Category: Relationships
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The Secret to Happiness: Building Meaningful Relationships
Arthur Brooks, a renowned social scientist, shares profound insights into what truly makes life happy and fulfilling as we age. Contrary to common assumptions, the key isn’t just about chasing passions or raising children—it’s about cultivating deep, enduring relationships. Here’s what he emphasizes: 1. The Power of a Strong Partnership At the heart of a…
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The Secret to a Good Life: Lessons from the Harvard Study on Happiness
What truly keeps us healthy and happy as we go through life? Imagine you’re investing in your future best self—where would you focus your time and energy? For many, the instinct might be to chase wealth and fame. A recent survey of Millennials found that over 80% had the goal of getting rich, and 50%…
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Six Hard Truths About Modern Friendship
Friendships are one of the most important aspects of our lives, but they’re not always easy. In her book Modern Friendship, Anna Goldfarb lays out six hard truths about modern friendships that can help us navigate these relationships with more understanding and grace. 1. Friends Will Disappoint You First and foremost, it’s crucial to accept that friends…
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How to Disagree with Respect: Lessons from Spencer J. Cox’s TED Talk
In his TED Talk, “How to Disagree with Respect — Not Hate,” Spencer J. Cox shares valuable insights on the importance of respectful disagreement and the preservation of democracy. He begins with a quote from Ronald Reagan, who became the governor of California in 1967. Reagan highlighted the fragility of freedom, stating, “Freedom is a…
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Cultivating Genuine Human Connection: Lessons from David Brooks
In an age where digital communication often overshadows personal interaction, David Brooks’ insights into human connection provide a crucial reminder of the importance of making others feel genuinely known and valued. His discourse on the art of interpersonal relationships underscores four fundamental skills: physical attention, creating a sense of freedom and space, delighting in others,…
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The most beautiful human bond is Friendship
Friendship is the most beautiful relationship because it is based on mutual trust, understanding, and support. Unlike romantic or familial relationships, friendships are not bound by obligation or societal expectations, making them more freely chosen and thus, more authentic. Friendship is also unique in that it allows for vulnerability without fear of judgment. Friends can…
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Love can be Pathological
Pathological forms of love refer to types of love that are considered abnormal or unhealthy. These can take many different forms and are often associated with personality disorders or other mental health conditions. Some examples of pathological forms of love include: These forms of love can be harmful to both the person experiencing them and…
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SCARF model for working effectively with others
Being effective in any kind of collaboration, be it with children, students, friends, associates, co-workers or even loved ones is a skill. The few people who can do this well can lead themselves and others well. Developing this essential leadership skill requires a deliberate focus on the dynamics at play in any social setting and…
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Relationship check: Watch how one treats his/ her worst enemy
Before getting into a relationship with a person, it makes sense to run this simple check: Just watch how the person treats their worst enemy. This will tell you how you will be treated if by chance you are to be tagged as an enemy one day. You will get to feel that behaviour. Compassion…
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The Story Where You Play Villain
Our lives are a bunch of stories, sometimes inter-twining and inter-crossing places, people and events; sometimes real, sometimes imaginary. We all like to see ourselves as the protagonist of the stories we live. Given a choice, we would like to play the hero in all stories too. However, inevitably, one may find oneself in a…
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Can family relationships turn toxic?
We have been conditioned to believe that relationships in the family are always beautiful and full of love and fulfilment. Like all other things, it is not always so. I have seen how toxicity starts showing in relationships. When left unchecked these relationships take a toll on our physical and mental health and erode our…
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Is an apology enough?
Apology and forgiveness do not cancel each other. It takes a lot more.
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Breaking out of the dreaded drama triangle
Every once in a while, all of us find ourselves entangled in interactions that are negative and destructive. We refer to these kinds of conflicts as the Dreaded Drama Triangle. In any relationship conflict, there are three roles and each person involved dons one of these three roles, most of the time. You play one…
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Our biggest assets and liabilities are relationships
We can’t own people, but we definitely own relationships. And while we own them, like any property, a relationship can either become an asset or a liability. Be it work or one’s private life, one of the biggest influence on the amount of happiness and misery of our lives are the people that we live,…
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