We are all going to die. If we had a say in how it happened, what would most of us choose? Recently I began asking clients, friends and family members this straightforward question and the results of this unscientific survey are very telling. Of the fifty or so people I have asked, all but three [...]

(SVP, voir plus bas pour la version Française) I’ve been writing this column for ten years now. I often get random thoughts that turn into columns and stories but many others just sit there as just that – random thoughts. They don’t look like they will ever develop enough to be any more than the [...]

SMOOTH ROCKS AND PLASTIC RINGS (SVP, voir plus bas pour la version Française) Why do we always seem to come home from vacation with a pocketful of smooth rocks or seashells we picked up at the beach or cheap plastic rings we bought at an amusement park? I don’t know about you but I have [...]

CAN I DO MORE? (SVP, Voir plus bas pour la version Française) Can I do more? This question is a trap if I ever heard one. Can I do more to help my parents? Can I do a better job on this assignment? Can I eat better? These types of questions are endless and the [...]

(SVP, voir plus bas pour la version Française) Here’s something I published today in the on-line version of Metro. Someone who read it asked me if it meant I was against all ‘Soft’ sciences. I’m not sure what is meant by that word but I am not for or against anything per se. Science simply [...]

How many fingers? (SVP, voir plus bas pour la version Française) Every once in a while, when talking to a client, I briefly hold up two fingers. I then ask the person how many fingers I held up. He or she quickly says, “Two.” It’s a simple question and people never hesitate when answering. But [...]

(SVP, voir plus bas pour une version Française) An article in the paper two weeks ago quoted a researcher who claimed that 98% of anti-depressants and other psychiatric medication prescriptions could be stopped with no ill effects. As much as I agree that they can sometimes be over-prescribed, I certainly don’t think his statement makes [...]

THE GOLDEN RULE 2.0 (svp, voir plus bas pour la version Française) The golden rule is nice – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Unfortunately, just like any advice, what may be good for one person can be a pretty bad for someone else. The rule of moral reciprocity is [...]

WHY IS THAT COP FOLLOWING ME? (svp voir plus bas pour la version Française) If a police officer were walking toward you, would you run? Clearly not. Most of us would never take off no matter how scared we were. We would never want to give the police officer a reason to believe we had [...]

The kind of story that moves me the most is one where a person triumphs over adversity and manages to maintain a healthy positive attitude. (Chèrs lecteurs Francophone, voir plus bas pour une belle histoire inspirante, écrite en Français). There is enough horror and evil out there to make us all miserable. But we are [...]