According to the Barna Group, about 45-50% of U.S. church attenders are self-reported introverts - and about half of those are “ambiverts” (a “best-of-both-worlds” mixture of extrovert and introvert traits). The following are the top ten most common introvert characteristics: Prefers solitude: Enjoys time alone to recharge and reflect. Deep thinker: Processes thoughts internally, often… Continue reading Introverts at Church
Category: Psychology
“Be a Man”
One way to spur men to action is to challenge them. That has been the reason why the military, sports, and even our churches spend so much time telling men to "man up," overcome their pain, get stronger, eliminate weakness, etc. Father's Day is coming up, and our churches will more than likely go after… Continue reading “Be a Man”
Should Christians Consume Alcohol?
There has been a centuries long debate on Christian alcohol consumption. Many things have been written on the subject, but I do not trust most sources. I will do what I believe needs to be done. I will go verse by verse and categorize “wine” into six categories, positive, negative, and neutral verses dealing with… Continue reading Should Christians Consume Alcohol?
Altering the Availability Heuristic
A heuristic is “a mental shortcut that allows an individual to make a decision, pass judgment, or solve a problem quickly and with minimal mental effort.” We use heuristics all the time. In any given situation, we are armed with data about the situation — usually sensory — and use heuristics to fill in the… Continue reading Altering the Availability Heuristic
Through “The Looking Glass”
THE LOOKING GLASS SELF In 1902, C.H. Cooley published a social theory that I believe holds up over a century later - “The Looking Glass Self.” The basic premise of the theory is that our behavior is shaped by our perception of how we believe others see us. In other words, perception of “society” is… Continue reading Through “The Looking Glass”
Have You Any Wool?
WAKE UP, SHEEP! Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool? You need to wake up, sheep! You’re just following the media narrative, sheep! And black? Like black helicopters, blacklists, black ops, and little black boxes. Bill Gates rides in a black car to his meetings with the shadow government. Wool? That must be some… Continue reading Have You Any Wool?
We Are Victims of Moral Panic
"Ignorance is bliss" Americans used to get 30 minutes of local news and 60 minutes of national news each day. If you missed the broadcast, you had to read a newspaper in the morning. That's it. That is all the news media consumption that was available. Now we have a 24 hour cable news cycle… Continue reading We Are Victims of Moral Panic
Religious Differences in Supernatural Beliefs (My Master’s Thesis)
ABSTRACT The supernatural has been a topic of sociological study for over a century, and belief in the existence of paranormal phenomena is permeating into various aspects of the media. Although publicly labeled as a deviant group, paranormal believers comprise a majority in the United States. When different supernatural belief systems are combined under… Continue reading Religious Differences in Supernatural Beliefs (My Master’s Thesis)
Social Media Responsibility
Most of us feel compelled to post only the "best" aspects of our lives on social media. Others post mostly the "worst". Those of us who present the "best" parts of ourselves on social media are not only seeking validation and praise, but are inadvertently harming others. Those of us who present the "worst" are… Continue reading Social Media Responsibility
Exposing the “Mental Health Crisis”
In sociology, mental health has long been viewed as a “social construction” like gender, race, etc. It is absolutely true in this case. Autism is new a “spectrum” that can be as wide as the mental health community wishes it to be. Homosexuality and transgenderism used to be afflictions that no longer appear in the… Continue reading Exposing the “Mental Health Crisis”
Simmons' Opinions 