mysteryshrink.com
A Psycholgist on the Loose
On Being Cool, “The Steam-Box Ladies Room Near-Death Incident” Pt. 1
Current Dateline: Threadgill’s Austin, Tx Branch Office
“What are the ideas that define you? What are the ideas that destroy you?”
The father of the freshman moving into a dorm down on the University of Texas campus let slip that he’d rented a luxury SUV for the day so that his daughter would make the right impression. Who’s that crazy? I’m thinking. Then I remember the steam box near death experience.
A movie came out recently titled “The Joneses” about a fake family that moves into an upper class neighborhood. The “family” is composed of actors hired by corporations to increase sales of high-end More >
Bye, Dr. Laura, “The REALLY Expensive Dinner Incident”
Dateline: Threadgill’s Austin Branch Office, Janis Joplin sang here.
MysteryShrink’s words to live by: “Never pass up an opportunity to shut up.” (This is paraphrased from character in “Goodfellas.” A guy, we’ll call Jack Goodfella, is at a cafe table with two others. He says something negative about someone not present. Jack GF is shot for his effort. The shooter says, “Remember, next time, never pass up a chance to shut up.”)
The phrasing is sharp, but the lesson is just right.
First, General McChrystal blows his career by talking too much. Now, Dr. Laura’s hit the skids. And, of course, there’s always Mel Gibson. Do we need More >
Are you a “BOUNCER” or a “CRACK-UP?”
Dateline: London Heathrow International Branch Office, Several years ago, back when I was not the Emotioanl Maturity Queen I am now….
“What are the thoughts that determine you? What are the thoughts that destroy You?”
As the man says on NCIS, successful Black Ops are 80% planning and 20% execution. I agree with him with one…just one tiny…added thought. Planning only works when it works. When your plan tanks, what do you do next? How happy are you when your careful and time-consuming Plan A goes off track?
Does your fact-observing, what’s best in the long-term…Thinking Guidance System remain in charge or do you fall More >
Yikes! Stun Guns for Everyone!
The sandwich board sign in the mall is new. “Stun guns on sale now.”
Self designed life means taking responsibility for one’s internal state. Usually this works out, because as hard as we try to get other people to do what we want, they do not listen. But what if we had more power?
This is where the stun gun comes in.
Wow. I had no idea you could buy a stun gun without a badge, two box tops from General Mills cereals, or a mental health certificate. I had no idea you could buy a weapon…one that would shut down those telephone service hawkers More >
Speed Kills, “The Disappearing Data Incident”
The big fat face slapping tool ought to come with your computer.
Dateline: Threadgill’s Local Branch Office.
Setting: Old black and white movie. Woman has just discovered a murder.
The woman screams, flipping her head side to side, flailing her arms. A man strides up to face her, takes her by the shoulders and slaps her across the face (with love) to shake her out of her hysteria. Now, I don’t know if this sort of behavior on the part of the woman or on the part of the man ever really happened….
But, such a temporizing mechanism ought to be available to save us More >
Who Makes Your Decisions? “The Hannibal Lector Credit Card”
The purpose of advertising is to stir our Emotional Guidance Systems. (Even though, when I was brought up before the board in the following credit card stoning, I was told that the purpose of commercials is not to “suggest” purchasing products, the purpose of advertising is to inform the public on what’s available. Right, and professional atheletes are paid enough either.)
We can use advertising to see how we drive ourselves crazy in other ways. Picture the person whose criticism you take most seriously as the Head of Marketing for General Mills. Could be your special person, could be a parent. or a co-worker. More >
The Fat Lady and the Hannibal Lector Credit Card
“Which is more important? The world that exists? Or the one you are responding to?”
“Which is more important? The world that exists? Or the one created by ADVERTISING?”
A frequent Mysteryshrink statement in the official Home Branch Office: Each of us makes decisions about how we spend our TIME, our ENERGY, our MONEY, and our LOVE.
Our love isn’t limited, in fact the more we give away, the more we have. Not so with money, time, and energy. Our money, time, and energy have limits…and there’s a great big, better paid, and highly motivated industry out there trying to decide FOR you on how to More >
