Category Archives: Group psychology

Fear of Criticism

Posted on September 28, 2023 by knlistman

Ask an educator “How do you encourage creativity?” They will tell you students need an environment full of stimuli. They describe the ideal classroom as having an open, accepting atmosphere, free from criticism to build up self-esteem. Ask authors, poets … Continue reading →

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The Crazy Writer

Posted on September 21, 2023 by knlistman

Writers, like other creatives, tend to exhibit pathological symptoms from time to time. So, psychologists have studied the life of writers, researching their unconventional behavior like they examine the pathology of a disease. Writers can appear contradictory because the strongest … Continue reading →

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Messrs & Co

Posted on June 29, 2023 by knlistman

Vernacular language can both draw in readers and become a pitfall. When we understand the vernacular, we feel a closeness to the author, having come from the same world and using those same words. Acronyms and abbreviations are no different. … Continue reading →

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Collaborating with Other Authors

Posted on February 23, 2023 by knlistman

How do multiple writers work together to produce a work superior to their individual abilities?  With a great deal of struggling. Despite the idea that synergy, or combining abilities of people in groups, to produce better ideas than individuals most … Continue reading →

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In My Head

Posted on December 15, 2022 by knlistman

As a child I made up stories in my head, mostly about people’s pets. The majority of them were entirely descriptions such as fur color, number of spots, eye color and size. When I bemoaned the fact that these just … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Group psychology, Ideas for writing, Literary devices, Literature, Self-awareness, Style and voice, Teaching writing skills | Leave a comment

Favoring rebellious heroes

Posted on October 13, 2022 by knlistman

As much as people are willing to mimic the behavior of others in order to fit in, they often secretly wish for the strength to show dissent. We admire the person who has the guts to do what we dare … Continue reading →

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Obnoxious characters

Posted on January 13, 2022 by knlistman

Creating villains is much like creating protagonists. They are people with depth and a history. A villain follows discernible motives just like the hero does. Only at some point in their life, villains take an ethical shortcut to get ahead. … Continue reading →

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The human factor in science fiction

Posted on March 22, 2021 by knlistman

Hardcore science fictions readers may mourn the loss of science fiction writers whose keen insights led them to glimpses of the future. Jules Verne created novels in which characters sailed under oceans throughout the world and traveled to the moon. … Continue reading →

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Impossible to be unbiased?

Posted on November 23, 2016 by knlistman

Early in my career at the turn of the decade (between the 1970s and 1980s) my boss gathered everyone in the office to watch a film on generational differences. When the polished speaker concluded his presentation, I noticed an interesting … Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomers, Generation X, Generational differences, Group psychology, Millennials | Leave a comment

Cold War and the Common Enemy

Posted on September 6, 2016 by knlistman

One of the particular memories I had as a child was when my parents asked me to select a doll, one that I didn’t mind missing for a while. They were going to pack it in box for the basement. … Continue reading →

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