The late civil rights leader Bayard Rustin said, “We are all one, and if we don’t know it, we will learn it the hard way.” Our world is divided, I’m sure you will agree. Whether in the rise of far-right extremism, the resurgence of anti-immigrant sentiments, or the widening reach of conspiracy theories, conflict and …
Everything exists in contrast to something. In the resilience of life there is vulnerability, and in its boldness, fragility. I’ve been no stranger to funerals in my life, and I’ve been teaching about the psychology of death and dying for over a decade now, but the truth is, death still terrifies me. And the loss …
In consideration of the many things that preoccupy the minds of Homo sapiens, and of those things for which we search endlessly in this world, there is perhaps none greater than the search for meaning. As I contend here, however, the search for meaning is a search for connection in disguise. (And it is a …
We have become complacent; and in our pursuit of happiness, we desire to be content above all else. I used to believe that judgment was something to be avoided, at least consciously so, in so much that I had no right to compare my losses to those of others; no right to judge my experiences …
It’s hardly necessary to look for evidence that the world is in need of serious change—that we are in need of change. Indeed, the idea that we are overdue for a revolution is hardly novel. The need for large-scale change is substantiated by a variety of global developments, from rising nationalism and xenophobia to unabated …
An alternative title for this post went something like this: “Coping with Climate Change: What to Do When the World Begins to Burn.” That sounds pretty ominous, I know, and while I struggle to be a realist about our current circumstances, it is not my goal to inspire fear or despair. I do not believe …
It seems, after all, that in this world we find ourselves together. In quantum physics, there is a theory referred to as the many-worlds interpretation, which postulates the existence of an infinite number of alternate universes, each with a slight variation on past and each with multiple variations on future to come. It is the …
I have recently found myself faced with a peculiar conflict (of the existential variety). In my heart of hearts, I have long considered myself a socialist. I say this not in a strictly political sense, but in a moral one. (Politically, I tend to think of myself as a progressive liberal.) Importantly, I am sensitive …
A Brief Reflection on Individuality and the Need to Connect Read More »