I was 17 when I went to study law in UCD in 1990. At school in Boyle, Co Roscommon, I was interested in science and biology, but I did not take up the CAO offer to study genetics in Queen's as I was scared of maths.
Mogging is Gen Z and Gen Alpha slang for dominating or outshining others-usually in terms of appearance, fitness, or straight-out cockiness. It comes from the acronym for Alpha Male of the Group, namely AMOG. And you'll see it all over TikTok.
In the practice of psychiatry, we like to think we have better radar than most doctors for identifying incoherent thinking in our fellow humans. Incoherence is one of the crucial signs for potential disasters in the central nervous system-delirium, psychosis, mania, intoxication, stroke, encephalitis. And yet, now in the waning years of my career, I confess that I've practiced this skill of identifying incoherent thinking with only the vaguest definition of coherence, and no measure.
Like us, you may feel paralyzed in the face of the relentless images of violence we see every day. Suffering children, military occupations, the devastated neighborhoods, the cries of parents mourning their dead-these scenes haunt us. Whether it is happening in Palestine or Minneapolis, we are witnesses to suffering, and that witnessing takes a heavy toll. Clearly, the devastating situations in the West Bank and Gaza and in Minneapolis differ
Romantic Relationships Get Defined Any single person knows that the struggle of dating involves perpetually undefined relationships. Emotional detachment has been embedded in modern dating, from the language we use to the (loose, barely existent) script that guides how people enter romantic relationships. Even saying "dating" feels like a commitment. Instead, people "talk" when they're first getting to know each other; they "go out," but they don't "go on a date."
When I lost my best friend from college to a slow drift, I spent months analyzing what went wrong. Had I said something offensive? Not been supportive enough? The truth was simpler and more painful: I'd been so focused on fitting into my new work environment that I'd stopped showing up authentically in our friendship. This constant performance of trying to belong is utterly draining.
What I've discovered is that the people who earn genuine, lasting respect aren't doing something special. They're actually not doing certain things that the rest of us can't seem to resist. Psychology backs this up. Research on social dynamics and group behavior reveals that respect isn't earned through dominance or attention-seeking. It's earned through restraint, authenticity, and a quiet confidence that doesn't need constant validation.
Research on casual conversations reveals that more than 60 percent of informal conversations are gossip or the exchange of related social information. Dunbar defines exchange of social information as conversations about people and relationships (e.g., who's related to whom, who's allied with whom, who's married to whom), whereas a more narrowly defined subset of social conversations constitutes pure gossip, containing an element of judgment or evaluation of a not-present third party.
You know that split-second pause when someone asks what you do for a living at a party? That momentary calculation where you decide whether to say "I'm a writer" or "I work in content creation" or maybe throw in something about "behavioral analysis"? I've been there more times than I can count, and it got me thinking about all the tiny choices we make that secretly broadcast who we are, or who we want people to think we are.
Reflecting on the dramatic shifts in public opinion, political leanings, and social norms, a friend recently asked how it's possible that so many people seem to have changed their values so quickly. The more unsettling answer is that many haven't changed their values at all; they've changed how much attention they can afford to give. Increasingly, people aren't asking what they believe, but how much they can still carry.
Shame is a painful perception of self as failing, inadequate, impotent, defective, unattractive, or unlovable. Pride is a pleasant perception of self as successful, accomplished, potent, admirable, attractive, or lovable. Inner perceptions of self implicitly guide thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Rarely do we consciously consider ourselves to be failures, successful, lovable, or unlovable. Inner self shame manifests only when shameful behavior is exposed-that is, when we're caught.
A revealing example is the concept of " grudging respect."What is typically meant by the term is not respect at all but fear-based compliance. From a psychological perspective, behavior driven by fear is externally regulated; people comply to avoid negative consequences rather than because they feel heard, valued, or internally motivated. When someone obeys out of intimidation or pressure, the foundation for meaningful negotiation is absent (even if one party appears to win).
You know that person in the meeting who barely says anything, yet somehow everyone turns to them when decisions need to be made? I've been fascinated by this phenomenon ever since I started interviewing people for my articles. After talking to over 200 folks ranging from startup founders to middle managers, I noticed something striking: the ones who commanded the most respect weren't always the loudest voices in the room.
