Free-range Parenting Has Protection in Utah, Many Battles Ahead
Free-range parenting gains momentum in Utah, but families nation-wide still face threats to their autonomy from intrusive governments.
Shared Reality and Truth Are Losing Ground to Tribalism
People turn to tribalism for a sense of certainty, as trust in institutions and commitment to truth erode. Instead, we need to restore a shared reality which builds common ground, regardless of identity group.
Steiner Schools Foster Creativity, Capability, and Resiliency
Steiner schools, known for their artistic and holistic approach to education, are expanding all over the world, but are they as effective as traditional schools?
The Brain Can Be Rewired Through Meditation and Mindfulness
Neuroscience increasingly validates Buddhist practices, like meditation, which unlock the ability of the mind to change the brain.
Cult, New Religious Movement, or Minority Religion?
We need to change the language we use when talking about religion, starting with the word "cult."
True Happiness Means Embracing Sadness and Pain
We are often sent messages that we shouldn’t feel negative emotions, so people are highly conditioned to want to change or get rid of their emotions, which leads to suppression, rumination, and/or avoidance—thus impeding our happiness.
Truth Is Not Absolute, But That Which Works
A common view of truth aims for that which corresponds with reality. Left with nothing but our own interpretations of the world, Pragmatists, like William James and Charles Peirce, argue that the best we can do is to hold to that which works.
Meaning of Life No Longer Matters to Philosophers
Professional philosophers rarely ask 'What is the meaning of life?' and when they do, they often dismiss it as nonsense.
Chaosmos and How We Survive Tragedy Together
James Joyce's concept of living in the time of chaosmos provides a powerful insight into our ability to survive, relying on both tough-minded and tender-hearted individuals. .
Comfort with Solitude Comes Before The Ability to Think
Freedom entails the capacity to think and to judge in private, where solitude empowers the individual to contemplate their actions and develop their conscience, to escape the cacophony of the crowd. Solitude precedes moral thinking.
Economists with Physics Envy Are Harmful
Observing the acclaim physics was having, economists embraced a physical view of human behavior hoping to replicate similar success. However, unlike physics, the social nature of human beings makes any laws of behavior tentative and contextual.
Self-Esteem, Self-Compassion, or Self-Indifference? Which is Best?
Millennials are the generation who came of age during the self-esteem movement. The concept of self-esteem is losing it's currency, but are self-compassion or self-indifference better frameworks for emotional health?
The Spell of Whiteness
The notion of whiteness and the use of color as a primary aspect of identity arose out of a particular cosmological trick.
‘Enlightenment Now’ Demands A New Romanticism
There are many who say that Romanticism is dead. But the tensions between Romanticism and the soldiers of the original Enlightenment are rising up again.
Earth’s Carrying Capacity for Human Life Is More Than You Think
The claim that earth has a carrying capacity of 7 billion is based on old concepts—misunderstanding how fertility rates and consumption work.
In Physics, Beauty Doesn’t Equal Truth
Most of physics' beautiful ideas are hard or impossible to test. When we try to rectify a perceived lack of beauty, we waste time on problems that aren’t really problems. Physicists must rethink their methods, now.
‘History of White People’ and Dealing with Race Theorists
Nell Irvin Painter's book identifies some of the roots of the inequality we see today, which are based on the antiquated "science" of race theory. We can use the social construct of race to address social injustices, but what do we do with the mixed legacies of race theorists?
The Radical Roots of Peace
Each of us plays a role in becoming a culture of peace by embodying the stories we tell.
LGBTQ…P? Polygamy in the Era of Marriage Equality
Same-sex marriage was legalized in 2015. Ever-individualized notions of love, sexuality, and gender identity broaden our definition of family—but will we make room for polygamy? Should we?
Agape Restaurants Could Revive Toleration and Multiculturalism
Debates surrounding tribalism and bigotry abound, many focused on biased media or public policy. Agape Restaurants conceptualize food as a cultural force for realizing toleration and nurturing community—all while dining with strangers.
The Darkness Around Us
It's beyond disconcerting that, as president, Donald Trump has threatened nuclear war. Still, the world has been on the brink of annihilation many times before, and yet continues because of the slight edge that the forces of creation have over the forces of destruction.
A Twist of Fate and When Destiny Calls
Michael Meade tells a dramatic life and death story from his youth, showing how we are each shaped by compelling threads of fate and destiny woven in our souls.