“Terrified of being alone, yet afraid of intimacy, we experience widespread feelings of emptiness, of disconnection, of the unreality of self,” Sherry Turkle wrote while reflecting on how computers affect our awareness of ourselves, of one another, and of our relationship with the world. “And here the computer, a companion without emotional demands, offers a … Read more

On conformity: The more aware we are of our vulnerabilities to social pressure, the better we can defend against the impulse to conform. While it is often easy to remain skeptical toward groups we do not belong to or those we have already left, the urge to conform is strongest within the groups we identify … Read more

“By doing just things we become just; moderate things, moderate; and courageous things, courageous,” Aristotle wrote in his meditation on virtues as habits. Revisiting this timeless advice reminded me of an interview Mortimer J. Adler (December 28, 1902–June 28, 2001) gave to Bill Moyers about his groundbreaking book “Aristotle for Everybody.” As the two sat … Read more

. Technically speaking, a writer’s block can’t stop you in the age of AI. Just ask ChatGPT to write something for you, and it will produce a better result in a few minutes than an average human can produce in a few hours. You’ll not do it, however, if writing helps you enter the state … Read more