Q: Your writing is making me look at authority figures differently including my parents. I used to think my dad was so mature and in charge, but...

...in reality he spends hours a day consuming doomsday propaganda. What do you think he gets from this fear-mongering?

A: Most of us grow up assuming that the adults around us are operating from a deeper level of stability, clarity, and maturity. When that assumption is exposed, it’s surprising, or even disturbing, to see how much of adult behavior is still organized around things like fear, belonging, certainty, and identity protection. The same forces that drive child…