I remember, decades ago, hearing my sociology professor express anxiety about the fragility of American democracy. What is she talking about, I thought to myself, scoffing at her worries. American democracy was as solid as the granite faces on Mount Rushmore. I later … [Read more...] about The Impulse to Destroy Democracy
inner conflict
Finding in Self the Richness of Being
I suspect we’re all on a treasure hunt. The treasure we’re looking for is our better self, or authentic self, or True Self. Lots of people get waylaid, and they go looking for treasures of lesser importance. In our searching, higher aspirants look for knowledge, truth, and … [Read more...] about Finding in Self the Richness of Being
The Key to Emotional Self-Regulation
How much choice do we have at any given moment to feel good or okay instead of miserable? Quite a lot, it turns out, when we understand the nature of inner conflict. Most of us believe we’re basically good and decent. Yet often we can’t feel such attributes as a reassuring … [Read more...] about The Key to Emotional Self-Regulation
The Blindness of the Species
The surging mental-health distress among children and adults attests to the urgency of demystifying the human psyche. We blind ourselves—through a false self, naïve ego-ideal, and vainglorious self-image—to the inner dynamics in our psyche. We are not recognizing how we become … [Read more...] about The Blindness of the Species
Haunted by Incessant Wanting
What do you want, and why do you want it? How intense is your wanting? To what degree is your wanting a form of suffering? These are questions tackled by philosopher-entrepreneur Luke Burgis in his book, Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life (St. Martin’s … [Read more...] about Haunted by Incessant Wanting