Nature or Nurture?
If we take a moment to reflect on our personalities, we may begin to wonder how we came to be who we are today. What were the...
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PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- May 25
- 4 min
Intelligence or Character?
Throughout the 20th century, the predominant view in psychology was that the most essential factor for success in school was intellectual...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- May 18
- 6 min
THE POWER OF PRASIE
Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai had five disciples and they were these: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hananiah, Rabbi Yose...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- May 11
- 5 min
Self-Praise
Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai received [the oral tradition] from Hillel and Shammai. He used to say: if you have learned much Torah, do not...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- May 7
- 5 min
JUST WORLD HYPOTHESIS
Moreover he saw a skull floating on the face of the water. He said to it: because you drowned others, they drowned you. And in the end,...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Apr 27
- 7 min
Taking Responsibility
He used to say: A brute (bur) is not sin-fearing, nor is an ignorant person (am ha-aretz) pious; nor can a timid person (bayshan) learn,...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Apr 20
- 5 min
THE NEED TO BELONG
Hillel said: do not separate from the community; And do not trust in yourself until the day of your death; And do not judge your fellow...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Mar 30
- 4 min
SELF-TRANSENDENCE
“Human existence is not authentic unless it is lived in terms of self-transcendence.” - Viktor Frankl, 1966, p. 104 One of Viktor...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Mar 23
- 5 min
TRUST IN GOVERNMENT
In his bestselling book, Bowling Alone (2000), Harvard political scientist Robert Putnam noted a seismic shift from the 1960s to the...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Mar 16
- 4 min
BUSY MINDSET
How often do you feel that there is too much to do but not enough time to get everything done? Feeling time pressure can induce anxiety...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Mar 10
- 5 min
ETHICAL CHOICES
In the late 1990s Columbia University psychologist E. Tory Higgins developed regulatory focus theory (RFT) to describe two different...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Mar 2
- 4 min
MORAL VIRTUES
One of the key underpinnings of the field of positive psychology is that flourishing in life entails utilizing one’s character strengths....
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Feb 23
- 4 min
THE LIMITS OF SPEECH
Psychotherapy is often referred to as the “talking cure.” The term was coined in the late 19th century by one of the first documented...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Feb 16
- 4 min
THE DANGERS OF ESTIMATION
Robust psychological research demonstrates that our ability to estimate accurately is negatively impacted by a variety of factors. For...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Feb 9
- 3 min
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
One of my favorite courses to teach is Educational Psychology. The content covers a vast wealth of material related to psychological...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Feb 2
- 4 min
Personal and Social Responsibility
There is a fascinating philosophical debate regarding free will: do we choose our thoughts and actions, or is everything about us...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Jan 27
- 3 min
MASTERY OR ACHIEVEMENT?
When you work towards a learning goal, are you motivated for better grades, looking smarter, outperforming others? Or do you learn for...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Jan 19
- 3 min
LOVE PEACE
Peace psychologists study the best ways to resolve conflicts and foster harmony among nations, groups, and individuals. Besides the life...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Jan 12
- 3 min
TRAITS OF A TEACHER
Avtalion used to say: Sages be careful with your words, lest you incur the penalty of exile, and be carried off to a place of evil...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Jan 5
- 3 min
LOVE WORK
While some believe that business success leads to happiness, it is more accurate to say that happiness leads to business success....
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Dec 29, 2022
- 3 min
BEWARE OF BIAS
Judah ben Tabbai and Shimon ben Shetach received from them. Judah ben Tabbai said: do not [as a judge] play the part of an advocate; and...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Dec 22, 2022
- 3 min
THE INFLUENCE OF OTHERS
Many of the messages in Pirkei Avot concern our social relationships. In previous essays, we have elaborated on the importance of good...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Dec 15, 2022
- 4 min
DEVELOPING FRIENDSHIPS
Yehoshua ben Perachia and Nittai the Arbelite received from them. Yehoshua ben Perachia used to say: appoint for yourself a teacher and...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Dec 6, 2022
- 4 min
A FAMILY CULTURE OF KINDNESS
Yose ben Yochanan of Jerusalem used to say: Let your house be wide open, and let the poor be members of your household. Engage not in too...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Dec 1, 2022
- 3 min
THE IMPORTANCE OF ROLE-MODELS
Does watching violence on television make children more aggressive? How about playing violent video games? In 1961, Albert Bandura...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Nov 24, 2022
- 4 min
WHAT'S YOUR MOTIVATION?
“Antigonus a man of Socho received [the oral tradition] from Shimon the Righteous. He used to say: do not be like servants who serve the...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Nov 17, 2022
- 3 min
PSYCHOLOGICAL PARADIGMS
Shimon the Righteous was one of the last of the men of the great assembly. He used to say: the world stands upon three things: Torah,...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Nov 10, 2022
- 5 min
HOW TO CULTIVATE CHANGE
Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets...
PSYCHEDFORTORAH
- Nov 3, 2022
- 3 min
START WITH WHY (INTRO TO AVOT)
"All of the Israel, have a share in the World-to-Come, as it is stated: 'And your people also shall be all righteous, they shall inherit...
PSYCHED FOR AVOT
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