Entries by Alan Godwin

January 11, 2019

Dear Drama Observers, Last week, I wrote about gaslighting which is a particularly pernicious form of lying. I wanted to stay with that theme and considered entitling this week’s letter, “The Truth About Lies and Why We Believe Them.” The more I thought about it, however, the more I realized I’d already said what I […]

January 4, 2019

Dear Drama Observers, “A little learning,” wrote 18th-century English poet, Alexander Pope, “is a dangerous thing.” I’ve often been guilty of misquoting Pope as having said, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” I guess that reflects my little learning. But the point is the same: When one’s grasp of knowledge is insufficient, it’s application […]

December 21, 2018

Dear Holiday Drama Observers, I’ve mentioned before—many times, actually—that dramas are fun to watch, but miserable when you’re in them. This time of year, my wife and I love to watch A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. As you’re probably aware, there are numerous cinematic renditions, but my hands down favorite is the one made […]

December 14, 2018

Dear Holiday Drama Observers, People have always asked me if my business—the shrink business, that is—slows down around the holidays. Actually, something closer to the opposite is true. If the holiday feelings of some of my clients could be put to music, they might come out sounding less like “Jingle Bells” and more like the […]

December 7, 2018

“Those who travel the high road of humility in Washington, D.C. are not troubled by heavy traffic.” Former Senator, Alan Simpson George H.W. Bush funeral service Dear Drama Observers, I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard the word “humility” mentioned more times than usual this week. One of those times has been in the […]

November 30, 2018

Dear Drama Observers, Two weeks ago, I talked about the distinctions between those who insult and those who persuade in the first of a 3-part series. This will be the second of those three. But first, let me tell you a story. I worked at large university a while back and about once or twice […]

November 23, 2018

Dear Holiday Drama Observers, Last week, I wrote about the distinctions between those who insult and those who persuade. That was Part 1 of a three-part series. I’ll get back to that next week, but I thought I’d interrupt the flow a bit a piece I wrote last year about holiday dramas—this now being the […]

November 16, 2018

Dear Drama Observers, Most everyone has heard about the recent kerfuffle between Pete Davidson, a Saturday Night Live cast member, and newly elected Republican congressman and combat veteran Dan Crenshaw. Here’s a quick recap: Davidson made disparaging remarks about Crenshaw on the show two weeks ago. Many were outraged at his ridiculing of a combat […]

November 9, 2018

Dear Drama Observers, Everyone’s had an experience similar to this one… I once worked with a guy who’d get mad at me for reasons that were unclear. I’d suddenly and without warning find myself in his “dog house” as it were. He wouldn’t voice anything directly but he’d freeze me out, giving me the silent […]

November 2, 2018

Dear Drama Observers, “People disagreeing everywhere you look. Think I wanna read a book.” Bob Dylan If by throwing out a handful of twinkle dust, some cosmic sorcerer could suddenly eliminate conflict from the planet, I’d be out of a job. Conflict has been a running theme in most every counseling session I’ve conducted for […]