Nagging

The British Psychological Society (BPS) has a Research Digest blog, and it has published responses from twenty-three of “the world’s leading psychologists” who were invited to reveal:

One nagging thing you still don’t understand about yourself

The list

My last post was very negative. Here’s a more positive slant on the same topic — what to read, as a beginner, to get an overview of counselling and psychotherapy.

Gravity

Sir Isaac Newton invented gravity in 1687 when he failed to pay attention while sitting under a tree and got bonked on the noggin by an apple. Before that, gravity didn’t exist, and everyone just floated around.

Strictly

No, not the ballroom dancing. This concerns the BBC’s other series about strictness, The World’s Strictest Parents, shown last year and currently being repeated on BBC1.

Piracy

Back in the days when I was a pirate, I remember there were some fierce battles. They played a significant part in a wider conflict that has formed a background to my whole life ever since.

Of course, my pirate days were long ago…

Kicks

How do you get your kicks? Or, to put it in a more subtle way, what kind of things do you find yourself spending a lot of your time, energy and commitment on because you feel they validate you as a person?

One of the things that some people get a kick out of is helping others, but the self-validation that comes from helping others is not always entirely wholesome.

College

As the UKCP makes slow progress towards responding to the rift between itself and the BABCP, it is forming plans that include both positive and negative elements.

The hill

Coming back down the hill I met a girl taking her mother for a walk. There had been several couples along the way, and several with dogs (mostly overexcited dogs intent on providing everyone with a nice slobbering), but this one was walking her mother.

Enquiry

This enquiry involves distinguishing between the stock emotions we are expected to feel, and the emotions we actually feel.

Socks

There are hints of autumn in the weather now, but still some warm and sunny spells. It’s nice to sit in the sunshine, to take your shoes and socks off and wiggle your toes.

Phew! Those socks are a bit smelly. I fling them as far away as possible, which turns out not to be very far. I never liked those socks. They’re a nasty not-quite-grey yet not-quite-green colour. That’s what I get for buying a value pack of five pairs — there’s always one pair that’s a horrible colour.