The Question
The term gaslighting is a colloquialism, loosely defined as manipulating someone so as to make them question their own reality. The term apparently derives from the title of the 1944 film Gaslight, though the term did not gain popular currency in English until the...
The Power Is In Our Hands
Last month saw the passing of Queen Elizabeth II at age 96. For many (myself included) she was on the throne before we were born and is the only British monarch we have ever known. It is estimated that only 14% of the current Australian population was alive when she...
Human Connection
Imagine sitting at a table where there is a breakfast buffet. It is already a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere. Then a voice starts singing. More voices join in. The song is familiar but somehow not the familiar arrangement. More voices join and the harmonies are...
Humans Are Complex Beings
There is a tendency in western medicine to have a reductionist approach. Everything can be reduced to a single cause, or at least a predominant one. In turn this approach lends itself to a single treatment – usually a pharmaceutical agent. This is a variation of the...
Breaking It Down
Recently I went to a talk given by Ant Middleton, the former SAS officer who has become famous through his role on SAS - Who Dares Wins and SAS Australia. Regular readers will recall that I have written about my fascination with what human beings are able to do with a...
Making A Real Difference
Even before Covid, mental health issues were on the rise accompanied by significant increases in spending and in use of medications. Despite this, the problems continued to increase. The advent of lockdowns in response to Covid has made the situation worse, in...
A Long Two Weeks
Most readers will be old enough to remember “two weeks to flatten the curve”. This was over two years ago. Finally, most of the world is actually living with Covid. Even Anthony Fauci has had to (grudgingly) concede that the pandemic phase is ending, and we are in the...
Time – The Finite Resource
Many years ago, I attended a seminar where the presenter made the point that the only limited resource, we have is time. When you pause to reflect, it is the case that all of us have a finite amount of time on this planet. Furthermore, the amount of time when we are...
The Present Moment
Regular readers may recall that I have previously written about the TV program SAS Australia and the fascination in seeing what people may be capable of. The program must be doing well as there is currently a third season and it being run at the start rather than end...
Counting Down To Sanity
Part of me would have loved to start this year’s blog with something other than Covid-19. However, it remains the predominant, and in some jurisdictions, the only health issue that people have any interest in. It is as if heart disease, diabetes, cancer and depression...
Almost Groundhog Day
One of the great movies of all time, in my opinion, is Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray as a weatherman trapped in the same day. Every event and interaction he has is identical and he remembers that whilst everyone else is living it as if it was the first time....
Who Will Ring The Bell?
It is easy to tell when a sporting event is over. Either a prerequisite number of wins have been attained (e.g. tennis) or a finish line has been crossed. In time-based games, a siren or bell sounds to inform players, umpires and the crowd that time is up, and the...