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Genius and Madness

From Elvis to Picasso, the thorny intersection of "madness" and creativity.

Happiness
Is Happiness Overrated?

William Todd Schultz Ph.D. on February 25, 2010

Is happiness overrated?I don't know if it is. On one hand, what could anyone want more than happiness? Isn't happiness what we're after? Don't we do all those things we do hoping for happiness as an end result, a mainlined dose of congratulations?

Is happiness overrated?I don't know if it is. On one hand, what could anyone want more than happiness? Isn't happiness what we're after? Don't we do all those things we do hoping for happiness as an end result, a mainlined dose of congratulations?

Depression
Today's Antidepressants: Some Sad Facts

William Todd Schultz Ph.D. on November 14, 2009

There is a long list of sad facts about today's antidepressants.  I'm going to put down what I reckon are the saddest of the sad facts; others are welcome to add their own.  In this post I report the findings of scientific research. 

There is a long list of sad facts about today's antidepressants.  I'm going to put down what I reckon are the saddest of the sad facts; others are welcome to add their own.  In this post I report the findings of scientific research. 

Freudian Psychology
There is no "real" psychology

William Todd Schultz Ph.D. on May 29, 2009

A recent post on "real" psychology--as opposed to all the fake or unreal psychology out there--got me thinking. The day we all decide on what real psychology is, is the day psychology dies. Real psychology equals dead-ended, myopic, oversimplification--of subject matter and of methodology. Real psychology is a means-centered approach. That is to say: only psychologists making use of prescribed, narrowly-defined "scientistic" methods are allowed into the fold. All others are touchy-feely, hopelessly subjective trespassers. Such a stance is 1) naïve, 2) unhistorical, and 3) regressive.

A recent post on "real" psychology--as opposed to all the fake or unreal psychology out there--got me thinking. The day we all decide on what real psychology is, is the day psychology dies. Real psychology equals dead-ended, myopic, oversimplification--of subject matter and of methodology. Real psychology is a means-centered approach. That is to say: only psychologists making use of prescribed, narrowly-defined "scientistic" methods are allowed into the fold. All others are touchy-feely, hopelessly subjective trespassers. Such a stance is 1) naïve, 2) unhistorical, and 3) regressive.

Freudian Psychology
Why Freud and Jung Broke Up: Part II

William Todd Schultz Ph.D. on May 21, 2009

Fellow blogger Dr. Stephen A. Diamond objects to my recent post titled "Why Freud and Jung Broke Up," calling it "an overly simplistic and fundamentally flawed Freudian interpretation" revolving around "repressed" homosexuality. That's a pretty thorough indictment, to say the least!

Fellow blogger Dr. Stephen A. Diamond objects to my recent post titled "Why Freud and Jung Broke Up," calling it "an overly simplistic and fundamentally flawed Freudian interpretation" revolving around "repressed" homosexuality. That's a pretty thorough indictment, to say the least!

Pornography
The "Pornification" of Human Consciousness

William Todd Schultz Ph.D. on March 26, 2009

Porn is the new metaphor. But it doesn't stop there. It is also the new universally shared experience. The nation has been "pornified." It's everywhere. It's open 24/7. And chances are good, judging from research into internet habits, that before or after reading this post, a high percentage of you will visit a porn site. Maybe you just did. The point is, if you did, you are hardly alone.

Porn is the new metaphor. But it doesn't stop there. It is also the new universally shared experience. The nation has been "pornified." It's everywhere. It's open 24/7. And chances are good, judging from research into internet habits, that before or after reading this post, a high percentage of you will visit a porn site. Maybe you just did. The point is, if you did, you are hardly alone.