Have you ever sat down and thought about your values? Values are important, motivating, and provide guidance. I’ve done a lot of values work in therapy and find it challenging. I value many things, but prioritizing the top five to ten is difficult and dynamic. One thing I have learned during…
Category: Uncategorized
Uncategorized
Read more
On Being a Good Steward of Earth
Socializing the gains You don’t have to look far to find something to complain about. Climate change Inequality Suicidal ideation Malnutrition Loneliness The world is full of problems. Now, I’m no doomer. My intent is not to illuminate human suffering. Rather, I accept the Buddhist notion that there will be suffering….
Uncategorized
Read more
Is Punctuated Equilibrium a Good Way to Change the World?
It’s monolithic Have you seen (or read) “2001: A Space Odyssey”? This joint effort by Stanley Kubrick and Author C. Clarke blew minds when it came out in 1968. And it still does, today. Some people complained that the story was too slow, but I think it is amazing that…
Uncategorized
Read more
Making a Good Life
The unexamined life is not worth living — Socrates Do you ever think about this quote? There are probably plenty of people who disagree with Socrates, but I, for one, do not. It seems natural, even innate, to want to make the most of one’s life. To have a good life seems…
Uncategorized
Read more
If Natural Selection Determined Human Value Systems
Do you suffer? Humans have problems. It’s hard to deny. Despite many pleas for ‘looking on the bright side of life’, we live in a world full of suffering. For whatever reason, I think about these problems, the causes, and potential solutions. While it is difficult to maintain a positive mental…
Uncategorized
Read more
The Beauty of Your Comfort Zone
Do you ever think about your comfort zone? I’m sure most people are at least aware of the concept. To me, our comfort zone is like an invisible egg that surrounds our physical body. Near the center, we are, well, comfortable. As we near the edges we become less comfortable. …
Uncategorized
Read more
Is This a Testable Personal Growth Hypothesis?
Does science play a role in your life? Do you value hard data and evidence? Do you think humans are good at proving things? Or maybe you defer to religion or culture to decide what is real? I talk a lot about how science is over or undervalued. Some folks think…
Uncategorized
Read more
Reincarnation May Not Be True but It Can Be Helpful
Do other people ever make you angry? I’d be worried about you if you said no. Or assume you are the Dalai Lama. Many of us struggle to find connections to people we disagree with. Or people who act out, are annoying, or mean. I preach a lot about how we…
Uncategorized
Read more
I’m Not You and You’re Not Me
Have you ever wondered how any two people can have a conversation and walk away feeling both like they were heard and believing they heard the other person? It blows my mind how limiting conversation can be. As magical as language is, it leaves so much room for error. Words…
Uncategorized
Read more
Can We Stop Enabling?
“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.” ― Charles Bukowski Do you ever think about this? Can you think of an example from your life? Sometimes, it seems we’re surrounded by idiots. And they’re loud. This ‘false arrogance’…