Question: Help! My son says he admires the Columbine shooters because they felt the same way he does toward society. I’ve read that a lot of young men feel this way which is pretty scary. I’m worried for my son but I don’t know what to say. How can I explain that what they did is wrong? Answer: One of the many problems with what happened in Littleton, Colorado on April 20, 1999 is the amazing amount of misinformation about what exactly occurred. Columbine, one of the best books covering the tragedy, was written by Dave Cullen, a journalist who …
Learning Empathy: Some Concrete Suggestions
The importance of empathy cannot be overstated yet it seems to be a skill that many people are lacking. If more of us concentrated on teaching empathy skills, we might soon see the benefits.
No Shopping on Thanksgiving: Changing the Frame from Greed to Good
Apparently Black Friday isn’t enough. Now we have to shop on Thanksgiving too. This slippery slope of consumerism will not stop until we change the way in which we view ourselves.
Overcoming Evil: More Lessons from The Pacific
The Pacific mini-series does a good job of showing the presence of evil in us all. But it doesn’t have to be this way. When we allow ourselves to be feel empathy and be emotionally available, then we can overcome the evil within ourselves.
Our Relationship to Conflict: Lessons from The Pacific
One of the best things I’ve learned during my training in counseling psychology is that there are healthier reactions to conflict. One such reaction is to gain understanding and empathy for the other person or situation.
Emotional Pain – Sharing the Pain is Good
Although we are hardwired for empathy, so many people indulge in selfish behavior. Our culture would be in a lot better shape if more people demonstrated empathy — and here are three skills that can help increase empathy.