Author: Overcoming Adversity | Buteau’s Odyssey

Today, I am considering what it means to appreciate something—a people, a profession, a service, and a sacrifice. What does science, specifically positive psychology, say about the meaning and value of appreciation, and the difference between giving and receiving it? Is appreciation the same as gratitude? I come to these ideas as today, January 9, is designated as National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. If you have been following along with my articles, you will know that I am a retired police officer now working in the space of positive psychology for law enforcement. Throughout my many years in uniform, I…

For many couples, sex is not just physical but a private language of belonging. One of the most difficult parts of a fertility journey is the intrusion it creates in that intimacy. Sex and closeness slowly become timed events, and the pressure to perform can rob the couple of connection. In short, scheduled sex mutes our most intimate love language by tracking it, monitoring it, and medicalizing it. What starts as “go have fun,” as doctors often state, gradually becomes reduced to just another task, especially as the months go on. This part of the journey toward parenthood is rarely…

Reflecting on the dramatic shifts in public opinion, political leanings, and social norms, a friend recently asked how it’s possible that so many people seem to have changed their values so quickly. The more unsettling answer is that many haven’t changed their values at all; they’ve changed how much attention they can afford to give. Increasingly, people aren’t asking what they believe, but how much they can still carry. We like to believe that obedience is a matter of belief. That people comply because they agree, because they’re persuaded, or at least because they’re afraid. But most of the time,…

Award season does not always roll out the red carpet for horror. This year changed that a little. The latest Actor Awards nominations quietly made room for genre performances that actually scared people and moved them at the same time. Below are the horror-related nominations worth celebrating, each one proving that screaming, crying, and surviving monsters can count as serious acting. Michael B Jordan Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Sinners Michael B Jordan’s nomination for Sinners feels like a win for grounded genre performances. His role leans into fear and restraint rather than big flashy…

The elusive Buddhist concept of anatta, or non-independent self (non-self), is often difficult to grasp and leaves practitioners and students confused, and yet it is one of the three marks of existence that underlie Buddhist teachings. The other two marks are dissatisfaction or suffering, and impermanence. “How can this thing I think of as me not exist? And if that is actually true, then who am I?” I often hear this during ketamine sessions from clients as the ego dissolves, disappears, and reforms, leaving them sometimes frightened of dying or not existing, other times exhilarated at the freedom of being…

Somewhere between the holidays and the beginning of a new year, our feeds become filled with trend-driven hype and “new year, new you” messaging that feels loud and urgent, suggesting that we need to reinvent ourselves or overhaul our lives. It’s easy to feel the pressure to set lofty resolutions, chase big goals at full speed, start fresh, and make this the year we finally “get it right.” Yet the reality is that many New Year’s resolutions, while typically made with good intentions, are abandoned by mid-January. Unrealistic expectations, vague goals, waning motivation, a lack of accountability, pressure to conform…

Lost art is such a tragic thing. It doesn’t happen as often as it used to, but sometimes footage just gets lost in the move. It turns out that Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare is one of these films. Just like Event Horizon, this iconic film is missing footage that we will likely never see. However, a new report from Bloody Disgusting can give us some insight into the lost footage. The film’s director, Rachel Talalay, has taken to YouTube to share some news with the masses. Although Talalay can’t find the original edit, she does have pics to prove…

For decades, the media stereotyped autistic people as laughable or lost, while autism researchers described us as “less domesticated” than neurotypical people and compared us to apes and robots incapable of cultural learning. In 2022, a comprehensive survey found that 60 percent of autism researchers still used dehumanizing language in their work: Mechanical. Morally deficient. Incapable of empathy. Meanwhile, the actual data tells a radically different story. When assumptions are tested, nearly every core stereotype about autistic people is wrong. “Autistic People Lack Empathy” Myth: Debunked The claim: Autistic people lack empathy and caring toward others. The research problem: A…

The crowd inside New York Comic Con’s Main Stage erupted as AMC unveiled an extended first look at The Vampire Lestat, the highly anticipated third season of Interview with the Vampire. For those who have followed Louis de Pointe du Lac’s tortured journey from New Orleans to Paris to some semblance of truth in Dubai, this new chapter promises something bolder, stranger, and far more drug-fueled. I was in the audience as the footage rolled — a feverish blur of the past and present, blood-soaked intimacy, and Lestat’s unmistakable presence as the new frontman. I also had the chance to…

A popular social media trend in 2025 was the celebration of social isolation. Reels, posts, and memes abound that celebrate rebuffing social invitations, giving up on dating, doing the bare minimum at work, and even lamenting the loss of social distancing as though it was the silver lining and not an unfortunate consequence of the global pandemic. People seem to have really had it with other people. There is a certain irony to celebrating social isolation on social media, the very platforms that were meant to promote social connection. Are people truly celebrating solitude, or are they actually voicing a…