Why Moral Outrage is Self-Serving and Counterproductive

When confronted with the fact that people, or groups of people, act in ways that are palpably selfish or callous, the intuitive, knee-jerk reaction is moral outrage. Moral outrage is distinct from anger. We feel angry when we or our loved ones have been mistreated. But we feel moral outrage when others – in particular,…

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Carl Jung and Hermann Hesse Explain Why Other People Irritate Us

The Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung and author (and fan of Jung) Hermann Hesse have explained why other people irritate us so much. This is conveyed in quotes from the two: If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part yourself. What isn’t part ourselves doesn’t disturb us. – Hermann Hesse Everything…

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The Psychology of Bad News

Every day we are inundated with stories about the most horrific acts and events that have taken place in the world. It’s common knowledge that ‘bad news sells’ – but what is it about bad news that makes it interesting and readable? It seems counter-intuitive that people’s minds would be primed to seek out information…

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A Jungian Perspective on Nightmares and Bad Dreams

Dreams do not hide your true and deepest feelings from your conscious mind; rather, they are a gateway to them. But before delving into the Jungian perspective on dreams – more specifically, nightmares and bad dreams, it will be helpful to elucidate the Jungian view of the mind. The Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung believed in…

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The Psychology of Initiation Rites

Initiation rites are an integral part of traditional societies. An initiation rite is a ritual or ceremony marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. In modern society, initiation ceremonies usually mark the transition into adulthood, as demarcated by the community. Examples of such ceremonies would include the Christian baptism, the Jewish Bar and…

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