Geoffrey W. Sutton PhD, Psychology and Culture

  The Statue of Liberty is truly a welcoming site for many of us immigrant who came to the US by way of New York City. Freedom is indeed precious. Yet my freedom to pursue life, liberty, and happiness requires responsibility. A nation cannot protect the freedoms of its citizens when citizens use personal freedoms to harm other citizens. Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl once said we need a Statue of Responsibility on the West Coast to supplement the Statue of Liberty. Well, I will nominate the Golden Gate Bridge as a symbol of the bridge that joins one to another. “Freedom is in danger of degenerating into mere arbitrariness unless it is lived in terms of responsibleness. That is why I recommend that the Statue of Liberty on the East Coast be supplemented by a Statue of Responsibility on the West Coast.”      ― Viktor E. Frankl Links to Connections Checkout My Website     www.suttong.com    See my Books    AMAZON    ...

EFFECTIVE APOLOGIES What Works? Individuals and business leaders often find themselves apologizing or dealing with requests for an apology. Most are seeking forgiveness and many wish to make things right. But correcting mistakes is not always easy. Having an affair destroys most romantic relationships . Some partners do forgive and reconcile. Many do not. In an age of ubiquitous cameras, high speed internet communication, and hackers, odds increase that cheaters will be revealed to a wide audience. Of course, it’s not just the spouse or partner who suffers—children, relatives, and close friends hurt as well. Usually the small stuff can be handled with an “I’m sorry” as long as it appears genuine.  When the offense causes some difficulty, reputable businesses make amends. For example, after incorrect ticketing in China, I was moved to business class–too bad it was only an hour flight! Larger offenses cause more distress and law suits are costly. ...