Learning about the power of shame is one of the most important domains of my life and work. Dr. Gary David, a gifted jazz vocalist, epistemologist, philosopher, affect theorist-therapist and ultimately great friend introduced me to and mentored me into Tomkins. Beyond the theoretical correlations with my learning-work, Gary challenged me to apply Tomkins to
Tomkins and Steinbeck: What A Shame Read More »
Edward Calabrese shared a newly released paper on hormesis and psychology. Hormesis-psychology-1 What Silvan Tomkins might say: You have here, in effect, a psychological hormesis study: not of radiation or toxins, but of ordinary parental misattunement-unresponsiveness, detachment, intrusiveness, psychological control-and its impact on children’s emotional life. The authors show that moderate levels of such adversity
Tomkins and Calabrese on Hormesis Psychology Paper Read More »
Our learning makes our animal emotionality human. Whatever is important is only important because it’s emotionally important. Whatever is emotionally important is only emotionally important because we learned it to be. Though emotion has is own biological logic, the context it’s operating within is always learned. What we feel as emotionally important is not an
Emotional Learning Read More »
Leaning Disabilities: Definition Debate (full) with Gemini Index of other dAilogues What is the meaning of the term “learning disabilities” shared by the scientists, advocacy groups, and legislation authors? The term “learning disabilities” (LD) is complex and its meaning can vary slightly depending on the perspective of scientists, advocacy groups, and legislation authors. However,
dAilogues: Leaning Disabilities: Definition Debate Read More »
This dailogue explores how the affect shame, the neurobiological precursor to the emotion of shame, seems to work. Background: I am grateful to have been mentored into learning about shame by my dear friend, the epistemological philosopher and affect therapist, Gary David PhD. Gary is a proponent and practitioner of the work of the late
Thinking About How Shame Works Read More »
Its hard for kids who “fall behind” in school NOT to take one of 4 paths: 1 – they have a recognized talent that provides opportunities to ascend that are less dependent on learning in school. 2 – someone in their world recognizes their danger and mentors them into catching back up. 3 – they