Categorical Proof
Categorical proof is proof so strong, so definite, so compelling as to defy any alternative explanation. Corroborated proof with verifiable transparency coupled with no way of contradicting the evidence and no alternative explanation––such would represent a good first step in these instances. Seeking to convince others––there are gradations, from the obvious to the extraordinary. The […]
Flow Transference
States of mind are fluid, and maintaining the right frame of mind is not something that necessarily arises naturally. It requires thought, insight––something akin to the flicking on of a light switch. It can also arise by other means. We’ve all heard the term “being in the zone.” In his well-known book, Flow: The Psychology […]
The Edge of Impossibility
“The first discipline is to focus your finest effort on the one or two goals that will make all the difference, instead of giving mediocre effort to dozens of goals,” write Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling in their book The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals. A contested case will […]
The Shape of Perception
We draw instantaneous conclusions of those we meet. That person is kind and friendly; that other, intimidating, distancing. How do we perceive others? What elements work to influence our social perception? One would think that merely drawing a particular shape should have no influence on one’s assessment of those around you. In fact, something as […]
Traumatic Nerve Injury and Wallerian Degeneration
Those who handle car and trucking accidents should possess a sensitivity to a phenomenon known as Wallerian degeneration. With a complex patient, this class of injury can be easily missed. Often the symptoms are vague, gradual. Following a head injury, the patient can begin to experience nothing more than a headache or a generalized feeling […]
Witness Questioning and the Framing Effect
How questions are phrased makes all the difference. The specific words used, the tone and undertone of the question, the subject matter emphasized––depending on how a question has been phrased, one can pretty much predict the answer. Psychologists have long understood this concept, referring to it as “the framing effect:” “The framing effect provides another […]
Learning and Healing
Webster defines health as follows: “The condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit; especially: freedom from physical disease or pain.” The World Health Organization defines health in these terms: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Both definitions define health […]
First Principles: Free Speech
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances”—so reads the First Amendment of the Constitution. Free speech is […]
