Then, a few days ago, I read about the increasing use of so-called water witches in California, which is experiencing extreme drought conditions. Indeed, Sapolsky urges us to emulate the teenager, whose “… deeply felt sense of empathy” is often lacking in adults. If I were working therapeutically with the rancher or vineyard owner shelling out good money to a “water witch,” I might focus on the understandable feelings of despair and desperation driving that behavior. Yes, I would also gently guide these individuals to sources of accurate information—but only after connecting with them on an emotive level. He is the author, most recently, of The Levtov Trilogy and Just Take it One Miserable Day at a Time.

Source: New York Times October 26, 2021 16:13 UTC