It is a natural human characteristic to desire a certain quality of life. As such, it is fair to ask, What is quality of life? Most, when thoughtful, consider quality of life to include at least the following three characteristics: 1) absence of fear, 2) loving relationships (support), and 3) fulfillment of necessities (food, water, shelter, and health care). Contrast these desired characteristics with the typical self-image, and a couple of issues immediately emerge. First among them is the fear generated within ourselves over the risk of exposure or rejection. ... Read More
More and more people today profess to be atheist or agnostic. Those who claim to have no religious affiliation have grown from 15 percent to 20 percent of our population in just the past five years. Today, some 6 percent, or more 13 million Americans, claim to be either atheist or agnostic, and 14 percent, or nearly 33 million people, say they have no particular religious affiliation. The new age movement has also cut into organized religions traditional role. Wiki defines new age this way: The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement ... Read More
Robert Bly’s A Little Book on the Human Shadow is a great book that adds yet another dimension to the notion of the so-called dark side of the human being. Carl Jung referred to this dark side as the human shadow. Although Jung may have given it the name, the idea is much older, dating back as far as human history. Often, the dark side is personified in literature, none of which is more illustrative of the dark potential than the classic tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In ... Read More
One important element in the notion of personal freedom is self-responsibility. It may go unnoticed today, but so long as one remains dependent upon blaming another for their misfortunes, they effectively have tied themselves up. There is nothing they can do about it but get even. Thus the bumper sticker, “I don’t get even, I get evener.” The fact is, blame is a bind that wraps us from one end to another as though we had been literally tied up. Blame says, “There’s nothing I could do — it was ... Read More
Assume that you are not personal friends. How would you address a school principal or, for that matter, President Barack Obama? Would it be on a first name basis? If not, why? Now I don’t mean to be Victorian about this so please put yourself in my shoes as I relate a couple of experiences to you, and then decide if it’s my sensibilities gone afoul or a breakdown in manners. This last weekend I visited my favorite lake resort. After enjoying a successful morning of fishing, my lovely bride ... Read More
