raynard, Ph.D.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

 

Too bad Mindfulness can't be patented! It has been so fertile through the ages in its many incarnations. Simply, it means being attentive and open to your inner thoughts and feelings. It's both adventurous and ordinary.

 

Plato asked long ago "Why should we not calmly and patiently review our own thoughts...and see what these appearances really are?"

 

 Buddhist meditation formed a spiritual practice of detachment from all worldly concerns (Maya) to attain compassion for the whole of life: Enlightment.

 

Surprisingly, some philosophers of the Enlightment were critical: Hume said introspection changes the awareness itself; Kant saying it only hints are all that goes on inside.
 

Early 20th century, introspection became a widely used method in science, the "self-report", to discover your conscious thoughts and feelings.

Soon, the behaviorists in early psychology objected to introspection as unreliable and subjective, and therefore had little scientific reliability.

 

In meditation methods in psychotherapy, some focused on a specific object, others were unfocused  In the 60's and 70's, some saw is as just relaxation, others as a powerful liberation of the mind.

 

"Mindfulness" was coined by Kabat-Zinn as a meditation technique to reduce stress and free the mind to be positive and healthy.

 

Mindfulness is associated strongly today with the ancient disciplines of Yoga and Tai Chi, so that it is quite trendy in health clubs and community centers.

There are many more terms for mindfulness in literature, Here is a sample: sacred stillness, inner calm, space of quiet, contemplate in prayer, inmost stillness, centering, time of reflection and peace, quiet and spiritual safety, inner shrine, stillness, and much more.

 

Self-compassion is a late incarnation of mindfulness and is said to support spiritual virtue in the method called "The Now Moment".

 

Mindfulness has helped the mind-body techniques go viral. Body-awareness is part of nutritional and exercise counseling, somatic focusing, energy techniques, movement, guided imagery, and more.

 

Rumination now has a positive focus, seen a necessary review of loss and goals, and mark of resilience in depression, whereas before it was a pessimistic trap of depression.

 

Finally, we have day-dreaming. The research of Kaufman, Singer and others argue that being attentive to thoughts and openness in daydreaming leads to optimal learning, creativity and well-being. Others found that such time allows compassion for your self and positive life planning.

 

What do you get out of all this?  They all point to the value of your very own thoughts and feelings, so I would go with the approach you have most taste for. 

 

You may have to meditate on this!

 

About Dr. Raynard

Dr. Richard Raynard is a licensed clinical psychologist with 35 years experience resolving a broad range of emotional problems. As a cognitive-behavioral therapist who has specialized in anxiety and phobic disorders since 1980, he has spent the last 35 years fulfilling his life-long desire to explore and define the true purpose of emotions and how people can easily use emotions to create meaning and satisfaction in their lives. Dr. Raynard's series of books on emotions can be found on Amazon.com. His other books include Don't Panic, and Anxiety & Panic Medications.

From Envy to Opporunity - for Growth

by Richard C. Raynard, Ph.D.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

 

Why am I attracted to the most horrific, misbegotten tales of our time?  Everyone asks. Because I like solutions, and behind the worst problems are often the best solutions.

 

Opportunity for all

Arthur C. Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute (NY Times, 3-2-14), documents with admirable clarity and evidence the growth of envy since 2000.  "The root cause of increasing envy is a belief that opportunity is in decline". Even more, he offers solutions: increase opportunity via education, tax and safety net reform and offer leaders who can inspire optimism. "Only a shared, joyful mission of freedom, opportunity and enterprise for all will cure us of envy - and remind us of who we truly are."

 

This conclusion is solid and inspirational, but doesn't go far enough. My solution would add that everyone not only let go of envy, but also embrace your vital interests and who/what you truly love. For systemic change I offer here common-sense solutions to a major cause of the decline of opportunity - the corporate world, the Incubator of Envy. Corporate barriers to opportunity - and promotion of envy - are seen in wage scales, income distribution, health hazards, market monopoly, media control, work hours, hiring practices, overseas job loss, and much more.

 

-  Corporations are only chartered by the US; no Delaware Corporation loopholes.

-  Amendment: corporations are not persons, not entitled to privacy; money not speech.

-  In the Uniform Charter, workers have 50% representation on Boards of Directors.

-  Each corporation proves yearly its social benefit and harmlessness, or charter revoked.

-  All harm arising from corporate practices are subject to criminal and civic penalties.

-  Corporations cannot raise private armies, write laws, make overseas trade agreements.

-  Corporations cannot shelter compensation/profits in overseas accounts or in any way.

-  All tax havens are illegal; taxes are paid concurrently, in full.

-  Minimum wages will support a 2 person family, tied to the cost of living index.

-  Maximum corporate compensation is 100 times minimum wage; over that, an 80% tax.

-  Corporations must assist schools in vocational training, paid internships, curriculum.

-  A World of Work channel informs the public about job opportunity and growth.

 

No doubt the cost of all this would be mightily resisted. However, there are even more gains from worker productivity, good health, fair taxes, meaningful education, jobs return to USA, fair elections, consumer demand, less welfare costs, and more. Just THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS!

 

These proposals may seem impossibly ideal.  On the other hand, they seem obvious, too. Suffering and the passage of time may make them seem very practical.

 

About Dr. Raynard

Dr. Richard Raynard is a licensed clinical psychologist with 35 years experience resolving a broad range of emotional problems. As a cognitive-behavioral therapist who has specialized in anxiety and phobic disorders since 1980, he has spent the last 35 years fulfilling his life-long desire to explore and define the true purpose of emotions and how people can easily use emotions to create meaning and satisfaction in their lives. Dr. Raynard's series of books on emotions can be found on Amazon.com. His other books include Don't Panic, and Anxiety & Panic Medications.

An Oscar for the Parenting Channel

by Richard C. Raynard, Ph.D.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist



Caring

President Obama just announced the "My Brother's Keeper" program and  white house task force to look into help for parents.

A huge territory.  Parenting is as different, from family to family, as different countries. Each family raises real differences in their children in happiness, competence, and personal fulfillment.

The evidence is in. If you have been raised in neglect, as an adult you may have cold relations, seething anger, and disillusionment. If your parents were very critical and punitive, you may grow up to feel defective and burdened with shame. If you were always pushed and compared to others, you could grow up with failure on you mind, or even become perfectionistic, to compensate. If you had to be responsible for the care of your brother, sister, or even a parent, you can become self-sacrificing as an adult, an "enabler", with anger underneath. For more, see Young & Klasko (1994).

Yet good parenting is never taught in schools or the media. We are more apt to see weird, dysfunctional families in the serials or in programing, like Wife Swap, etc. The raising of children doesn't make the news. A common path is to raise our children as we were raised. In any case, new parents are mostly on their own.

Think of the odds. Now, 50% or more newborn are to unmarried mothers, often in teenage years. Families themselves have become more scattered; neighborhoods are less like communities; families often have both parents working. You can fill in the rest.

I propose a publicly owned Parenting Channel that would reach everyone, at small relative cost, when they need it. The content should be public-driven, not sponsor-driven, and determined by a board of media professionals and citizens. The production values should have the intrinsically interesting features of todays best TV - personal stories, dramatic series, on-site documentaries, relevant biography, graphic design, breaking news, discussion panels, and more. Never boring. This programming is supplemented by links to developed websites and streamed on line. Commercials are limited to a 5 minute segment at hour's end.

 

The cost? My guess is about $60 million a year. PBS's budget was $200 million in 2012; staff costs about $3 million. About the cost of two fighter jets.

No kidding. The airwaves belong to the public, leased through its agencies and representatives to determine the content of most benefit to the public. Why should TV remain the most irrelevant and pernicious media? The benefit of the Parenting Channel is incalculable and positive. By every measure - good health, less violence, graduation rates, adult income, drug addiction - good parenting works.

Are you ready to tune in?

About Dr. Raynard

Dr. Richard Raynard is a licensed clinical psychologist with 35 years experience resolving a broad range of emotional problems. As a cognitive-behavioral therapist who has specialized in anxiety and phobic disorders since 1980, he has spent the last 35 years fulfilling his life-long desire to explore and define the true purpose of emotions and how people can easily use emotions to create meaning and satisfaction in their lives. Dr. Raynard's series of books on emotions can be found on Amazon.com. His other books include Don't Panic, and Anxiety & Panic Medications.

A Politico Test for Trust

by Richard C. Raynard, Ph.D.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Is it any wonder that, as revelations of corruption and abuse of power grow in America and across the world, that distrust has fueled the anger in the protests of our day?

Distrust is the emotion that is triggered  by vulnerability and real threat by someone you have trusted not to abuse you. The rupture of trust is more widespread now than any other time in history. Think of the military, church groups, the prison system, big oil, corporate pollution, contract workers, big pharm, compromised science, voter manipulation, bank fraud, insider brokers - please stop me!

I trust you

Strangely, our elected representatives undergo no test for trust. In fact, the qualifications for most every other job seeker require more credentialing, training, testing, certification and background checks than those who represent us so directly. Often, the black marks emerge only after one is in office. As Bill Maher said: don't wait too long to run for office, or someone soon will sling mud on you!

All those who run for office have the same emotions as you and I, and use their emotions to both guide them and to give them energy. All can be tested for trustfulness using all or portions of well-validated, reliable psychological tests. One such test, the MMPI, besides being a personality test, has built-in scales for the tendency to lie, to look too good, to be defensive and cover up, and to have reliable answers. Still other scales are for psychopathy, ego strength, ability to trust, and many others.

If we were serious about the trust we wish to place in our elected representatives, wouldn't a commission of qualified members be able to produce testing for both desirable and undesirable traits? Traits such as honesty, trustworthiness, emotional balance, empathy, and more?  Doesn't this program suit the evaluation of your world leaders as well, and be a part of the United Nations charter?  Off the top of your head, you can think of leaders who would be disqualified.

Why do we take such a hands-off approach to the emotional stability of our elected leaders when they have some of the most responsible, demanding jobs on earth? Our campaigning and electoral process have been compared to a circus sideshow!

Wouldn't you really like to know the candidate's capabilities for trust, honesty and openness?

About Dr. Raynard

Dr. Richard Raynard is a licensed clinical psychologist with 35 years experience resolving a broad range of emotional problems. As a cognitive-behavioral therapist who has specialized in anxiety and phobic disorders since 1980, he has spent the last 35 years fulfilling his life-long desire to explore and define the true purpose of emotions and how people can easily use emotions to create meaning and satisfaction in their lives. Dr. Raynard's series of books on emotions can be found on Amazon.com. His other books include Don't Panic, and Anxiety & Panic Medications.

Money as a Person

by Richard C. Raynard, Ph.D.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

If corporations can have personhood, why not money?

We all have a relation with money.  If you are kid saving up for anew baseball mitt, it is a ticket to fun. If you have borrowed money to go to college, it's an investment in yourself. If you are making barely enough for basics for your family, money is a comfort and security. If you are truly impoverished, money rescues your very life.

What's enough?

Let's admit it, you keep careful watch over your money. You always know where it is, even when you have forgot birthdays, jewelry and other precious things. And your relationship is ongoing, as you keep track of all its ups and downs. You have a relationship with money.

Money has many personalities.  It can be all-mighty and powerful, an ogre that directs dynasties and nations, who measure and weigh it in so many economic terms. For those who win the lottery, it can be a giddy teenager who urges you into all kinds of reckless gamuts (it takes about 2 years to spend it all).  Money can be a social charmer, opening all kinds of doors, ensuring your social standing.

In greed, money finds a real home.  It promises the whole world and is so attractive, you never can get enough of it. It promises security, status, power, attractiveness, great toys, trophy wives and more.But, sorry, this money personality gradually takes over, as it wants your undivided attention. It claims you.

 

For the psychopathology of greed, see A. Kipnis, The Midas Complex, 2013.

Yet, for all its chameleon forms, money can be a good friend. It always stands by the balanced person to help form plans, get help, help others, make good choices, and come through in all the ups and downs of life. This money personality listens to you and honors your most heart-felt wishes.

The Supreme Court doesn't have to grant personhood to money. It already has many personalities.

What's your relationship to money?

About Dr. Raynard

Dr. Richard Raynard is a licensed clinical psychologist with 35 years experience resolving a broad range of emotional problems. As a cognitive-behavioral therapist who has specialized in anxiety and phobic disorders since 1980, he has spent the last 35 years fulfilling his life-long desire to explore and define the true purpose of emotions and how people can easily use emotions to create meaning and satisfaction in their lives. Dr. Raynard's series of books on emotions can be found on Amazon.com. His other books include Don't Panic, and Anxiety & Panic Medications.

World-Wide Anger

by Richard C. Raynard, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist

On the one hand, is there a single country today that does not have some form of peaceful - sometimes violent - protest?   Besides most every country in Africa, South America and the Middle East, you have East Asian and European countries as well. Even in mature democracies like Britain, Sweden, and Australia. The protest comes from everyone's basic insecurity and lack of voice in the face of corrupt, enriched and imbedded politicos of all stripes.

On the other, there is increasingly a call for "systemic" change in the media, and not just in other countries.  Proposals in the USA  - prison overhaul, immigration reform, taxes on the wealthy, local farming -  have burgeoned in most every public sphere. The most thoughtful have prioritized such change, making free, open elections the very top priority.

All can vote

In my book Anger, I clarify that the purpose of anger is to find satisfaction of a basic need and not to fall into the instinctive trap, emotionally, of blame, disillusionment, and warfare. In so many movements, and particularly the Occupy movement, there has been confusion and uncertainty about what systematic change was demanded. And so across the world, protest movements have faltered, having no clear agreement about priorities for change, after the corrupt have been kicked out.  Think Libya, Egypt or Thailand.

My common sense says that free, open elections could be the top priority of all protests. Anger at no voice is satisfied by ensuring a fair, free electoral voice. So here goes:

  - All electoral campaigns are limited strictly to a 3 month period.
  - All funding is public, all donations limited to $250.
  - 5% of prime time in all publically licensed media is reserved for campaigning.
  - Amendment re Citizens United: money is not speech; corporations are not persons.
  - All elections, state and federal, abide by the Federal Electoral Commission.
  - Candidates show 2 months before election day how they will vote on 40 key issues.
  - Candidates who reverse on 5 or more key issues will be subject to recall.
  - All votes are recorded on paper, one for electronic tally, a copy for the voter.
  - One month early voting is allowed, as well as mail in and weekend voting.
  - All proven citizens over 18 can vote, including ex-felons and dual citizens.

Common sense -yes!  Idealism - yes! More than political will, it takes the will of people to band together and insist on such a key issue. What could be a more basic need in the protests than each citizen have a vote, make clear choices and ensure their will is carried out?

Some of my readers have asked for solutions.  There is one of them. Want more?

About Dr. Raynard
Dr. Richard Raynard is a licensed clinical psychologist with 35 years experience resolving a broad range of emotional problems. As a cognitive-behavioral therapist who has specialized in anxiety and phobic disorders since 1980, he has spent the last 35 years fulfilling his life-long desire to explore and define the true purpose of emotions and how people can easily use emotions to create meaning and satisfaction in their lives. Dr. Raynard's series of books on emotions can be found on Amazon.com. His other books include Don't Panic, and Anxiety & Panic Medications.

Guilt - The Great Dismal Swamp

by Richard C. Raynard, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Guilt is a word passed around so easily, like a snapshot. But why does it feel so heavy and sticky, like a foul swamp that slows you with all its heavy muck?

 Guilt is tangled with emotions. They reveal with it is made of, as well as what to do about it.

How could I?

Guilt begins with the emotion of disgust, the feeling that you or someone has been tainted, stained or violated. It is the emotion of nausea and revulsion in bodily terms. If you are disgusted with yourself, you feel you have violated your sense of Self. You can't believe you did it.

Fear is quickly recruited by disgust. "Will I be punished? Will I be condemned? Will everyone find out? What will happen to me?" These fears multiply and can be more upsetting than disgust.

Anger comes naturally with disgust. "They are unfair. I was never told. Its was a trap. No one is defending me." Anger can keep guilt going, as it offers no remedy, only complaints, blaming, etc.

Hurt can be a deep wound that comes with the disgust of others. "How can they think that of me? Is there no forgiveness?  I feel condemned." Hurt can make you withdraw inside yourself and suffer alone.

Sadness flows from disgust. "I have lost my standing. People will never think of me in the same way. I am forever tainted." This sadness, too, you can easily keep inside.

Shame may be one of the worst outcomes of disgust. Instead of feeling you are part of your community, you feel alienated. "Something is basically wrong with me.  I don't belong anywhere. I have no place. I am banished." You may feel there is no way back.

This entanglement of emotions around guilt has a far reach. Here are a few: being over-apologetic, giving into guilt, feeling a failure, considering others before yourself, unable to ask for what you need, craving a good reputation, angry when others disappoint, finding you don't measure up to others.  My Guilt Test has over such 50 items.

Disgust needs healing, as it is the recruiter of all the other emotions. Yes, you can learn perspective, acceptance, fairness and even appreciation, so that you put what is tainted where it does no harm. Literature by Borysenko, Young & Klosko, and Lufkin can help.

In the '50s, garbage was buried shamefully in the back yard, out of sight. Today we see that all parts of garbage are useful and can be recycled.

Can you recycle your guilt?

About Dr. Raynard
Dr. Richard Raynard is a licensed clinical psychologist with 35 years experience resolving a broad range of emotional problems. As a cognitive-behavioral therapist who has specialized in anxiety and phobic disorders since 1980, he has spent the last 35 years fulfilling his life-long desire to explore and define the true purpose of emotions and how people can easily use emotions to create meaning and satisfaction in their lives. Dr. Raynard's series of books on emotions can be found on Amazon.com. His other books include Don't Panic, and Anxiety & Panic Medications.

Truth and Truthiness

by Richard C. Raynard, Ph.D.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

 

When you look at all sides of an issue, you are likely to get the Truth. One side alone has the appearance of truth but, by itself, is a half-hearted lie - Truthiness.

 

The furor over invasion of privacy by the national security agencies consumes the media. Rarely mentioned is that, after a budget of $75 billion of 15 agencies a year, and about $500 billion since 2001, only 5 terrorist threats were ever directly foiled (Mueller & Stewart, 2014).  Even these were questioned by a congressional Oversight Board. Gulp!

 

Who knew?

In Milgram's famous study, 65% of subjects gave a maximum electric shock to those they saw tormented. He claimed "obedience to authority" was the cause. However, he gave no debriefing, personality tests, background or subject's view of the experiment. Milgram himself wonders, in an unpublished paper, how believable the setup was. Hmmm!

 

Once you get beyond a laboratory petri dish, where all the variables are controlled, things get complicated. In psychology, the causes of an angry episode can be parceled out to a genetic cause (temperament), a predisposing cause (early childhood), a contributing cause (stress), and immediate cause (frustration) a bodily cause (adrenalin), and a purposive cause (meet a need). Whew!

 

If you really want to prime your "truth pump", look up "falseness" in Roget's Thesaurus and find 6 pages of words for exaggeration, deception and concealment.

 

Truth doesn't change; it can be counted on; you can build upon it.  And it is complex, too.  Each of us has only a part of it.

 

Truth is both humbling and worthy of pursuit. What do you say?

 

About Dr. Raynard

Dr. Richard Raynard is a licensed clinical psychologist with 35 years experience resolving a broad range of emotional problems. As a cognitive-behavioral therapist who has specialized in anxiety and phobic disorders since 1980, he has spent the last 35 years fulfilling his life-long desire to explore and define the true purpose of emotions and how people can easily use emotions to create meaning and satisfaction in their lives. Dr. Raynard's series of books on emotions can be found on Amazon.com. His other books include Don't Panic, and Anxiety & Panic Medications.

Insecurity - A Tale of Two Cities

by Richard C. Raynard, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist

The emotion of insecurity is triggered by the realization that your needs are outrun by anything you can do about them. In one issue of the NY Times is a tale of two cities, the rich and the poor.

What to do?

The Wall Street story began with a poor, paycheck to paycheck family headed by a Willie Loman kind of father whose millionaire future was always just around the corner. His son borrowed his insecurity and dreamed that money would solve everything. He was much frustrated until he got into trading. But soon, he found that no matter how many millions he made, others made more. Paid only 1.5 million in his 5th year, he wanted to be a billionaire and be "important", a somebody.

Finally, he saw in himself the fear of other traders losing anything and their anger at any constraint on their income. He withdrew from his "wealth addiction" in panic and quit Wall Street with the help of his therapist. Wanting to contribute, he went on to marry and to start a non-profit to help struggling families with obesity and addictiveness. He now has a "core sense of self".

The Cherokee Nation story, on another page, is about a Cherokee tribe, half living in poverty. The poorest had the greatest risk of emotional and behavioral problems, substance abuse, and other degenerative diseases of adulthood. Then, in 1999, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians opened a casino whose profits went equally to its 8000 members, amounting to $9000 yearly by 2006. To gather evidence that poverty caused emotional problems, or the reverse, Professor Costello had begun already a study of 1,420 children, 1/4 of them Cherokees.

Cherokee children were found in 4 years to have  40% decline in behavioral problems, less substance abuse, fewer crimes, and higher graduation rates. Surprisingly , the youngest benefited the most; those already 14 or older had little change. An economist later figured that in 5 to 10 years after the age 19, the savings surpassed the costs of the Cherokee supplemental income.

So poverty as well as wealth can make people more insecure and unwell. Many studies show that income in excess of about $60,000 does not lead to measurably more "happiness".

Insecurity alone, as well as insecurity coupled with greed, robs us of a sense of self and self-worth.

About Dr. Raynard
Dr. Richard Raynard is a licensed clinical psychologist with 35 years experience resolving a broad range of emotional problems. As a cognitive-behavioral therapist who has specialized in anxiety and phobic disorders since 1980, he has spent the last 35 years fulfilling his life-long desire to explore and define the true purpose of emotions and how people can easily use emotions to create meaning and satisfaction in their lives. Dr. Raynard's series of books on emotions can be found on Amazon.com. His other books include Don't Panic, and Anxiety & Panic Medications.

Your Body - Your Emotions

by Richard C. Raynard, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist

We bathe in emotions from sun up to our dreams asleep. Our emotions reveal our relation to whatever we care about, all the time.

Emotion Location

Yet we don't talk so easily about our feelings - no matter that we are pushed and pulled by them all day long. Instead we say "I felt like slugging him", speaking of the action, not the emotion of anger. We speak of conclusions like "I'm going to watch another program" instead of our boredom. For some, emotions are not manly, and "toughness" is the virtue. For others, emotions are upsetting and irrational. Emotions? Fahgedaboudit!

It may be a cultural norm - let's talk about everything but feelings. Feelings are forever in the background, taken for granted, things you drag along in life, like wearing an old pair of pants. We put up with them, more than listen to them.

Yet when I ask, nearly everyone can say what they are feeling, the urge to act on it, the direction it gives, etc. All are affirmed when they listen to their inner guide. We trust our feelings.

Imagine my delight in coming across recent research (Numennmaa et al, 2013) that shows where in our body each or our emotions originate, consistently, faithfully. Over 700 people from Europe and East Asia showed in a computerized human form where their body was active for each of the emotions of fear, anger, etc. (See diagram) Damazio, the neuroscientist, commented that it confirmed his thinking that each emotion activates a distinct set of body parts, all of which helps us identify that emotion.

My question: why has it taken so long to establish such basic facts? Answer: the science's distrust of subjective report, the focus on neuroscience, the late recognition of the centrality of emotion.

Hopefully, there will be more research into the role of emotion in every psychological event. And more interest in my book, The Purpose of Emotion.

About Dr. Raynard
Dr. Richard Raynard is a licensed clinical psychologist with 35 years experience resolving a broad range of emotional problems. As a cognitive-behavioral therapist who has specialized in anxiety and phobic disorders since 1980, he has spent the last 35 years fulfilling his life-long desire to explore and define the true purpose of emotions and how people can easily use emotions to create meaning and satisfaction in their lives. Dr. Raynard's series of books on emotions can be found on Amazon.com. His other books include Don't Panic, and Anxiety & Panic Medications.

Peace for the Insecure

 

by Richard C. Raynard, Ph.D.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

The emotion is insecurity, the feeling you can't take care of your basic needs. It teams up with the emotion of disgust, leading to the crushing of hope and self-esteem. Insecurity fuels the emotion of envy, firing the greed of the wealthy.

Basic needs

Can you see the effects of insecurity all over the world? We live in an explosive, disruptive time when, in almost any country you can name, there are demonstrations, protests and riots by the impoverished in the streets and offices of the wealthy. This protest is not just "the 1% and rest of us". Depending on the country, it can be the political elite and the disenfranchised, the bankers and the manipulated, the African despot and the ignored, the government insiders and the unheard, the ruling religion and the unworthy, the corporation and the outsourced workers. In other words, the moneyed and the poorest.

All have essentially the same protest: their work is not honored or rewarded by a fair, living wage.

Imagine the peaceful prospects if America were to lead the rest of the world by decreeing a minimum, livable wage for all of its citizens. This would increase health, educate and train more, reduce labor abuse, reduce excessive executive payroll, reduce welfare roles, and increase demand in the economy.  This example, and its benefits would be witnessed, sooner or later, by the whole world. This initiative and example by a world leader would invigorate equalitarian movements the world over.

Peace is not a passive state of detachment. It is a dynamic state when all our basic needs are met: for safety, food, shelter, and education, so that we are able to pursue what we love most. The emotion of insecurity is most stressful and demoralizing until it is satisfied with basic self-care.

Pie in the sky? Wherever there is the livable or highest minimum wage, that country is measurably more peaceful and happy (Wikipedia). Think Norway, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden or Canada.

Better than drones in the sky! What do you think?

About Dr. Raynard

Dr. Richard Raynard is a licensed clinical psychologist with 35 years experience resolving a broad range of emotional problems. As a cognitive-behavioral therapist who has specialized in anxiety and phobic disorders since 1980, he has spent the last 35 years fulfilling his life-long desire to explore and define the true purpose of emotions and how people can easily use emotions to create meaning and satisfaction in their lives. Dr. Raynard's series of books on emotions can be found on Amazon.com. His other books include Don't Panic, and Anxiety & Panic Medications.