The need for creativity has become a hot commodity in the world of business. “Think outside the box,” “synergize,” and “intellectual capital” are hot buzzwords that have been beaten in to the average office lingo. But the issue is that this need for constant creativity can be stifled by the average office set-up: the cubicle.

Self-punishment can take many forms, from negative self-talk to self-injury. Why do people punish themselves? Research in social psychology suggests there are three major reasons why people might choose to punish themselves.

In her 1968 anthology of essays, Slouching Towards Bethlehem, Joan Didion wrote the essay "On Self-Respect,” in which she points out that self-respect has nothing to do with the approval of others. Rather, self-respect comes from the willingness to accept responsibility for our lives.

Christoph Niemann once said, “Creativity is like chasing chickens.” Author Maria Popova pointed out that sometimes it can feel like being chased by angry, menacing chickens! To gain insights on fear and creativity, Popova shares five favorite books on the creative process.

Addressing the 2012 graduating class of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Neil Gaiman imparted several pieces of life-wisdom to those beginning a career in the arts. He advised graduates to avoid projects that take them away from their creative goals, and to approach their creative labor with joy.

Rudolfo Mendoza-Denton, an associate professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, pondered why so many of his students were jeopardizing their grades by missing class. He had encouraged them to adopt an “incremental” rather than a “fixed” view of their abilities, and expected this understanding to result in good class attendance, among other behaviors

When it comes to embarrassment, most of us will do whatever we can to avoid this awkward experience. Embarrassment might show as a blush, or in nervous laughter, sweaty palms, averted eyes, or other involuntary responses.

Positive affirmations are positive statements individuals repeat to themselves to bring about positive change. Are they effective? Do they boost self-esteem? To answer these questions, Dr. Joanne Wood conducted two studies. In one test, participants were divided into low self-esteem and high self-esteem groups.

Jonah Lehrer shares five tips from his new book, Imagine: How Creativity Works, to help us reach our full creative potential. 1) Get Stumped. When the “problem solving” left-brain is stumped, the activity shifts to the “creative” right-brain, and problems are often solved quickly.

In our technological universe, we are so plugged-in to the devices we carry around that we have sacrificed conversation for connection. We text, e-mail, shop, go on Facebook and tweet while we are at home, at school and at work. We have found a new way to be “alone together”.

Productivity can be defined as, “The amount of output delivered per hour of work in the economy”. Our ability to generate more output with fewer people has provided us with many benefits, including less drudgery. To succeed, though, this system depends on economic growth.

“I’m sorry” are two words that can be flippant, insincere, or incomplete. They can also dissolve hostility, encourage forgiveness, and mend damaged relationships. If you’re male, you may not say them often enough. If you’re female, you may say them too often.

According to positive psychology, to be happy and healthy we should be kind, caring, forgiving, gracious, compassionate, upbeat, and optimistic. Researchers Jim McNulty and Frank Fincham contend that, “psychological traits and processes are not inherently positive or negative; instead, whether psychological characteristics promote or undermine well-being depends on the context in which they operate.”

Miguel Alquicira is a dental assistant, and he’s in the minority. More than 90% of dental assistants and hygienists are women. Mr. Alquicira is part of a growing shift in workplace gender patterns. After graduating from high school and finding a desolate job market, he took an eight-month training course and now has no trouble finding jobs that pay $12 or $13 an hour.

For his forthcoming book, Not Working, D.W. Gibson interviewed more than 70 people who had lost their jobs. On July 12, 2011, he interviewed Dominick Brocato of Kansas City. Mr. Brocato had been fired two years previously from the job he had held for 20 years.

The theory posited in this article is that self-esteem is very sensitive to influence and that if we grew up alone on a deserted island, we would have a very healthy self-esteem. If something bad happened, rather than blame ourselves, we would accept the situation.

The Mayo Clinic defines optimism as “the belief that good things will happen to you and that negative events are temporary setbacks to be overcome.” Optimists tend to be motivated and persistent, and will attack problems head-on, rather than walk away from difficult situations.