Narcissus is the beautiful young man in Greek mythology who fell in love with his own image. Havelock Ellis, the British psychologist who became famous for his writings on the psychology of sex, first used the term “narcissism” to designate a condition characterized by selfobsession and an extreme thirst for attention and admiration. Freud, who … Read more
When Marcos declared Martial Law in September 1972, my wife Karina and I were both just 26. We were university instructors freshly embarked on an academic career. Our first-born, a boy, was barely two and had just learned to walk by himself. The rest of our children, three girls, were born after Martial Law. Today, … Read more
As my previous columns on politics may have shown, I am one of those who squirm each time I hear people reduce Philippine politics today into a fight between good and evil. I view this way of thinking as a residual habit from traditional society. And so to hear it from modern Filipinos who ought … Read more
The interesting term “trapo,” as presently used in Philippine politics, is a fusion of two words – “traditional” and “politician.” In the beginning, the preferred word was “tradpol.” But this contraction fell into disuse because, I suspect, it lacked the pejorative power of “trapo,” a piece of worthless cloth meant to wipe off dirt. Over … Read more