In the news recently, I learned about a grandmother in Brazil who thought she was praying before a statue of St. Anthony, when she was actually praying to Lord of the Rings action figure — Elrond to be exact. We can debate the merits/demerits of praying to saints (I have never found it necessary), but […]
“The Christian and the Materialist hold different beliefs about the universe. They can’t both be right. The one who is wrong will act in a way which simply doesn’t fit the real universe.” — C. S. Lewis A sound worldview is an under-appreciated aspect of living a maximized life. To be sure everyone has one […]
“When we are out of sympathy with the young then I think our work in this world is over.” – George McDonald Recently, I ran into a former colleague and her high school aged son. As we caught up, I asked the young man about his plans following high school. He replied: “College, of course!” […]
“Yeah, well, y’know that’s just, like, your opinion, man.” -The Dude. The Big Lebowski We have entered a period in our history where we have elevated what our senses can perceive as facts, while we relegate abstract principles to the realm of opinions. This is not healthy. No sane man would question the sensory data […]
In my previous post on identity, I warned against the rise of the impostor, also known as the false self. If you’re like me and most of the men I’ve met, you have either overcome the false self, or you are living the life of the false self. What is this False Self you speak […]
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates In my original post on this topic, I explained Robert Ardrey’s idea that our psychological and emotional needs center on Identity, Stimulation, and Security. In my previous post on Identity we discussed that identity emanates from essence, from existence. It is rooted primarily in the unchangeable […]
“Know thyself” – Socrates Last week, I re-posted a longish discussion of Robert Ardrey’s theory that Identity, Stimulation, and Security are the three psychological and emotional needs that we must fulfill once our immediate physical needs are satisfied. I titled that post “Three Vectors of Emotional Health,” and I declared my intention to comment further […]
“All the world’s a stage.” – William Shakespeare Some time ago, I read an article expounding on the theory of 20th century playwright and anthropologist, Robert Ardrey. In his book, The Territorial Imperative, Ardrey states that once a creature’s survival needs are met (Think Maslow’s hierarchy: food, clothing and shelter), there is a hierarchy of […]
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin Perhaps it’s our upcoming presidential inauguration that had me thinking about this, but I read what I’m about to share with you some time ago, and I thought at the time it would be worth reproducing here. I’ve published my own advice […]
“Then he taught me, and he said to me, ‘Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over […]
