You’re doing it wrong You can’t do anything right You’re being a jerk These responses to unfavorable situations are the path of least resistance, and the path of least reward. They seek to offer no remedy, only serving as a notification of disappointment. Sometimes that is important, but surely you want more to come from… Continue reading I Know You Can Figure it Out.
Category: Positive Thinking
Double-edged Swords
happiness begets boredom/complacency passion can lead to errors in judgement disinterestedness lacks the eagerness required to uncover difficult truths spiritual growth can lead to the vices of excessive pride, righteousness and hubris For every benefit there is a liability. sorrow makes us work hard for improvement passion comes with a drive to uncover difficult truths… Continue reading Double-edged Swords
It's Just Not Working
Ever have a goal that is just too damn hard? Job? Kids? Marriage? Here are some questions to aks yourself: What is my goal? What is my commitment? If your goal and your commitment do not align, revisit them. Once your commitment is aligned with your goal, next ask: Where are my thoughts not in… Continue reading It's Just Not Working
On Bias and Hyperbole
Bertrand Russell, in his 1918 Mysticism and Logic and Other Essays (a free eBook), noted that a person who is inclined to believe in mysticism becomes favorable to any arguments supporting such beliefs: When the intensity of [mystic] emotional conviction subsides, a man who is in the habit of reasoning will search for logical grounds… Continue reading On Bias and Hyperbole
'The Power of Negative Thinking' Misses The Mark
It’s not surprising that a a New York Times piece entitled ‘The Power of Negative Thinking’ would be a litany of negations. What is surprising is how easily the fallacies of those negations are revealed. “Positive Thinking” is a widely misunderstood topic, and Oliver Burkman’s article reflects popular misconceptions. Oliver quickly dismisses a laundry list of positive thinking tools:
If You Don't Trust People…
From Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching: If you don’t trust the people, you make them untrustworthy. This speaks to the paradox of how our expectations of others bring out that quality in them. It is an offense to our ego! But this truth— when wielded properly— can be used to shape outcomes with others.