[DISCLAIMER] When serving as a Marine Security Guard in Lima, Peru (2000-2001), I posed for the above photo when standing adjacent to the Fountain of the Plaza Mayor. Originally inaugurated in 1578, with retouching since, it features a statue of Pheme, one of the gods of Ancient Greece. During the time I was assigned to a diplomatic post in Lima, I remained a member of the Churches of Christ. As well, I still subscribed to tenets up with which I was raised in regard to the

[DISCLAIMER] With my approach to mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”), I use unconditional acceptance (UA). When teaching psychoeducational lessons on this helpful tool, I invite people to accept – without unfavorable conditions – that they are imperfect. For example, as a fallible human being, I don’t tell myself something along the lines of, “Unless I can be entirely without fault or defect, then I won’t endure without protest or react

[DISCLAIMER] In Separating the Art From the Artist: Shamone, Hee Hee, I discussed my fondness for the entertainment content of singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist Michael Jackson, dubbed the “King of Pop”, irrespective of controversial matters surrounding his personal life, as I said: Thriller [1982] is as close to a flawless album as any I’ve ever heard! I say this as one who maintains that fallible human beings are incapable of achieving perfection. In view o

[DISCLAIMER] As Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is informed by Stoic philosophy, this blog entry is part of an ongoing series regarding a book entitled The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman. The authors quote ancient philosopher Marcus Aurelius who stated, “There’s nothing worse than a wolf befriending sheep. Avoid false friendship at all costs. If you are good, straightforward, and w

[DISCLAIMER] In the above photo, intentionally not edited so that I could authentically present a moment of imperfection (the quality or state of being imperfect—fallible, such as flawed in form, structure, or function), as a teenager, I knocked upon the hotel door of a female adolescent. For clarity, when referring to the physical action of hitting a door to announce one’s presence, the standard phrasing is “knock on a door”. Still, “knock upon a door” is also grammatica

[ DISCLAIMER ] Regarding this blogpost, a number of terms warrant definition. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), psychopathy is defined as “a synonym for antisocial personality disorder [ASPD]” and “formerly, any psychological disorder or mental disease .” Similarly, the APA defines a psychopath as “a former name for an individual with antisocial personality disorder.” As ASPD is referenced in both of those definitions, it’s worth noting that t

[ DISCLAIMER ] As Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is informed by Stoic philosophy , this blog entry is part of an ongoing series regarding a book entitled The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman . The authors quote ancient Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius who stated, “What is your vocation? To be a good person” (page 171). Regarding this perspective, I stated in

[ DISCLAIMER ] Do you remember fearing monsters as a child? Addressing this concern, one hip hop song comes to mind. Featured on the...