The word of the day is phalanx. It sounds like something that would be related to sphinxes, pyramids, and other things you'd find in, say, Egypt. I first heard the word used in the movie "Night at the Museum," which came out in 2006. Ben Stiller's character, a nightguard at the Museum of Natural History in New York, mentions that Attila the Hun -- ruler of the Hunnic Empire from 434 until 453, "surrounded himself with a phalanx of sorcerers and magicians." Per Dictionary.com, phalanx could mean the following: (1) any body of troops in close array (2) a number of individuals, especially person's united for a common purpose (3) a compact or closely massed body of persons, animals, or things In other words, it's a unique way of saying: - group -collection -myriad -throng -flock -horde I don't see phalanx being adopted in the corporate world anytime soon, but it's still a funky word nonetheless. Next time someone asks w...

I've made what I -- and several others -- consider to be an astute observation:  Many people become highly obnoxious when they get together with other people -- whether their friends, coworkers, or others they're close to.  They become looser and less conscious of their surroundings, which often translates into firing off cuss words and lame jokes. Such behavior is only magnified when drinks are involved. I don't take any issue with people having fun with their friends. It's being so silly as to be annoying -- getting drunk, joining forces to demean others, making fools of themselves -- that gets on my nerves.  As I've pointed out in prior entries, people tend toward civilized behavior when they're alone because there's no audience to impress. They don't have to worry about channeling someone else's behavior -- being "part of the group" -- because no one else is there. Thus, when people are alone, they're more vulne...

Every day around noon, a group of five or six people gather in the break room at my company to chat over lunch. They get so boisterous that you can often hear them shouting over each other from the hallway! I've noticed that I hardly ever see these people alone in the building, no matter the day, time, or place. A similar dynamic plays out in my own department, where people do everything from grab coffee to walk to the bathroom together. (I kid you not!) I understand the value of building relationships at work and elsewhere, but these people take it to a whole new level. I think many people have been conditioned by society to believe that unless they do all or most things in pairs or groups, they're weirdos. Many people have a strong longing to be part of a group, and to them, the thought of flying solo is utterly terrifying. Yes, social relationships -- or, connections, as we like to call them -- do help people land jobs, get promotions, and receive other perks. ...

Society puts immense pressure on us to fit in to groups and hew to their norms. But doing so can feel like abandoning our individuality and compromising our beliefs and principles. What's worse, studies have found that when a person is cajoled into doing something they truly wish not to do -- whether it's smoking, taking drugs, or losing his virginity -- it can have serious ramifications. In fact, researchers found that people who grudgingly engaged in said behaviors were later found to be at a greater risk of suffering from substance abuse, alcoholism, and other problems. As if that weren't enough, it can detrimentally affect our self-worth and self-esteem, leading to feelings of anger and resentment. Peer pressure is alive and well, it seems. It's imperative that parents be well informed about their kids' social circles at school. After all, peers exert considerable influence on a child's life. But the pressure to do something against one's will isn'...