The World's Best Book Summaries
What is a codependent caretaker? How can you tell if you are one? Sometimes, actions that seem generous and kind can actually be insidious. Genuinely caring for someone is not the same thing as caretaking, which is defined as giving care to others with your own needs in mind. From there, it’s a slippery slope towards codependent caretaking. Learn more about codependent caretaking and why it happens below.
What is mutual reinforcement in the context of management? How can blaming others for problems put both the accuser and the accused “in the box”? In the Arbinger Institute’s leadership fable Leadership and Self-Deception, they discuss why blaming others only causes problems to grow. This made the main character Tom realize that he is guilty of mutual reinforcement both at work and home. Continue reading to see what the Arbinger Institute has to say on mutual reinforcement and blame.
How important is the father-son relationship? What are the consequences of a bad father-son relationship? In the book No More Mr. Nice Guy, Dr. Robert Glover explains why a healthy father-son relationship is so important. During his time as a psychologist, he noticed that a lot of his male patients struggled with their sense of masculinity if they had a bad father-son relationship. Learn about the effects of a bad father-son relationship below.
What is a codependent mother and son relationship? How does it affect men in their adulthood? In No More Mr. Nice Guy, Dr. Robert Glover writes about the impact of unhealthy parental relationships. The codependent mother and son relationship is an example of this and is characterized by harmful attachments, clinginess, and control. Learn more about the codependent mother and son relationship below.
What’s the best way to teach discipline to children? What must parents do? To support a child’s development, the most important skill a parent can pass on is discipline. That’s the view of M. Scott Peck, in his classic book The Road Less Traveled. To teach discipline, two components are critical: love and attention. Read more to learn how to teach discipline to your kids.
How do children develop self-esteem? What can you do to help your child develop a healthy sense of self-esteem? There are many factors that shape self-esteem in childhood. Genetics plays a part, but upbringing and experience (risk, failure, and so on) are also critical. Failure, in particular, builds resilience—the more you experience it, especially when you’re young, the less you fear it. Below are some techniques for helping children develop self-esteem.
Why is change so hard? How can you make change stick and keep moving forward? Getting people to change is only half the battle. You also need to make sure that change lasts. Effective change management relies on reinforcing behavior, giving change time, and recognizing the pattern that change follows. Learn about the three keys to effective change management.
Do you believe in effortless love? Or do you think that love takes work? According to psychiatrist M. Scott Peck, effortless love is a myth. Genuine love takes work, and work requires attention. He argues that listening with full attention is a critical act of genuine love for parenting and other types of relationships. He also discusses when love isn’t worth the effort. Keep reading to better understand how and why love takes work.
Why should parents keep their kids from developing an attachment to immediate gratification? What problems arise when a child doesn’t learn to defer gratification? M. Scott Peck, in his book The Road Less Traveled, argues that the first and most valuable tool you can develop to support spiritual growth is discipline. There are four key components to discipline. One of them is the ability to defer gratification. He explains two problems that can occur when a child fails to learn this skill. Keep reading to learn about the problems that can arise when we don’t defer gratification.
Why is instilling antifragility in children so important? How can you raise your kids to be more independent, rational, and moral? In The Coddling of the American Mind, authors Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff give parenting advice for the modern-day. They believe that kids today aren’t given enough independence and that they need to overcome obstacles in order to become stronger. Keep reading to learn how to instill antifragility and independence in your children.