Engaging Life with Courage and Intelligence
In this short cinematic story, a young American couple shares how emotionally charged online content slowly shaped their fears, beliefs, and worldview—without them even realizing it. Through their experience, the video explores how disinformation uses identity, nostalgia, and emotional triggers to manipulate audiences. Not just politically—emotionally. This isn’t about blaming or shaming.It’s about awareness. This…
Lucky for American revolutionaries in 1776, the English king had a persistent and recurring mental problem. King George III was not an absolute monarch like King Henry VIII, but he still had considerable power and influence over English affairs. The following is a video about King George III and his personal challenges. As Mark Twain…
Extremism often arises when people or groups believe that the existing social or political order is deeply unjust and that only radical change—sometimes by force—can fix it. It typically grows out of a mix of historical grievances, economic inequality, cultural tensions, fear of losing identity or power, and the appeal of simple answers to complex…
I have been puzzled by the popularity of political leaders who openly violate American laws and customs. In the past, such behavior would have been an automatic disqualifier. It is similar to the popularity of the outlaws in past eras. Outlaws, such as Jesse James, were celebrated by many, despite their apparent transgressions. It would…
Did you ever participate in a white elephant exchange at Christmas? Do you know someone who bought a piece of property that became a white elephant? Psychologists even use the term to mean “any truth, emotion, or experience that feels too threatening for the relationship to last.” It has evolved into a catchall term for…
As a follow-up to my post of October 9, I’m sharing a PSA I created to combat rage farming.
America’s darker impulses seem to be rising after years of relative calm and stability. Today the drumbeat of aggressors and bullies is louder than the peacemakers. The following is a YouTube video that highlights the slow but apparent drift of America towards a more warlike posture towards not only foreign countries and foreign people, but…
How has America become so divided? Social media is a key element. Greedy social media executives lust for our clicks and attention, so they calibrate their algorithms to reward anger, resentment, and excitement. Coupled with the power of media algorithms is rage farming. What is rage farming, you ask? Well, it is a lot like…
Hiding can be a game or a trap…
Julie Masino and Donald Trump know how to excite people. Whenever they perceive a psychological problem amongst their captive audience or negative news about their respective brands, they stir up the pot. They realize their “customers” must remain loyal, so what better way to keep them loyal than to give them a strong jolt of…