Those of us on the path of self-improvement often talk about how hard it is to do the right thing. At the same time, what we fail to do is talk about is how easy it is to do the wrong thing. I was recently reminded of this unfortunate omission in our public discourse while browsing … Read more
“A fact is a truth unsexed,” Kahlil Gibran wrote in his book of aphorisms “Sand and Foam.” Unsexed but essential, facts help us distinguish reality from fiction, real news from fake news. A good journalist will shape them into reports that later produce the knowledge necessary for a free and self-governing public — one of … Read more
“It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own,” Emerson wrote while contemplating the value of solitude. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (September 29, 1934–October 20, 2021) echoes this belief in his book “Flow.” He starts by considering the perils of unconscious living afflicted by … Read more
I’ve already written about the worst and the best writing advice you can give to a beginner. But what lies in between these two extremes? The answer is the Golden Rule of Writing, revealed by writer and editor Charles Euchner in his altogether indispensable “The Elements of Writing: The Only Writing Guide You Will Ever … Read more