Intelligence Is More Than What You Know A kind person is not automatically intelligent, and an intelligent person is not automatically kind. What interests me is the role empathy plays in understanding. Empathy allows me to consider what another person may be thinking or feeling without requiring me to agree. Some people are brilliant with
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When Art Gives the Pieces Somewhere to Go Sometimes I create because life has left parts of me feeling broken. Memories, losses, disappointments, and wounds do not always fit neatly together, but art gives them somewhere to go. Acting allows me to give fear, grief, anger, tenderness, humor, and longing another voice. Painting and writing
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When Life Becomes a Spectacle In 1967, French writer and filmmaker Guy Debord published The Society of the Spectacle, a critique of consumer culture and the growing power of representation. Debord, a leading figure in the Situationist International, argued that modern life was moving away from direct experience and toward appearances. His famous line, “Everything
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Confidence Is Usually the Surface Many men think dating would become easier if they were simply more confident. Sometimes it would, but confidence is often only the surface. Underneath may be a deeper belief that I am not attractive, successful, interesting, or masculine enough. If that belief remains untouched, confidence can become a performance. I
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Turning Prayer Inward Ralph M. Lewis offers a different picture of prayer. Instead of reaching only toward a distant power, he describes the mystic turning inward for guidance. In his Rosicrucian philosophy, the soul participates in what he calls the Cosmic, a larger spiritual order of consciousness, natural law, and harmony. Prayer becomes less about
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The Ring That Made a Man Invisible In Book II of Plato’s Republic, Glaucon tells the story of the Ring of Gyges. A shepherd discovers a gold ring that makes him invisible. Realizing he can act without being seen, he enters the king’s court, joins with the queen, kills the king, and takes the throne.
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A Calling Is More Than a Title Jeremiah was told that God had known and appointed him before birth, but that does not mean every unusual spiritual experience proves someone was born a prophet. Biblical prophets carried responsibility, obedience, and accountability. A true calling should create humility, not spiritual importance. Prophecy and Prophetic Office Are
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Memory Starts Earlier Than We Think We often say, “I forgot,” as though our memory simply failed us. The problem may have started earlier. Memory begins with attention. If I am distracted by my phone, the television, another conversation, or my own thoughts, I may not take in the information clearly. Later, I may think
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Scarcity Is Not a Character Flaw Scarcity can change how a person thinks without changing who that person is. Economist Sendhil Mullainathan and psychologist Eldar Shafir describe how shortages of money, time, food, or other resources can consume mental bandwidth. When the mind is busy solving urgent problems, less attention remains for planning, memory, and
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Success Was Always Pointing Up For much of my working life, success meant climbing. Employee became manager, manager became director, and each new title seemed to promise more money, influence, and respect. But advancement and fulfillment are not the same thing. A person can move higher in an organization while moving farther from the life
The Ladder Was Never the Life Read More »