Words to Ponder

09 Dec Words to Ponder #31

Posted at 18:01h in Culture, Performance Movement, Performing the World, Vygotsky, Words to Ponder 0 Comments

Today's words are from psychologist Vesna Ognjenovic, whose long and full life dedicated to helping people to create a developmental and peaceful world ended this week. Her work and her inspiration continue! Vesna appeared in the video Performing the World 2007. A fellow follower of the revolutionary Vygotsky, Vesna had this...

11 Oct Words to Ponder #30

Posted at 22:50h in Creativity, Culture, I Like This, Politics, What's New, Words to Ponder 1 Comment

Today's words are from Jackie Salit, President of IndependentVoting.org, the country’s leading strategy and organizing center for independents. Jackie's columns, talks and conversations cut through the mist that the news and its talking heads cover us with. This quote is from her essay, "Making Sense of the Senseless" (October 11, 2017). "The...

05 Oct Words to Ponder #29

Posted at 14:40h in Culture, I Like This, What's New, Words to Ponder 0 Comments

Today's words are from Nazim Hikmet (1902-1963), the Turkish poet, novelist and playwright who was repeatedly arrested for his political beliefs and spent much of his adult life in prison or in exile. ON LIVING Living is no laughing matter: you must live with great seriousness like a squirrel, for example— I mean without looking...

05 Aug Words to Ponder # 28

Posted at 20:19h in Language, Philosophy, Psychology, Training/Classes, Wittgenstein, Words to Ponder 3 Comments

Here is a slide show of Wittgenstein quotes I put together for the online course, Investigating Wittgenstein. Happy pondering! Investigating Wittgenstein ...

14 Jul Words to Ponder #27

Posted at 01:19h in Culture, Language, Philosophy, What's New, Wittgenstein, Words to Ponder 5 Comments

These days, we could all use a a little Wittgenstein. Like this gem. One is often bewitched by a word. For example, by the word "know." Ludwig Wittgenstein ...

03 May Words to Ponder #26

Posted at 13:51h in Culture, What's New, Words to Ponder 9 Comments

A little Walt Whitman for early Spring, 2017 “This is what you shall do; Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God,...

22 Apr Words to Ponder #25

Posted at 18:50h in Culture, Human Development, I Like This, Philosophy, What's New, Words to Ponder 5 Comments

Here's a provocative take on anger from Fred Newman (who often advises us to look in the mirror). Dialogue 52. Dealing with Anger as Activity (From Psychological Investigations: A Clinician's Guide to Social Therapy) Student 1: I understand that you believe that expressing anger is a choice. I know that if I...

26 Mar Words to Ponder #24

Posted at 23:15h in Creativity, I Like This, Philosophy, Psychology, Psychotherapy, Social Therapy, Words to Ponder 0 Comments

"Science, Spirituality and Social Therapy" is the theme of this quote from Fred Newman (from the book Psychological Investigations: A Clinician's Guide to Social Therapy, Edited by Lois Holzman & Rafael Mendez). I think there is a powerful and important connection between spirituality and human growth. For the bulk of this...

28 Feb Words to Ponder #23

Posted at 18:28h in I Like This, Psychotherapy, Theatre, What's New, Words to Ponder 2 Comments

Fred Newman was a playwright and theatre director as well as a social therapist (and philosopher, community organizer and political strategist). He loved creating conversation on therapy and theatre. Here's excerpts from a class he gave on The Therapeutics of Theatre—in 2002, and just as relevant (maybe more so) 15 years later. My...

14 Feb Words to Ponder #22

Posted at 17:05h in Activity Theory, I Like This, Philosophy, Postmodern Marxism, Social Therapy, Words to Ponder 0 Comments

Groups. Individuals. Decisions. Descriptions. Science. Measurement. Therapy. Fred Newman brings them all together in "Undecidable Emotions (What is Social Therapy? And How is it Revolutionary?)". Here's an excerpt from the article published in 2003 in The Journal of Constructivist Psychology (Volume 16, pp. 215-232). You can read the article in...