Archive | Getting Through Life and Work

Chris

Hooray for Chris! Chris is Chris Cochran, my dear friend since 1967. I still remember the day Chris and I met, in my back yard, by my trampoline, in the summer of 1967. Thank you, Roger, for introducing us! Chris was my neighbor for a few, all too short, years. One of our first bonding […]

Continue Reading

I’ve met many of Melissa’s friends over the decades we’ve been together, but I think Chris was one of the first ones I’ve met.  We got off to a good start when we me.  Though he and Melissa had known each other for many years, he seemed very familiar to me.  Lots of shared interests […]

Continue Reading

A crash course on elder care

For Melissa and me, our crash course on elder care started about 20 years ago, so I think we are beyond the crash course part. We’ve been engaged in learning about elder care constantly, starting when Melissa, and her brother Frank, noticed some changes in their mother’s routine behaviors. I know many people who are […]

Continue Reading

Since my mom began showing obvious (at least, to me) signs of dementia almost 20 years ago, I decided to learn everything I could about dementia, in its various forms.  Many people, upon noticing that “something just isn’t right” about their loved one, try their best to ignore the signs of dementia, in a misguided […]

Continue Reading

When things don’t make sense: 28 days off

The work we do as trial consultants requires us to work closely with our attorney clients for several weeks or months, or even years. Clients are typically respectful and courteous. But, as we have written before, there are a few outliers – clients who abuse everyone around them, including us. We have had a few […]

Continue Reading

One of the most interesting aspects in my career as a jury consultant is unrelated to the expertise I provide to my clients on things such as trial strategy, jury selection, and witness preparation.  This interesting aspect of my job happens when my clients, all of whom are educated and intelligent attorneys, forget I am, […]

Continue Reading

International Beatles Week

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On December 15, 2020

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Mental Health, Travel, Work-Life

Some dreams come true. For almost my entire life (since my wonderful dad bought me my first album by The Beatles in 1963), I have been a huge fan of The Beatles. As a bona fide Beatles fan, I have all of their original albums, enough t-shirts to wear for a month or so, considerable […]

Continue Reading

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On December 15, 2020

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Mental Health, Travel, Work-Life

Ironically, I’m writing my part of this post on the anniversary of John Lennon’s tragically premature death 40 years ago.  In the remembrances of him today, I heard a news item that quoted him telling Howard Cosell that, if he was only to be remembered for one song, Imagine was a pretty good one to […]

Continue Reading

Altruists and Narcissists

As a follow up to my last post containing the self assessment survey, I will outline several characteristics that differentiate altruists from narcissists. First of all, some definitions are in order, lest there be any doubt about these terms. An altruist is a person who has concern for other people’s welfare. He or she can […]

Continue Reading

Givers or takers.  Perhaps that is another way to relate to this topic.  The world has too many examples of narcissists; it is easy to identify many of them in the political realm.  Because politics is public, it is easiest to see them, though narcissists are certainly not limited to politics.  Examples from the business […]

Continue Reading

How Well do You Know Yourself?

One of the things I enjoy most in life is designing scientific research, including experiments and surveys. Now that I, like most people I know, have more free time than usual, due to worldwide circumstances beyond my control, I decided to devise a personality inventory to allow people to conduct a self assessment. The short […]

Continue Reading

Strange times have caused many strange reactions and behaviors.  Melissa’s survey asks some pertinent questions.  We have friends and family members who are coping with the pandemic, and with politics, in very different ways.  These are, without a doubt, tough times and our country, our world, is incredibly divided.  How we manage our stresses and […]

Continue Reading

Try new food

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On November 24, 2020

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, RoadWarrior, Travel, Trial Consulting

I’m not sure why, but many people are unwilling to try foods they have never tasted before. Several years ago, David and I took some friends to a deli, which, to us, is not very exotic, given that we live in South Florida (and I grew up eating at Wolfie’s a sorely missed Miami Beach […]

Continue Reading

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On November 24, 2020

Category: Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Psychology, RoadWarrior, Travel, Trial Consulting

Apropos of Melissa’s post, she and I just tried a new (to us) cuisine yesterday – Turkish.  With kebabs and wraps, of lamb, beef, and more, it reminds me of Greek or Lebanese food, – but don’t ever tell the Turks, Greeks, or Lebanese that!  It was a wonderful experience  and I’m sure it will […]

Continue Reading

Bob

There are lots of people named Bob. And, there are lots of others who are named Bobby, Robert, Robbie, or Rob. But, when I say “Bob” without mentioning a last name or when I say “my Bob,” there can never be any doubt about to whom I am referring. My Bob is Dr. Robert K. […]

Continue Reading

When Melissa says “I got a text message from Bob” I automatically ask “which Bob?”  We have several Bobs in our lives – all making our lives better.  I first met Bob well after Melissa and Bob finished their Ph.D. program, when Bob was teaching in Louisiana.  We had a memorable visit to his campus […]

Continue Reading

Don’t move to golf community then complain about golfers

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On November 10, 2020

Category: Common Courtesy, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Mental Health, Psychology

People are funny. Some people are funny, in the sense they are full of mirth, while others are funny, as in odd, strange, and curious. Several years ago, when David and I were looking at places to re-locate from our long time home, we arrived at the house we would ultimately buy. The owners of […]

Continue Reading

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On November 10, 2020

Category: Common Courtesy, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Mental Health, Psychology

Fortunately, Melissa and I have the ability to laugh at things like the experience with the seller of our home saying she hated the golfers.  (For that matter, she told us, wine in hand at 2:00 p.m., that she hated the house…)  We have also looked at houses and had the ability to consider “environmental” […]

Continue Reading

I’ve Got a Bartender Ear

There are many inspirations for David’s and my posts, but the most common source of my inspirations is music. I love music, more than I love psychology, and the interrelationship of music and psychology is fascinating to me. One of my favorite musicians is Jimmy Buffett, who wrote a song called, “School Boy Heart.” There […]

Continue Reading

It is fascinating to observe Melissa being approached by friends, and, with some regularity, strangers, with their problems.  Sometimes, significant problems.  She has told me that it was, in part, because of this frequent occurrence that she studied psychology.  But, beyond that bartender ear, listening is a very important skill for business and life – […]

Continue Reading

Powered by WordPress. Designed by WooThemes