Excerpts from Human Behavior

Things to remember....

1. Painful events that happened in the past greatly influence what we are today, but dwelling on the painful past can contribute little or nothing to what we need to do now – which is to improve an important, present relationship.

2. It is not necessary to know our past before we can deal with the present.

3. When we have difficulty getting along with other people, we usually make the mistake of choosing to employ external control psychology, attempting to coerce or control others by nagging, preaching, moralizing, criticizing, or by using put-down messages.

4. Since relationships are central to human happiness, improving our emotional and physical well-being involves exploring how we relate to others, and looking for ways to improve how we relate to others (particularly those we feel closest to).