The following articles are related to ‘History’ at Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life.
Continuing with our look at the psychology of Star Wars, if we use the films as a template for our cultural zeitgeist, are we becoming more like Luke or more like Darth Vader?
I recently wrote about how our emotions can become tangled up with possessions and artifacts that represent past experiences and relationships; how our homes gradually fill up with ‘stuff’ — literal and metaphorical — that blocks us from moving on. But how do we actually go about clearing the clutter?
Certain dates and the events that took place on them have resonance and meaning for us; they shape our sense of who we are, individually and collectively. TV schedulers like to run documentaries on the anniversary of important events, reflecting on the experiences of those involved with the benefit of hindsight, and usually ending by asking how far we’ve come and what we’ve learned. Could this be a useful exercise for us as individuals too?
Many people think that as a psychologist I have this incredible power — that I can easily read their minds; that I can open someone’s head and see what lies inside.
Letting go of objects associated with people we’ve lost or relationships that haven’t worked out can feel like an act of betrayal, or a compounding of the loss that has already happened. By unraveling the emotions associated with those objects, and the memories (good and bad) wrapped up in them, we can find ways of moving on through the grieving process towards the next phase of our lives.
The greatest threat to any country and its greatness lies not in the potential for violent attack, but in the gradual decline of individual character. With the anniversary of 9-11 approaching, let’s remember that you are the heart and soul of the nation, whatever nation you call your own.
What can we learn about ourselves, and possibly our future, from contemplating the Mayan civilization? The beliefs and values that our society holds influence the way we live, our evolutionary strengths and weaknesses, and the shape of our fate. If we ask ourselves the right questions, we can learn from history how to confront life’s challenges wisely.
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