Psychology Archives

The Happiness Trap: Review, Background, & Reception

What is Russ Harris’s The Happiness Trap about? What’s the key message to take away from the book? In The Happiness Trap, Russ Harris explores Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, a psychological discipline developed by Steven C. Hayes in 1982. While Harris didn’t develop ACT, his 2007 book helped popularize ACT, which uses a combination of behavioral and mindfulness principles and strategies. Here is our review of The Happiness Trap: Stop Struggling, Start Living by Russ Harris.

The Benefits of Personality Tests in the Workplace

Are there any benefits to taking a personality test? How can understanding different personality types help you become a better communicator? While not all psychologists agree with the benefits of personality tests, Thomas Erikson (the author of Surrounded by Idiots) believes that personality type knowledge is power. Erikson says that understanding the personality types of others is like understanding another language. Continue reading for the benefits and uses of personality tests, particularly in the workplace.

Why Unhappy People Struggle With Relationships

Why do unhappy people struggle to form healthy relationships? What common belief destroys marriages? People who are always unhappy in life often struggle to form meaningful or strong relationships. The two top reasons for this are that unhappy people see others as competition, and they believe that mutual sacrifice is necessary. Learn why these two negative beliefs could be holding you back from a healthy relationship.

What Is the Cause of Unhappiness? It May Be Evolution

What is the root cause of human unhappiness? Are humans even meant to be happy? We regard happiness as the most desirable human state. However, as we all know, happiness is fleeting and fragile. Our minds are not wired to be consistently happy. They are wired for survival. Here is why evolution didn’t mean for us to be happy.

The 4 Key Requirements of Genuine Love

What are the four requirements of genuine love? Why is maintaining individuality important for a relationship? In his book The Art of Loving, Erich Fromm outlines the requirements for genuine love. The four requirements are nourishment, responsiveness, acceptance, and understanding. Continue below for a full explanation of each requirement.

Understanding Emotions: Everything You Need to Know

What exactly are emotions? How can understanding emotions—how they arise and unfold—help you regulate your mood and psychological states? There is no scientific consensus about what emotions are. However, experts generally agree on three things: 1) emotions originate in the “midbrain,” 2) emotions are accompanied by physical changes, and 3) physical changes in the body prompt urges to act on the emotion. Keep reading to learn about the psychology of emotions, where they originate, and how they unfold.

The 5 Types of Love & Their Characteristics

What are the 5 types of love? How is platonic love different from romantic love? In his book The Art of Loving, Erich Fromm describes five types of genuine love. Those types are parental love, platonic love, self-love, romantic love, and spiritual love. Let’s explore the characteristics of each of the five types of love, according to Erich Fromm.

Are Emotions Good or Bad? Here’s Why They’re Neither

Are emotions good or bad? What is the problem with defining emotions as “good” or “bad”? When an emotion arises, physical changes occur in the body. The mind then interprets these sensations and urges in the body and applies judgments to the emotions, separating them into “good” or “bad.” Thus, it treats an emotion like love as a “good” emotion, but emotion like anger as a “bad” emotion. Here is why labeling emotions as “good” or “bad” may not be such a good idea.

Reading the Body Language of the 4 Personality Types

How good are you at reading the body language of others? How should you take it if somebody doesn’t give you personal space—or if they cross their arms? Thomas Erikson, the creator of personality typing by color, explains that the body language of the four colors varies drastically. It’s important to understand why somebody is acting a certain way so you don’t misinterpret their actions. Here’s a breakdown of the body language of the four colors.

4 Cognitive Defusion Techniques to Help You “Unfuse”

What does “fusion” mean in therapy? What’s the problem with “fusing” with your thoughts and what can you do to un-fuse? When you mistake your thinking self—the part of you that thinks, judges, and acts—as a direct reflection of reality, you are in a state of “fusion” with your thoughts. The goal of cognitive defusion then is to acknowledge that your thoughts are simply stories the brain tells you in order to help you survive. There are a number of psychological techniques to do so. Below, we’ll explore four cognitive defusion techniques that can help you disentangle from unhelpful thoughts.