Pnewsology

The week's news with a dash of psychology!

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about

I am a professor of health psychology loving being able to get out of the ivory tower. I have written many research papers and 9 books on aspects of eating behaviour, women’s health and communication. I write for inews and often contribute to radio and print media. I have a regular slot with James Cannon on Radio Surrey where we discuss the weekly news with a psychology take. Great fun!

  • Pnewsology – the one about the gap between the rich and poor

    The week’s news with a dash of psychology!

    Jane Ogden (Professor in Health Psychology, Emeritus; email janeogden509@gmail.com; based on a conversation with Mark Carter at Radio Surrey; 8.40 am 31/01/2026)

    Week ending 30/01/2026

    All opinions are those of Jane Ogden

    There have always been lords and serfs, upper class and working class and landlords and tenants.  We have never had an equal society.  But a letter to DAVOS from the campaign ‘Time to win’ at the start of the week stated that this gap is widening and that1% of the world’s population now own more wealth that the other 95% combined. This campaign by ‘Patriotic Millionaires’ then asked governments to tax the rich more.  We have also seen the elaborate displays of wealth at the Haute Couture Week in Paris attended by the rich and famous and heard how David Beckham’s son drinks wine costing £17,000 and how his wife gets a monthly allowance of a million dollars. So much money!

    At the same time there are so many people struggling to get their basic needs met at home and abroad.  We have heard stories from people in Britain having to wait on trolleys in their local hospital; the pubs are struggling to stay open and even though they have been awarded a support package, rising business taxes makes is hard just to make ends meet; and Warm Welcome week has raised the profile of many warm spaces opening up across the country so people can save on their own heating bills and get some friendship thrown in on the side.  Plus, more than 700,000 graduates across the UK are currently unemployed with about 70-140 applications for each graduate job. And abroad, we see photos of Gaza in rubble and Palestinians freezing in their makeshift tents; illegal settlers setting fire to Palestinian olive trees, cars and houses in the West Bank and the freezing cold hitting Ukraine when the soldiers are trying to fight to keep their land.

    The gap between rich and poor is huge and now is bigger than ever. 

    So, what does this do to us when we look out and see others so much better off?  I’m guessing those with all the money expect us to be inspired, to enjoy their glory and to treat it like a bit like watching an episode of ‘Dallas’ (my generation), ‘The Only Way is Chelsea’ or ‘Suits’ where we marvel at how the other half live.  But in reality, I think this gap just creates envy, upset and anger as it just feels so unfair.  And what do with do with that anger? We should be angry with the rich and blame the governments that enable this upward movement of money to happen.  We should vote for a fairer taxation system and get furious as those who dodge their fair share and we should fight against corruption and be cross with those that make money out of an unfair system.  But so often our anger gets misplaced.  And in the same way people kick the dog when they get home from a difficult day at work, or men hit their wives after their football team has lost, people often get angry at the wrong people. And often they aim this anger at those even worse off than they are.  Its classic social psychology!

    Knowing the gap between the rich and poor is getting bigger is a step in the direction.  But redirecting our anger to changing this seems to be a whole other problem.

  • Pnewsology – the one about bullying

    The week’s news with a dash of psychology!

    Jane Ogden (Professor in Health Psychology, Emeritus; email janeogden509@gmail.com; based on a conversation with James Cannon at Radio Surrey; 8.40 am 23/01/2026)

    Week ending 23/01/2025

    All opinions are those of Jane Ogden

    I hate bullies.  This week, news about bullies has been central to the international and local stage. 

    As ever (it’s a long time until 2027!) Trump is everywhere and this week he has been bullying the whole world into letting him ‘Take Greenland’.  He has various reasons such as to protect it against Russia and China, because borders are just a recent thing or for its oil and minerals.  But he just wants it because he thinks he can.

    Then Trump (again) has been accused of bullying the UK government about their ban on trophy hunting imports.  We ban them (bits of elephants, tigers, lions etc) but the US government want us to unban them as they ‘support conservation’ and are good the economy.  The US wants us to do what they want because it is just used to us doing just that.

    Then we have also heard stories of bullying within families.

    In Sussex, CAPA (Children against Parent Aggression) opened in 2020 and looks after parents who are struggling with their children.  One family described how their children come at them with scissors.  They are now at 40 referrals a year. How terrifying to feel bullied in your own home by your own children.

    And we have also watched the high-profile stories of Prince Harry and the Beckhams being played out in the media.  Were Prince Harry and Meghan bullied by the press? and what on earth happened in the Beckham family to turn what always seemed a loving home into one of estrangement?

    But one good news story – the Israeli government were threatening to demolish a small (10th size) children’s football pitch for Palestinian children in the West Bank.  Apparently, it didn’t have the right permits and was a security threat?!  But due to publicity, a campaign and over half a million signatures, this has been postponed for the time being.  If only people power could also stop ethnic cleansing!

    People become bullies for many reasons.  Some have also been bullied and have just learned that this is the way to behave.  Some are frightened of losing power and use this as a way to protect themselves.  Some are defensive, have fragile egos and so lash out as soon as they feel vulnerable.  Some have no empathy and are narcissists.  And some just do because nothing bad happens and the people around them let them.  Around every bully is a bunch of people saying nothing.

    So how should we manage them?  We could ignore them, not give them the attention they crave and hope it all goes away.  We could feel sorry for them and see them as the sad people they are.  Or we could try to negotiate with them and appeal to their more rational side.  All this can work in the school playground, at home or even at work.  But on the world stage something more is needed.  Bullies think they have power and want to be feared.  We need to take what they see as their strength and make it their weakness.

    First, we need to boost our own power and this comes from numbers.  Joining together, creating a team, a group, a union or anything is better than being alone.  There is always safety in numbers and bullies find size important. 

    Then we speak out.  The notion of speaking truth to power if often attributed to George Orwell who said ‘In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act’.  This week Mark Carney gave an amazing speech about how Canada intends to stand up against Trump.

    So we need to speak out.  But we also need to just laugh at them.  The British are great are ridiculing those in power whether it’s through sitcoms like ‘Yes, Minister’, the puppets in ‘Spitting image’, standup comedians or visual gags.  If I am ever in crowd facing Trump, I have a fantasy of getting everyone to fall about laughing.  Bullies want to feel their power, and they want to be feared.  Laughing makes US feel better AND make them realise we don’t fear them anymore.  

    I hate bullies.  Let’s have a mass laughter fest at them and get the world back on track for being a nicer place to be.

  • Pnewsology – the one about gratitude

    Jane Ogden (Professor in Health Psychology, Emeritus; email janeogden509@gmail.com; based on a conversation with James Cannon at Radio Surrey; 8.40 am 16/01/2026)

    The week’s news with a dash of psychology!

    Week ending 16/01/2025

    All opinions are those of Jane Ogden

    This week has been grim with lots of images of death and talk of executions.  At the start of the week, we read about the aftermath of the killing of Renee Nicole Good by the ICE member Jonathon Ross.  He shot her in the head and then shouted ‘F***ing bitch’ before driving away to be heralded the US government as a hero whilst Renee was labelled a ‘deranged leftist’.  Apparently, ICE have ‘Absolute immunity’.  There is now huge unrest across Minneapolis.

    We have watched the protests in Iran against the current regime and heard how over 2,400 protesters have been killed – just shot in the streets with live ammunition.  Videos are now showing body bags in the morgues and reports of how the families are being charged the equivalent of nearly £4k to take home the bodies of their loved ones.  They are even being charged for the bullets.  Iran is now threatening to publicly execute captured protestors. Although these may have ‘postponed’.

    At the same time the Israeli government are pushing through a bill so they can execute the Palestinians they hold in prison and have also moved their military zone even further into Gaza to give the Palestinians even less space to live in.

    And NATO have started to move troops into Greenland given Trump’s claim that he will take it.

    What a week!

    Meanwhile in the UK we have had yellow weather warnings and rivers breaking their banks, extended water outages with one local describing it as a ‘third world country’ and traffic nightmares, particularly locally here in Surrey with 3 horses killed in separate incidents on the A3.

    Whether it’s because there is only much death and misery I can take, whether it’s my optimistic streak, or whether it’s my years of being a psychologist but whilst all this makes me want to turn away it also make me feel grateful.  The UK is not in a great place at the moment, with a struggling NHS, an unpopular government who don’t really to know what they stand for and divisions around immigration and what it means to be British.  BUT with my gratitude hat on, we DON’T have capital punishment and the days of public (and private) executions are over; we ARE a democracy and can vote out any government we get after 4 years; our police mostly don’t carry guns and if they do they are trained not to use them and so far, don’t seem to be trigger happy.  AND we can still take to the streets to protest without the risk of being hit by a live bullet. 

    AND, that most British trait of all, we can laugh at our leaders without being arrested.

    There done – my gratitude task for the day (psychologists would be proud!).

    It’s a great thing, gratitude, and really does help me feel better about my lot.  It helps to get perspective, focus on the positives and find the pleasure in the important (no capital punishment) and trivial (good coffee) parts of our daily lives.  But telling someone else to be grateful strangely always backfires!  As I would say to my parents ‘I didn’t choose to be born’.  So be grateful but be careful how you get others to do the same!

  • Pnewsology – the one about rules (and why we need them!)

    The week’s news with a dash of psychology!

    Jane Ogden (Professor in Health Psychology, Emeritus; email janeogden509@gmail.com; based on a conversation with James Cannon at Radio Surrey; 8.40 am 09/01/2026)

    Week ending 19/12/2025

    All opinions are those of Jane Ogden

    This week’s news has been full of rules being broken with me frequently shouting at my phone ‘how can that be allowed’!  At the start of the week, we read about the catastrophic fire in the Swiss basement bar which took the lives of 40 young people as well as injuring many others.  It seems to have been caused by sparklers in champagne glasses being held up to the ceiling whilst people stood on tables.  The flammable sound proofing then caught fire, the fire extinguishers were locked away and there was no available fire exit.  How on earth was any of that allowed? Where were the health and safety rules? Where was the fire training and more basically where was the common sense of the owners? Just tragic.  What with this and Grenfell I don’t think I will ever complain about health and safety again.

    And then Trump excelled himself! He removed the President of Venezuela and his wife killing many Cubans in the process and declared that he would run the country himself.  And since then he has threatened to take Greenland and possibly Mexica, Cuba and Columbia.  How is any of this possible? What has happened to the rules and where are the consequences?? I thought we had agreements about national boundaries and sovereignty. Or at least that people just knew what was right and wrong.

    But then some semblance of sanity here in the UK.  At last, new rules are being introduced about eye tests for driving if you are over 70, lowering the level of alcohol permitted before driving and there is some discussion about dementia and cognitive function.  I know some people don’t like rules and will kick against these changes, but it does seem sensible that people should be able to see properly to drive.  In fact, shouldn’t we all get our eyes tested regularly, not just for eyesight but also for other health issues (tumours, haemorrhages etc).   And I’ve never understood why we can drink even a bit before driving.  Doesn’t this encourage people to test the boundaries? To argue ‘I have a fast metabolism’ or ‘I’m all muscle’ or I’m a good driver and know what I’m doing’.  Zero tolerance might be an easier rule to follow. And having that conversation with a loved one that maybe their driving days are over is so hard BUT much easier if the you can say ‘but its the law!’.

    Rules can be annoying and sometimes intrusive and feel like an infringement of our autonomy and personal freedoms.  I have been known to break a few ‘silly rules’ in the University world where bureaucracy seems to have gone mad!  And if it wasn’t for the suffragettes I wouldn’t be able to vote, have a mortgage or get a divorce.  But many are there to just keep the world a safer place.  We need world order and some sense of right and wrong and what’s allowed and what’s not to keeps things ticking along in a fairly sensible manner.  But when these rules are broken something needs to happen.  I’m sure many bar owners looking at the Swiss tragedy will question their own escape routes and call in the inspectors.  Even more so that the owner is now in custody.  Children learn through consequences – touch the kettle, it hurts, don’t do it again.  But at the moment rules seem to be broken all over the place with no consequences.   If we want world order, peace and some kind of calm, consequences need to happen and me shouting at my phone just doesn’t seem be enough!

  • Pnewsology – the one about addiction!

    The week’s news with a dash of psychology!

    Jane Ogden (Professor in Health Psychology, Emeritus; email janeogden509@gmail.com; based on a conversation with James Cannon at Radio Surrey; 8.40 am 19/12/2025)

    Week ending 19/12/2025

    All opinions are those of Jane Ogden

    In the week up to the festive season, often dominated by celebration and excess, this week’s news has seen many stories of addiction.  We have read about the tragic murder of the film Director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele and watched as their son Nick was charged.  His life seems to have been a struggle against substance abuse and periods of homelessness, and the stories described periods of tough parenting and his parents’ regret over listening to the health care professionals rather than their son.  How on earth all this led to a brutal stabbing of two people is beyond imagining.

    The news also reported how a doctor called Mark Chavez has become the second person to be charged for selling ketamine to Matthew Perry (Chandler from Friends) – the first was known as the Ketamine Queen.  I listened to Matthew Perry’s autobiography which was full of sad times of loneliness and depression and wild times of the excessive use of every drug under the sun and alcohol.

    More locally, Amy Dickson from Reigate, Surrey described how Christmas is hard due to her father who died in 2020 from his problematic drinking.  Children with alcoholic parents can have a difficult time growing up and often report having to be ‘good’ and ‘invisible’ which is reflected in a recent film released by the National Association of Children of Alcoholics.

    And in line with many rock stars before him, the base player from Biffy Clyro from Scotland announced he was leaving due to addiction and mental health problems.

    So, on one hand we live in a world where drinking alcohol is a normalised part of an annual festival (as well as everyone other social get together across the year) and yet it can become a problem for so many people.  Where is the line? and how does it become so much of a problem for some but not others?

    The classic definition of addiction involves withdrawal and tolerance and its interference with our social, family and work lives.  But in essence its about amount and control.  If you are drinking so much that it’s damaging your health – that’s a problem.  And if you can’t stop, you have lost control.  I guess it’s the age old ‘moderation’ in everything yet again and once this line is crossed, the use of any substance, whether legal or not, is just going to do harm.

    Then why do some people cross this line and why does it seem to be more common amongst the rich and famous? Often, addiction is just down to the people around us.  Peer pressure is huge and if our friends and family indulge then we are so much more likely to do the same. We copy and we want to fit in.  But also, at its simplest, we do anything because we like it and it makes us feel good.  So, a drink or a drug that has an instant effect of pleasure (which they all do!) will make us want to do it again (and again!).  But then along comes the negative consequences which put us off and should make us decide to stop.  Unfortunately, these often come the following day which are hard to anticipate and very easy to forget.  So, we often ignore them and next time do the same again.  But when the more serious consequences come along that influence money, work, family, marriage and children, us mere mortals may get a wakeup call and announce ‘never again’.  But for those in a peer group of excess AND with a fame and financial buffer, maybe the pressure to keep going is too great and the consequences are too far away making it easier to stay on that downward spiral.

    So, find yourself a moderate peer group this Christmas, stay away from the rich and famous (!) enjoy and have fun and if you do overindulge try to remember how this feels so that you are less likely to do it again!

  • Pnewsology – the one about freedom of speech!

    The week’s news with a dash of psychology!

    Jane Ogden (Professor in Health Psychology, Emeritus; email janeogden509@gmail.com; based on a conversation with James Cannon at Radio Surrey; 8.40 am 12/12/2025)

    Week ending 12/12/2025

    In the modern world we pride ourselves on having freedom of speech and much as we recognise that there must be limits, we champion our right to speak out, march and strike.  This week the news has been full of examples of when this right has been challenged.  The protest group ‘Palestine Action’ was proscribed by the UK government as a terrorist group after they took direct action against defence firms.  Since this time more than two thousand peaceful protesters have been arrested for holding handmade cardboard signs supporting Palestine Action (or Plasticine Action in one case!) and protesting against the genocide in Gaza.  This week we have seen reports of those on remand (without trial or charge) going on hunger strike to raise awareness of what has happened to them.  We have also learned that the US are going to start checking the social media accounts of all tourists (How? Really? All of it? For what? The World cup?) and Salah was called out for speaking out against his manager at Liverpool for dropping him from 3 matches.  Apparently, he should have kept his feelings to himself!

    I can vote because the suffragettes took direct action. I get reasonable working hours and holidays because of the unions and I proudly spent much of my twenties demonstrating against what the Thatcher government was trying to do.  I also love it that Count Binface stood next to Boris Johnson in the last election, that the Monster Raving Looney party has stood against pretty much every famous MP for decades and that the late comedian Jane Godley met Trump off his helicopter will her succinct and precise placard!

    Freedom of speech is key to being British and when it goes hand in hand with our irreverence its perfect!

    But not everyone can say or do whatever they like.  This week Australia banned social media for the under sixteens in a damage limitation move and the leader of the AFD in Germany has been involved in an ongoing court battle for using banned Nazi slogans.  There need to be lines and it’s good to see that when these are crossed, action is taken (and governments could actually legislate against social media companies?).  But then why can Trump seize a Venezuelan tanker without any consequences and how can Israel keep supporting the illegal settlers in the West Bank as they set fire to Olive trees and attack the locals with no-one doing or saying anything?

    Freedom of speech is a great thing and the fundamental building block of democracy.  I can march, rant or argue against the things I don’t like and then vote to try and make things better.  But we have laws to stop this going too far and I know that if I incite hatred, violence or am racist then there will be consequences.   

    But sometimes these consequences are misplaced – we have to be able to speak out against a genocide that is playing out now in our lifetime.  And sometimes these consequences are nowhere to be seen, and people seem to literally get away with murder as the world looks on and does nothing.

    All opinions are those of Jane Ogden

  • Pnewsology (28/11/25) – the one about human error!

    The week’s news with a dash of psychology!

    Jane Ogden (Professor in Health Psychology, Emeritus; email janeogden509@gmail.com; based on a conversation with James Cannon at Radio Surrey; 8.40 am 28/11/25)

    Week ending 28/11/25

    This was ‘budget week’ and the news was full of changes to tax and welfare systems with the government declaring that this was a Labour budget with labour values and the opposition and pretty much all the newspapers using it as an opportunity to score political points.  As far as I could see no-one stood back and thought ‘Lets have a think and see what will be best for the country’!

    Amidst all of this was one whopping human error when the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) accidentally pressed publish too early and released details of the budget together with their forecast even before Rachel Reeves could.  With all the expertise, technology and systems in place a human error became headline news.  We also heard of human error when a children’s football coach in Northern Ireland published a ‘drugs list’ on the coaches chat! Bizarre! Consisted of the prices of different drugs (illegal) and a phone number to get them! He was quickly dropped!

    So, if humans are prone to error is AI here to save the day?

    This week the police announced their new AI Bobbi to help as a virtual assistant leaving real Bobbys to deal with the more emergency and sensitive problems.  Wes Streeting as always remains a great fan of AI to save the NHS and improve the health of the nation.  And the OBR predicted that AI would make a huge contribution to growth over the next year.

    But AI still makes mistakes.  Apparently, Elon Musk’s Grok will tell, if asked, that Elon Musk is better looking that Brad Pitt, would beat Himmler in a poop eating contest and be quicker to resurrect than Jesus!  Really??

    And surely we still need humans?  The dreadful fires in Hong Kong have been devasting and I’m sure drones will one day be used to deliver water and help put these out.  But can drones reassure people, carry people out of burning buildings or encourage them to stay put if that’s for the best? We’ve heard of a local food charity called Fareshare clocking up over 32,000 volunteer hours this year to create food packages and cook hot meals for those in need.  And Surrey and Border NHS Trust have an extra £20 million to support people with Eating Disorders.  Surely these are jobs for humans who can chat, smile, listen and react.  Not sure a robot can ever be as good as some people at that! Well maybe some people I can think of but not many!

    And maybe human error is fine and just something we have to live with.  Own up, say sorry, try not to do it again and we will all accept ‘that could have been me’, give respect for them for being honest and move on.

    We seem to want to live in a zero-error world where everything runs perfectly.  BUT that’s simply not possible.  Humans and even AI get things wrong.  But do we want zero error?  In the law of unintended consequences, even if we try to sort out problems now, we could easily cause more problems in the future.  AI could streamline all our services, simplify our shopping and even do our jobs.  But then who would we chat and laugh with? A world without banter would be the biggest error of all.

    All opinions are those of Jane Ogden

  • Pnewsology (21/11/25) – all about U-Turns!

    The week’s news with a dash of psychology!

    Jane Ogden (Professor in Health Psychology, Emeritus; email janeogden509@gmail.com; based on a conversation with James Cannon at Radio Surrey; 8.40 am 21/11/25)

    Week ending 21/11/25

    In the 1980’s Margaret Thatcher famously announced that ‘The Lady’s not for turning’ as a sign that she was strong minded and not one for U-turns.  In contrast, this week’s news has involved U-turns everywhere you look.  Is a good sign if someone can change their mind or are they better sticking to their guns regardless?

    The government’s manifesto just over a year ago promised not to raise taxes and they have made much of sticking to their promise.  Last week, ahead of the budget we heard that Rachel Reeves was considering breaking this promise and raising income tax.  The press responded, the markets responded and even the millionaires responded.  But then we heard that she had changed her mind and income tax was going to stay as it was.  A U turn or maybe a double U turn (a W turn?).

    We also heard from the COVID inquiry how Boris Johnson’s indecisiveness and constant U-turns over the level of restrictions (groups of 3 or 6? Schools closed or open? Wedding or funerals allowed??) probably caused excess deaths in the second wave of the pandemic and contributed to the lasting impact on young people’s mental health.

    And lo and behold President Trump changed his mind (again) over the Epstein Files and encouraged everyone to vote to have them released (although the level of redaction is yet to be seen).

    But in contrast, Keir Starmer announced that will definitely lead the Labour party into the next election (after rumours of a leadership challenge).  And we also heard how the determination to follow a herd immunity approach at the start of COVID caused delays in introducing any restriction causing an estimated 23,000 deaths.  Definitely a hint of Thatcher and sticking to their guns, just like Jeremy Corbyn who was said to have stuck to his own ideological and policy guns since the 1970’s.

    So what is better – U- turns or sticking.

    It seems to me that there are two reasons people change their mind.  The first reason is due to new evidence emerging whether it be through time, changes in the world order or the natural environment.  With a war in Ukraine, Russian drones over Poland, Belgium, Norway and Sweden and the Netherlands and Israel still bombarding Gaza, the narrative is clearly there to raise taxes and put more money into the armed forces.  With wild unpredictable weather it is also there to invest in renewable energy, to save the planet and make us more self-sufficient.  I think people would have accepted tax increases to do this.  And sometimes this new evidence is just personal experience.  John McCaine changed his views on LGBTQ rights in terms of military service and marriage as his wife and gay daughter became ambassadors for equality.  These seem to be perfectly good reasons for a change of mind and are a sign of strength.

    But the second reason is a less positive one – fear.  Fear of the press, fear of the voters and fear of how they might look to their colleagues can be behind a lot of U-Turns and ironically can end up backfiring making the U-turner look the very thing they are trying to avoid – weak.

    U-turns are neither good nor bad nor inherently a sign of strength or weakness.  We all change our minds all the time – what to wear, eat, what job to do or even who to be married to.  But why we make them is what matters. And sticking to your guns may sound like you know your own mind, but if you do this regardless of the evidence then you are probably just stuck in the past.

    All opinions are those of Jane Ogden

  • Pnewsology (14/11/2025) – all about Leadership!

    The week’s news with a dash of psychology!

    Jane Ogden (Professor in Health Psychology, Emeritus; email janeogden509@gmail.com; based on a conversation with James Cannon at Radio Surrey; 8.40 am 14/11/25)

    Week ending 14/11/25

    We often talk about why people become leaders, what makes a good one and when it’s time for them to go.  This week’s news saw the Director General and News COE of the BBC stand down following the editing of Trump’s speech for a Panarama documentary.  We heard about a possible challenge to Keir Starmer’s leadership of the Labour party with conversations about whether Wes Streeting wants this role and would be better at it than Keir, and, yet again, many universities went back on strike to protest against job losses and cuts in degree programmes, in part due to inefficient leadership.  These are the formal leaders of our world who run organisations and call themselves ‘Leaders’ although we used to call them managers (when we were being polite!).

    We have also seen other more lowly mortals show leadership this week in less formal ways.  We have watched as many celebrities and ‘normal’ people have completed fabulous challenges for Children in Need.  Last night a young boy called Richard from Esher who has suffered from a rare cancer came out as England’s mascot for their football match against Serbia and locally in Guildford groups of creatives are pitching to relaunch our Electric Theatre and run it for the local community. 

    So why do people want to be a leader and what makes a good one? The point of a leader is surely to make those around them work better, to help any organisation fulfil its purpose, to be an inspiration and to bring out the best in people.  And ideally those in any leadership role use basic psychology through focusing on the positives, being a good role model, leading by example not just words, and have risen through the ranks so they understand the day job. Parachuting someone in from outside may seem like having a fresh pair of eyes but can create resentment and irritation if they don’t actually know what the jobs other people are doing entail.

    And a good leader also needs to be liked.  They should have some degree of warmth and humour, be relatable whilst also having a degree of gravitas to gain trust and get the job done.  And all this whilst being authentic! Pretending to be fun is just annoying and faking knowledge from a position of ignorance has us all pressing our ‘B***S***’ buttons pretty quickly. (Although I’ve always thought that deeply unpleasant people should try to hide who they really are for the benefit of everyone – authenticity can back fire!).

    But unfortunately, not all leaders are driven a sense a common purpose.  Many have their own agendas to fulfil, are compensating for bad childhoods and deeply held inadequacies and some are simply bonkers!

    All opinions are those of Jane Ogden

  • PNEWSOLOGY (07/11/25) – all about responsibility!

    The week’s news with a dash of psychology!

    Jane Ogden (Professor in Health Psychology, Emeritus; email janeogden509@gmail.com; based on a conversation with James Cannon at Radio Surrey; 8.40 am 07/11/25)

    News for week ending 07/11/25

    We often talk about blame and where the buck starts and stops and too often people throw their hands up and declare ‘not my problem’.  But this week has been one of generosity with people (at last) standing up and showing some responsibility.  Sadly, the lovely Patricia Routledge died whose lead in ‘The Lady of letters’ has stayed with me for years.  Reports show that she gave over £1 million away to charities, particularly relating to young people and mental health and her town – Chichester.  We also heard that the footballer Mbappe donated $20 million to Jamaica to help with the rebuild after the hurricane and Angelina Jolie has pledged millions to help orphans in Gaza.  We also watched Billie Eilish ask a room of rich people at the Wall Street Journal Awards ‘if you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire?’. Good question.  She has donated $11.5 million to charity!  At the same time Rachel Reeves gave us a hint of the forthcoming budget suggesting that taxes might well go up and all or some of us will have to pay more into the communal pot.  How will people feel about that?!

    Often, we are very good at ‘othering’ and look at images of those who are in war zones amongst the bombs and rubble, hungry and homeless with compassion fatigue thinking they are not ‘like us’.  And even when the problems are closer to home, we find ways to classify those in need as ‘different’ even if they speak our language and walk our streets.  But taking responsibility for the world’s problems and trying to help comes from a feeling of being connected to others and seeing them as relatable.  It also comes from a sense of agency and power and that we can make a difference.  And it also is much more likely to happen if it is rewarded in some way.  Holding on to your millions is rewarded if your friends do the same and you live in a micro world of massive bank balances and multiple yachts (what on earth do they spend it on?).  But feeling good about yourself and getting praise from others can also help people be more generous.  We used to live in a world of philanthropists when people took pride in dying broke so they could build libraries, schools and help the poor.  Plaques on walls, recognition through named prizes or even just a bench can be enough to help people give away their money to a good cause.  Sweden even publishes a tax list each year to celebrate those who pay the most.

    But what about when we want to find someone to blame? Who do we look for? This week two prisoners escaped and calls went out for those at the every top to take the hit – David Lammy should resign.  And as we read of war crimes and atrocities are the soldiers to blame? The Generals? Or the government? We need to hold people responsible, take action and see some consequences to feel that we live in a ‘Just world’ where law and order counts for something and bad people will be held to account.  And so they should be.  People have agency and make their own decisions, and sometimes ‘I was following orders’ doesn’t ring true and the person on the ground needs to get their comeuppance.  But sometimes we also need to accept human error and old fashioned cock up.  The wrong form was filled in, I was overwhelmed by work and I just signed on the dotted line mistakes we all make at sometime.  No-one needs to fall on their sword – a simple ‘sorry’ and moving on is enough.

    Taking responsibility for the world’s bigger problems is a wonderful thing to do and we need to find ways to better reward those who do (to make them do it more!). And holding those to account for evils of the world gives us a sense of fairness and makes us feel safe.  But sometimes things are just human error – so let them go!

    All opinions are those of Jane Ogden