Geoffrey W. Sutton PhD, Psychology and Culture

During the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, the number of dead people lead news stories. And many people require scarce ventilators to fight for their lives. Scary stuff! Sensible people are afraid.  Sensible people embrace fear as a powerful motivator to take evidence-based pathways to health and safety. Possible Downsides:  When People do not Embrace Fear People who do not embrace fear can get sick and die or kill their family and friends if they ignore sound advice. Ignoring fear can be deadly. The dead testify to the reality of the fear.  Fear is a sign of mental wellness  as long as the fear is real and leads to positive action. The damaging side of fear can happen if we dwell on the fear after taking appropriate action. Filling our minds with misery and death can be discouraging or even depressing leaving us with low energy and distress. Fear is an emotional reaction to a real or perceived threat, but anxiety is an emotional reaction exp...

Before You Write Another Goal Goals, Meaning, and Faith Have you thought about goals for the new year? The question annoys some and engages others. And some use the occasion of a calendar event to assess their progress on life goals. Goals add meaning to life. Goals reflect a sense of purpose – so it’s no surprise that research on goals and purpose would include a study of the role of religion or spirituality. Even if you are not familiar with the scientific study of religion, you would probably find it easy to see that religion or spirituality, however defined, offers people a sense of purpose in life and ways to connect various life events so they make sense. Perhaps this is behind the popular book by Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life ? And on the downside, as I have written elsewhere, there is a purpose driven death —seen in those who sacrifice their lives for a religiously motivated goal. A favorite reference for writers on meaning and purpose is Victor Frankl ...

Thanksgiving and Faith   Amidst the advertisements reminding us that Christmas is a few weeks away, millions in the U.S. will pause to celebrate Thanksgiving. Ideally, people will share a traditional meal with family and friends. It will be a time to experience joy and express gratitude. The tradition carries images of people who had lived in North America for centuries sharing a feast with new arrivals from England. Like a giant gold-framed antique painting, joyful people are forever portrayed in quaint clothes celebrating a harmonious relationship. Christian children learn the English offered thanks to God for their survival and for the harvest. Admittedly, for millions in the U.S., it will not be a joyful occasion. And many might be more in the mood of expressing their sadness and disappointment rather than conjuring up some thankful trope to answer the recurrent question: “And what are you thankful for?” So it is with any feast day round the world. Some people ar...