Recovering from recent emergency surgery to repair a torn retina, I am reminded once again of the fragility and contingency of our lives. I had been in New York City, having dinner with old friends. We were enjoying a restaurant […]
The mythology of enlightenment follows a well-known script: our hero, usually jaded from wasting their time in frivolous pursuits, realizes that there must be a path to a better, more fulfilled life and so embarks on a long and arduous […]
Freedom is a worthy goal: the slave-turned-philosopher Epictetus said it was in fact the highest virtue, and over the course of human history many millions have perished seeking it, attaining it, or defending it. But, if you’re lucky enough to […]
We all spend way too much time on zoom these days. All that time spent staring at a small screen, with small images of other people doing the same thing, talking about very specific issues, can produce tunnel-vision and tunnel-thinking: […]
Guest post by Chris Folland (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-folland-5b3b9814/) Here’s a life question for you: Do you want to do what you want, when you want, with whom you want… for as long as you want? That’s an interesting question, which is often […]
Every year, I spend a few weeks after New Year’s reflecting on the past year and how things went: what did I accomplish? How did I feel? Did I help my family, friends, and associates with the goals they wanted […]
The world is a scary place right now: the novel coronavirus is spreading around the globe; the Saudis and Russians have picked the worst possible moment to engage in an all-out oil price war; financial markets have dropped about 30% […]
It’s the New Year, the season when we typically make our lists of resolutions – the things we resolve to do in the coming year to make progress on our goals. The practice is an ancient one with religious roots, […]
My last couple of posts, on our travels through Rwanda and Uganda, were pretty serious: suffering, forgiveness, reconciliation, compassion, kindness, and connection are all important topics but can be rather sobering. So it’s crucial to remember that, in the face […]
One striking thing we noticed in the first part of our trip, through Rwanda, Uganda, and parts of South Africa, was the incredible industry and optimism of the people we encountered, in spite of the widespread poverty and general lack […]
