Author: Overcoming Adversity | Buteau’s Odyssey

When it comes to accountability, it’s not enough to chant the slogan around the office and hope people get it. Asserting that you’re the type of boss who holds people accountable isn’t enough to do the trick. Your team must trust and believe that there is a fair and accurate process for keeping track of their actions and tying their behavior to real consequences. For example, imagine your boss came in tomorrow morning and said, “If you do a great job today, I am going to give you a $1,000 bonus. If you do an average job, you get to…

“Coercive control” is the term for a diabolical relationship pattern that can have devastating consequences. It occurs when one person unreasonably interferes with another person’s free will and liberty (Pisarra, 2022). The seriousness of coercive control is being increasingly acknowledged, and in some places, it is now a criminal offence. As heinous as coercive control is, the dynamics of controlling may be key to understanding what is occurring. Since the 1960s, control science explained by Perceptual Control Theory (PCT) (Powers, 2005), has been a growing field of research and practice with applications in areas such as neuroscience, mental health, human…

Mickey Mouse is more than a simple animated character. He represents a particular emotion that most people experience before they have a chance to process what they’ve seen. From Mickey Mouse’s two black dots for his ears, his round-shaped head, his big doe-like eyes, and his expressionless smile, it is clear that one can understand Mickey Mouse without being told anything about him. The design of Mickey Mouse conveys specific universal characteristics that allow easy recognition from the least desirable location within a noisy movie theater (typically, the back row). In part, that recognizability has been achieved through careful choices…

One of the things I enjoyed most about this past holiday season was my mother’s absence. From my childhood until I severed ties with her in my forties, Christmas with her was a torment. She had always excelled at humiliation, gaslighting, tirades, and other forms of emotional abuse. But these hardships felt even more acute during a season which extols the supportive family bonds my siblings and I never knew. There’s no research on how many other people have had similar holiday experiences to mine, but it’s safe to say there are millions of us. And lately we’ve been getting…

Just the thought of general education requirements often conjures up dread. Many students see it as an obstacle course with numerous hurdles preventing them from what they most want to pursue. Claiming it’s not why they’re in college, students regard these requirements as a waste of time and money. Parents, too, are often on a mission looking for cheaper alternatives for their college kids to “knock these out,” reinforcing the idea that they’re nothing more than expensive, irritating roadblocks. Among faculty who believe in the value of these requirements, there’s the understanding that teaching general education courses is challenging. This…

Hell House LLC began as a found footage horror that felt genuinely unsettling in a crowded genre. The first film followed a haunted house attraction plagued by strange events during opening night. Everything felt grounded and unfinished in a way that worked pretty well. The movie made viewers feel like they were watching something new. The premise was simple, and that simplicity was the strength. A group of people ignored warning signs because money and ego were involved. Cameras kept rolling because that is what they were paid to do. The house slowly revealed itself as something hostile. Fear grew…

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.The College Football Playoff comes down to this, and the best sportsbook promos are ready to add to the national title stakes. From DraftKings and FanDuel to BetMGM and bet365, top betting apps are offering massive bonus bets, risk-free opportunities, and special offers to give fans extra firepower as the stakes reach their peak.The Indiana Hoosiers are chasing history, aiming to complete the first 16-0 season since 1894, while the Miami…

Returning to writing after a long hiatus is a peculiar experience. It does not feel like starting over, but like meeting an old friend under new conditions. After three years without publishing in my Psychology Today column, I return today to “The Memory Factory” with the sense of reopening a space that was never abandoned—only quiet, like memories we do not revisit often but that continue to shape us. Writing is a developmental practice. Beyond improving style or clarity, it exercises core psychological operations: attention, selection, organization, and meaning-making. To write is to work with memory, that is, transforming lived…

Valentine’s Day is upon us, and stores are dripping red with candy filled hearts and teddy bears of every shape and size.  It’s a great night to curl up on the couch and watch a movie with the one you love.  If you’re hanging out on iHorror.com, though, I have a feeling the regular regime of romantic comedies just might not be for you.  So, in the spirit of the season, We’ve put together a list of flicks that just might be perfect for the horror lover’s Valentine’s Day.  This is by no means a comprehensive list, but they’re some…

“Oh, no,” lamented Sarah, “Is it going to happen again?” She was responding to the possibility that her partner, Joshua, would lose his temper once again, which was a frequent occurrence. She did not trust him, and the result was anxiety, leading to sleeplessness, worry, and irritability. Research reviewed by Tomlinson and Mayer (2009) supports the view that mistrust can be accompanied by anger and fear. Joshua’s temper and Sarah’s response of anxiety were affecting their relationship. A key to healthy relationships is trust, but how does a couple navigate their way back to trust once it is broken? First,…