Archive | Psychology

1000 in 10 Years!

Believe it or not, this is David’s and my 1000th post! Our twice weekly blog began on June 19, 2013. It is hard to believe 10 years have passed and 1000 posts have been written. As with all things, there is a time to begin and a time to end and this post will be […]

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Some of these blogs have “written themselves” while others caused me to think a bit more.  We’ve tried to cover a range of topics about life and work. And, specifically we’ve discussed our work with trial lawyers which is always interesting!  Melissa came up with the idea of this blog and the title, “2’s Company” […]

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Categories of Missed Opportunity

Some people have experienced significant loss, hardship, and a decline in physical and mental health during their lives. (I often think about Nelson Mandela’s 27 years of imprisonment as an example of this type of personal suffering.) Other people have had some serious setbacks, such as a bankruptcy, death of a parent, or a chronic […]

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Melissa wrote her part of this post some time ago, during the 2020 pandemic, and I’m playing catch up.  In a way, it is interesting to see how things have worked out over time, due to changes triggered by a pandemic.  Many things have changed permanently.  Work place changes are a big and obvious change.  […]

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When Asking for a Favor, Make it Easy for Me to Help

As long time readers of David’s and my blog know, I am almost constantly barraged with people’s requests for me to help them. This is, as I tell many people, the story of my life. I help people who need my help, both in my professional life as well as in my personal life. I […]

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I don’t recall the specific incident that prompted this post.  In fact, this type of situation seems so common that it is difficult to pinpoint it at all.  It is not rare, it is, unfortunately, common.  It is not that we’re picking on our clients, all of whom happen to be lawyers; no, we’re not […]

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AI: NO, Real Intelligence

AI, short for Artificial Intelligence, is all the rage at present. The business world is trying to find ways to use AI for many reasons, some of course, involve finding ways to cut out the human component – that is, employees. Others try to find ways to do things better than humans can on a […]

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As David and I have written in previous posts, many people busy themselves with looking for an easy way out, a short cut, or an end run in any given situation.  Unfortunately, this includes attorneys, who often fall for the latest fad when litigating cases.  Whether it’s the old time snake oil of neurolinguistic programming […]

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Paid Versus Free Opinions

To follow up on my previous post about people asking for my opinions, I have noticed an interesting phenomenon. Although it is far from universal, I have observed that people, such as friends and family, who ask for my opinion with no intention of paying me for my time or expertise, often devalue or discount […]

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Melissa is in the position of giving, or rather, selling, advice on a daily basis.  In a way, that is the business we are in.  Of course, much of Melissa’s advice builds not only on her education, training, knowledge and experiences, but on data collected and analyzed for our client’s cases.  Clients pay “good money” […]

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Where am I?

The last couple of months have been pretty hectic, work wise. We’ve had several out of town cases and speaking engagements for Melissa and one night I woke up thinking, “where am I?” I suspect this is a phenomenon common to many “road warriors.” To borrow a line from the band, Bad Company, “And I’m […]

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I have stayed in too many hotel rooms to count in the 34 years I have been working as a trial consultant.  Most of my friends, and all of  my family members, do not travel for business and some hardly ever leave their home for a fun trip, such that they have no idea what […]

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Do You Want My Opinion or My Tacit Agreement?

Many people ask me for my opinions. My opinions are solicited by family, friends, and clients, and sometimes, even by strangers. I would go as far as saying I am a professional giver of opinions, in that my clients retain me primarily for my expert opinions and advice about their high stakes lawsuits. Sometimes, however, […]

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This topic is obviously very real and concerning to Melissa.  The nature of the two relationships with which Melissa was dealing in this situation made it even more difficult.  Fortunately, I do not think I have faced such a conflicting situation.  I may be guilty of offering unsolicited advice or suggestions, and sometimes, a best […]

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Just Ask

Some recent business dealings have reminded me that asking can result in rewards. This is a lesson long ago imparted by the late Ron Lit. Ron was a wheeler dealer (really – he was a car wholesaler, among other things, as we wrote about in an early post, way back in 1994 https://magnusinsights.com/connections-ron-lit/). Ron told […]

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Ron Lit passed away on Friday, July 13, 2005.  He was also born on Friday the 13th , May 13, 1938 to be exact.  Ron was an enigma; for example, his actual name was neither Ron nor Lit. He had a tremendous impact on both David and me in the years we knew him.  From […]

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Be Nice

Be nice. That’s easy to understand, but sometimes, difficult to do. What does it mean to “be nice”? I never gave it much thought until I had lunch at a restaurant in Fort Lauderdale several years ago. The restaurant’s slogan is “be nice” and they have bumper stickers with this motto for anyone to take. […]

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The opposite of being nice, that is, being mean, seems to have a much higher degree of visibility.  Mean sells, mean makes the news.  The increased political polarization of our United States seems to increase meanness, and decrease niceties.  For some, the example of “leaders” behaving badly translates into a belief that those behaviors are […]

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The Ability to Understand Others’ Perspectives

I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion. This includes me. When conducting mock jury or other social psychological research, I almost always encourage the open expression of differing views by informing our research participants that “There are no wrong opinions or points of view.” I know some people who enjoy verbal sparring, however, I […]

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In our often politically polarized world, it appears difficult for some people to accept that other people have valid, opposing, opinions.  Our work involves watching “regular people” who are recruited to participate in our mock juries or focus groups express their opinions.  Clearly, some people are more adamant about their own opinions than others.  Some […]

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