WARNING: this post contains spoilers. “Whoever destroys a soul [of Israel], it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a life of Israel, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.” – The Talmud One of the […]
SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t seen the movie Saving Private Ryan, be warned that I’m about to reveal the ending. In Saving Private Ryan, a squad of Army Rangers led by Captain John Miller (played by Tom Hanks) sets off deep into […]
In my experience, most people do not recognize a moral dilemma if it hits them in the face. However we choose to label them, however, most of us face hard decisions about right and wrong at least several times a day. Given that we […]
A lot of young people toss their youthful optimism, playfulness, and their moral idealism out the window at a certain age because they believe that “wisdom” requires it. Now it’s true that in many cases wisdom requires us to surrender our […]
I want intentional friendships that are deep, reliable, and life-giving. To get those kinds of friendships, I need spend time with my friends that isn’t just “hanging out”. Here are four ways I’m building intentional friendships in my life right now: 1. Book club(s) […]
I’m a big believer that good mythology and stories can teach us how to live well. In the past year or so, that has led me to thinkers like Joseph Campbell and Jordan Peterson, who both have left a big mark on […]
It’s no shame to be shy, cautious, and careful. Yes, you might be unadventurous by temperament. But for the unadventurous, everything ventured becomes an adventure. You don’t have to have less courage. You’ll get to spend more time arm-in-arm with courage than the boldest. […]
Many people in our post-religious world are skeptical of the categories of “good” vs. “evil.” And they should be. Most of us inherit duty-based moralities that have tradition behind them, but little enough clear reasoning. And since most inherited religious moral […]
One of the most vivid scenes in all of the Gospel accounts of Jesus’s life is the story of the cleansing of the temple in Jerusalem at Passover. Jesus sees moneychangers and livestock sellers set up in the temple courts and literally flips […]
There are generally two reasons we laugh: the delightful (positive) or the unexpected/shocking (negative). Unfortunately, in the moment we also don’t really know which is which. We rarely pay attention to what we’re laughing at. This plays out often at parties, particularly among young people. […]
For all the hate the Star Wars prequel films get, they also give us a deeper look into the philosophy of the Jedi. As usual, the best lines (as usual) come from Jedi Master Yoda. Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker goes to Yoda for advice in The Revenge of […]
I used to think that Aristotle’s idea of the Golden Mean was bullshit, likely because I encountered the idea from people who weren’t Aristotle. To some of the people who articulated the line of thinking to me, the idea of the Golden […]
If there is a land of dead interesting people out there, you can bet I’ll be hosting a fascinating dinner party the first week I’ll get there. Here’s who I would invite, and why: Ayn Rand – get to know her warm […]
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” – The Lord of the […]
I do way too many spoiler-heavy posts about recent fiction. This is one of them. Don’t read if you haven’t seen The Last Jedi yet. “It’s time for the Jedi to end.” This was the quote that threw us all for […]
Did anyone else feel kind of disappointed walking out of the movie theatre after seeing Star Wars: The Last Jedi? I’m not talking about the movie or the story. I thought it was great (hey, that hyperlink has spoilers – be careful). […]
When my co-host William Nava and I started Praxis philosophy night, a big objective for our conversations was pure fun. I’ve learned from good teachers that philosophy is best explored as a game, with a playful and creative mindset. Good thinkers know […]
Is it possible to create a thinking computer? This is a hot question these days. Everyone from Elon Musk to your friend who just watched Terminator for the first time is gearing up for a world of super-intelligent, self-aware, thinking […]
Is it possible for liberty to win against power? I think the answer to that question depends a lot on the kind of game which liberty-loving people play. In his book Finite and Infinite Games, Professor James Carse broke the games […]
Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. – Howard Thurman This is one of my favorite sayings. No one can say it better than […]
In part one of this argument, I explored how the methodology of political policymaking – cost/benefit analysis – fails to work at large scale. TLDR? Societies are much too complex for it to be easy or even possible to know […]
I hate policy debates so much. Should health care be delivered by government agencies? Should people spend more money on roads? Should kids be educated in the same age grades? Let’s put aside that these questions assume only one answer which […]
Is a 500-year lifespan goal likely to happen in our lifetime? Many of the most optimistic techno-futurists think so, with some even musing that we will eventually achieve immortality – the end of involuntary death. Of course, while most people are asking […]
Why should you care about other people, really? There are some good answers to this question, but none of them include “because you just ought to.” That unfortunately is how most of us justify generosity and love for others. Of […]
Yesterday I watched Schindler’s List for the first time. Why didn’t anyone tell me? This is one of the greatest historical drama movies I could hope for. I’ve not seen anything made before or since that does as well as Schindler’s List to capture […]
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” – 1 John 4:18 Plenty of human relationships are about power. Usually […]
Major spoilers for Wonder Woman ahead! —– Some movies are good to watch once. Others are evergreen. Tonight I watched the 2017 film Wonder Woman for the second time. It’s one of the latter. I loved Wonder Woman the first time I saw it. I’m not […]
Some marriages are good enough to make you want to drive into a hurricane to witness them. One year ago it was my brother and his wife’s wedding which took me to a Charleston, SC under a state of emergency for Hurricane […]
I like to avoid labels. They’re simplistic, they carry a lot of invisible baggage and connotations when people hear them, they enforce groupthink, and they tend to shut down conversation. But now, for the sake of this blog post, I’m […]
What kind of art is worth your time? What makes something superlative or beautiful? Everyone asks these questions because everyone gives their time and attention to some kind of art or entertainment every day. Movies, magazines, books, podcasts, plays, television […]