A pathological narcissist sees everyone else as an extension of self. Like many personality disorders, narcissism manifests itself in intimate relationships through the cycle of idealization and devaluation, creating the concept of the so-called toxic relationship.
The Conversation
Beyond Guns: Three Ways to Prevent School Shootings
Much of the public discussion on preventing school shootings focuses on whether and how to limit people’s access to firearms. While these efforts remain important, over the past 30 years, research has identified other strategies that can reduce the risk for violence.
The Cautionary Tale of ‘Dilbert’
Adams failed to grasp that being a social critic means your freedom of expression only goes as far as your audience is willing to accept it. Adams could say whatever he wanted to his YouTube audience because his listeners may have agreed with what he said. Unfortunately for him, what he said on his program did not stay on his program.
Teaching Heroic Musician Graham Jackson’s Story in Florida Could Now Be Illegal
Florida’s “anti-woke” legislation and the state’s recent rejection of the AP African American studies curriculum are well-known examples of a disturbing trend that attempts to criminalize exploring the stories of Black people such as Graham Jackson.
God: Her/Him/They and Why It Matters
Historically, Christian tradition has recognized many pronouns for God, including “he/him,” “she/her” and “they/them.” This is partly because God does not have a gender. Despite the diverse images used for God in Scripture and Christian tradition, male language and images predominate in contemporary Christian worship.
Joe Biden, Press Evader
During Biden’s first year in office, he held a total of 10 press conferences. Most of those featured him reading prepared remarks and then leaving without taking questions from reporters. When he does take questions, he tends to call on only preselected reporters from – in his own words – “a list I’ve been given.”
White Saviorism’s Sordid Problem
“White saviour complex,” which has a long and sordid history, presumes that people of color, whether in the Global South or in the West, need “saving” from a white western person or aid worker, when what they do is ignore the role of western countries in encouraging inequalities and wars in the Global South.
Samuel Stewart and ‘Cancel Culture’ in the 1930s
More than 80 years ago, an English professor named Samuel Steward was dismissed from his teaching position after publishing what his college’s president deemed a “racy” novel.
What the GOP Gets Wrong About ‘Woke Capitalism’
The notion of equal access to capital flies in the face of one of the central tenets of capitalism. The ability of different organizations to borrow and the price they pay is never equal. It depends on the risk of the investment and how many investors will take that risk.
Biden’s Border Crackdown Explained
The Biden Administration’s proposed rule change – which would see the rapid deportation of anyone who had not first applied for asylum en route to the U.S. – has been condemned by immigration rights groups, which claim it runs counter to the “humane immigration system” that Joe Biden promised while campaigning for the White House.
The Ethics of Home Ownership in an Age of Inequality
Despite the current state of the housing market, property is still considered a sound investment – at least for the limited group who can afford it. However, property ownership can have serious consequences on others’ lives.
3 in 5 Long Covid Patients Have Organ Damage a Year Out from Infection
A new study published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine looked at organ damage in long Covid patients, most of whom were not severely affected when they had Covid initially. Organ damage was identified in 59% of participants a year after their initial symptoms.
Poland Is Policing History, and Distorting the Holocaust
In 2018 Poland passed a law punishing anyone who claimed Poles had any responsibility in the Holocaust. The law is intended to silence historians, even beyond Poland’s borders.
How Jimmy Carter’s Human Rights Focus Helped Dismantle the Soviet Union
Critics have described Carter’s foreign policies as “ineffectual” and “hopelessly muddled,” and their formulation demonstrated “weakness and indecision.” But his overseas policies were far more effective than critics have claimed.
Think You Know What High Blood Pressure Is? Think Again.
Most Americans don’t know the normal or healthy range for blood pressure – yet strikingly, they think they do. And that is cause for serious concern in a nation where nearly half of Americans ages 20 years and up, and three-quarters of those 65 and up, have high blood pressure.
How Much ‘Religious Accommodation’ Are Employers Responsible For?
The U.S. Supreme Court will soon address the extent to which employers must accommodate employees, if at all, when they want to pray, not work on Sundays, observe the Sabbath or invoke litanies of other sectarian requirements.
White Noise: How Dangerous Was the Ohio Train Derailment?
Headaches and lingering chemical smells from a fiery train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, have left residents worried about their air and water – and misinformation on social media hasn’t helped.
What Does ‘Equal Protection’ Mean on the Most Diverse Supreme Court in History?
Though the court is the most diverse in American history – with three justices of color and four women – the conservatives who have historically opposed affirmative action programs hold a 6-3 majority. That majority may ban the use of race when the court issues a decision in a Harvard case expected in June.
Understanding Israel’s Huge Protests Against Netanyahu’s Democracy-Ending Ploys
Demonstrations in Israel since January have drawn hundreds of thousands of protesters denouncing Prime Minister Netanyahu’s proposal to emasculate the Supreme Court and threaten the essence of the country’s government.
Valentine’s Day Gifts from Chaucer to Chocolates
For Valentine’s Day, some couples only roll their eyes at each other in mutual cynicism. The capitalisation of love in the modern world can certainly seem banal. But people have been celebrating the day and gifting love tokens for hundreds of years.
The Battle Over Mifepristone, the Abortion Pill
Medication abortion now accounts for more than half of all abortions in the United States. Some states that have banned abortion altogether or have restricted access to it are vowing to block access to abortion pills.
CBD Is Not a Cure-All. It Has Real Benefits, But Use With Caution.
While there is growing evidence that CBD can help with certain conditions, caution is needed. Rigorous scientific studies are limited, so it is important that the marketing of CBD products does not get out ahead of the research and of robust evidence.
Public School Enrollment Dropped by 1.2 Million During the Pandemic
Dramatic evidence of learning loss has mobilized federal, state and local education leaders. The federal government has allocated US$122 billion to support state and local efforts to help students “catch up in the classroom.”
The Bible’s Song of Songs Is Full of Sex, Challenging Assumptions
Graphic descriptions of both male and female bodies pervade the work and are certainly titillating, even bordering on pornographic. Sensual metaphors such as “grazing among the lilies” and “drinking … from the juice of my pomegranates” suggest sexual practices that are anything but vanilla.
Five Years After Parkland, School Shootings Have Increased and Kill More People
Since Parkland, there have been over 900 shootings in K-12 school settings. Thirty-two were indiscriminate attacks apparently driven by the intent to kill as many people as possible, including mass casualty events at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in May 2022 and at Oxford High School, in Oxford, Michigan, in November 2021.
What To Do About That ‘Dark Personality’ at Work
Have you ever suffered through tales of greatness from a self-absorbed “friend” who reminds you of Michael Scott from “The Office” – and not in a good way? Have you been betrayed by a colleague out of the blue, undermined on a project by the office mean girl, or had a work friendship dropped altogether without explanation?
W.E.B. Du Bois and the Importance of African American Studies
Du Bois’ words in a 1951 article are especially prescient today, offering a reminder about the importance of Black History Month and what is at stake in current conversations about African American studies.
How Atmospheric Rivers Are Accelerating Polar Melt
Atmospheric rivers, those long, powerful streams of moisture in the sky, are becoming more frequent in the Arctic, and they’re helping to drive dramatic shrinking of the Arctic’s sea ice cover. Sea ice loss contributes to global warming and to extreme storms that cause economic damage well beyond the Arctic.
Democrats’ South Carolina Primary Move: Diversity and Moderation Over Tradition
Biden said early nominating states should reflect the diversity of the party and nation and that time-consuming caucuses, like those held in Iowa, should no longer be a part of the process because they disadvantage hourly workers and others who can’t take the required time away from work.
Critical Thinking Isn’t Enough. Time for Critical Ignoring.
A boundless wealth of high-quality information is available at our fingertips right next to a ceaseless torrent of low-quality, distracting, false and manipulative information. It’s necessary not only to distinguish between the two but to ignore much of the trashier information.
The Wall Street Journal, Economist and Financial Times All Now Have Female Editors. What Does It mean for Business?
More women at the top increases the likelihood of women rising through the ranks. These media appointments may even be more important in one respect than the increased number of women on corporate boards.
How the New African American Studies Course Was Purged
After it was rejected by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the College Board on the first day of Black History Month released the framework for its new Advanced Placement African American Studies course. Here’s where the course hits the mark and where it comes up short.
Parking Garages Are Hurting Our Cities
Parking garages and parking lots end up using precious land to house cars instead of people at a time when cities are confronted with a severe housing shortage and skyrocketing housing costs.
Bayard Rustin, Civil Rights’ Often-Forgotten Secret Weapon
Bayard Rustin was America’s signature radical voice during the 20th century, and those voices includes that of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., whom Rustin trained and mentored. His vision of nonviolence was breathtakingly broad.
Migrants Are Blamed for Increasing Crime Rates. Think Again.
A typical argument made by those who oppose immigration is that it increases crime. If people believe immigrants cause crime rates to climb, it’s not hard to understand a backlash. But evidence points against the assumption.
How the Trauma of Police Killings Ripples Across Communities
The effects of police killings ripple from the individual victim to their families and local communities as they cope with the permanence of injury, death and loss. People victimized by the police have demonstrated higher-than-usual rates of depression, psychological distress and even suicide risk.
Nuclear Doomsday Clock Is Closest Ever to Global Catastrophe
On Jan. 24, history was again made when the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ organization moved the seconds hand of the Doomsday Clock closer to midnight. It is now at ‘90 seconds to midnight,’ the closest it has ever been to the symbolic midnight hour of global catastrophe.
How California’s Ambitious New Climate Plan Could Help Speed Energy Transformation Around The World
California is embarking on an audacious new climate plan that aims to eliminate the state’s greenhouse gas footprint by 2045, and in the process, slash emissions far beyond its borders. The blueprint calls for massive transformations in industry, energy and transportation, as well as changes in institutions and human behaviors.
Covid-19 Deaths Continue to Be Undercounted
Some politicians and a few public health practitioners have argued that Covid-19 deaths are overcounted. Research shows otherwise. From March 2020 to February 2022 there were between 130,682 and 412,353 more excess deaths than reported Covid deaths.
Combating Antisemitism in the Era of Twitter and TikTok
Antisemitism and Holocaust denial are no longer hidden in the margins, spewed by fringe hate groups. From Ye – formerly known as Kanye West – and NBA player Kyrie Irving to members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, well-recognized personalities have echoed antisemitic ideas, often online.
Are Special Counsels Handling Trump and Biden Documents Inquiries Independent? Not Really.
While special counsels are intended to be independent, in practice they are aren’t entirely. Ensuring impartiality in the Department of Justice can be difficult, as the attorney general is appointed by – and answerable to – a partisan president.
Philip Roth: the Best Post-War American Writer, Period
Although the style and content of Roth’s fiction is extraordinarily diverse, there is always audible a distinctive voice: irreverent yet earnest, questioning yet authoritative, subtle and nuanced yet powerful and passionate.
How Edgar Allan Poe Became The Darling of the Maligned and Misunderstood
The degenerate characters whose perspectives Poe invites readers to inhabit don’t exactly align with a cultural moment characterized by the #MeToo movement, safe spaces and trigger warnings.
South Carolina’s Barbaric One-Up: Execution by Firing Squad
South Carolina decided in 2021 to allow its inmates on death row the option of execution by firing squad. With that move, South Carolina has elected to deploy a form of capital punishment not used in the state since the Civil War.
The Dispirited End of Jacinda Arden
Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s liberal prime minister who just announced her resignation, faced a constant barrage of online and in-person abuse – from anti-vaxxers, misogynists and sundry others who simply don’t like her.
Ron DeSantis, ‘Injustice Denier’
DeSantis has explicitly denied that systemic racism exists – characterizing the notion as “a bunch of horse manure.” That makes him an “injustice denier.” Akin to climate change, there is no legitimate academic debate about the reality of systemic racism.
Israel’s Ben-Gvir Is Celebrating a Convicted Terrorist and Justifying Violence Against Palestinians
Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, hailed the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, a convicted terrorist, and is trying to make his anti-Palestinian movement seem less extremist and more appealing to Jews and the international community. A rewrite of American history could help him do it.
The Divisive Distortions of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Words
The consequences of the misuse of Martin Luther King Jr.’s words are playing out everywhere from the halls of Congress to corporate diversity training sessions to local school board meetings.
How Basquiat Denounced Violence Against Blacks
At the time of the Black Lives Matter movement, Jean-Michel Basquiat’s work is more relevant than ever. It highlights racial inequalities and the lack of representation of racialized people in the media, but also the violence suffered by African Americans.
Canada’s Answer to Affordable Home Crisis: Ban Foreign Homebuyers
As of Jan. 1, 2023, foreign buyers are banned from buying homes in Canada for two years under the Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act. The ban is part of the federal government’s effort to ease Canadians’ struggle to afford homes.