That autistics people lack empathy is a negative stereotype that unfortunately dogs the neurodivergent community. Two books, by indivisuals who identify as autistic, offer profound insights about our collective humanity.
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That autistics people lack empathy is a negative stereotype that unfortunately dogs the neurodivergent community. Two books, by indivisuals who identify as autistic, offer profound insights about our collective humanity.
Arguments, whether at home or at work, can be unpleasant. They can either devolve into shouting matches or cold-shouldering.Either way, contentious issues rarely get resolved amicably. Whether its about an unfair division of labour or not feeling heard,Disagreements can run…
First published in The Hindu, 5th April 2026 Whether it’s a colleague, friend or parent, dealing with defensiveness can be challenging. When you raise a concern, the person is not open or ready to accept that there is a problem…
For many, our first friendships emerged in Kindergarten or primary school. As we ploughed through higher grades, it was easy to forge relationships with many friends as we were all in the same class, school and phase of life year…
First published in The Hindu, 1 March 2025 A tendency to categorize people into groups is fairly pervasive. The groupings may be based on a host of factors ranging from gender, ethnicity, religion, class, caste, language, educational levels, political affiliation…
First published in The Hindu, 2 September 2023 Imagine standing in a circle with a group of people who are throwing a ball. The ball passes to-and-fro as different people throw the ball to each other. However, the ball is never…
One of the more robust findings of psychology, to have withstood the tests of time, is the theory of infant attachment, first put forth by psychologist, John Bowlby and subsequently furthered by Mary Ainsworth. According to this theory, infants primarily exhibit three…
Have you ever felt miffed when friends or acquaintances pass judgments as if they know you better than you know yourself? Sure, you get good grades. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t forget to submit an assignment, especially under…
As your friends can influence your behavior in overt and covert ways, don’t be fooled into thinking that only young children or pliant people fall under the spell of peer pressure. Like many things in life, peer pressure is a…
Avoid giving unsolicited advice and draw boundaries when receiving it, to protect your “psychological space” Be it a well-meaning uncle, a do-gooder neighbour or a paternalistic boss, most of us have received unsolicited advice on a range of matters. You…
Aruna Sankaranarayanan is the author of Zero Limits: Things Every 20 Something Should Know. She was the Founder & Director of PRAYATNA, a centre for children with learning difficulties in Bengaluru & Chennai for 22 years.