Pandemic + Politics = Death
In the case of a worldwide pandemic, lots of people die. And unfortunately, lots of them die needlessly. These unnecessary deaths are usually because of politics.
Upgrade Your Thinking
One of the masterminds I participate in is a WhatsApp chat group that we’ve labeled Juxtaposed Jedi. It’s a daily chat with three of us, where we’re bouncing ideas off each other, conducting thought experiments, and getting and giving advice. One of the most valuable parts of the process is when we point out faulty thinking. This could be a confirmation bias someone has, making an assumption from a bad premise, emotional irrationality, or simply sloppy logic.
What Have We Learned from the Pandemic?
One of the wisest things economist Milton Friedman ever taught was that only a crisis — actual or perceived — produces real change. It is times of crisis that cause our preconceived beliefs and confirmation biases to get shaken and stirred. Things that weeks ago seemed politically impossible become politically inevitable. Countries and cultures mirror individual people in the sense that we usually learn a lot more from our challenges than we do from our victories.
Stay Safe During the Corona Virus Pandemic
Below is a copy of my “Friday Filosophy” newsletter. Normally it goes exclusively to my subscribers, but since the information this week could be helpful to many others, I’m reposting it here on my blog.
Creating a Critical Thinking Mastermind
In this post, we discussed the importance of having someone in your life that you can count on to give you good guidance and tell you the truth. Then in the next post, I shared some thoughts on how you create those relationships. Now let’s look at creating an extended mastermind of critical thinkers you can draw on.
Finding People You Can Trust
Last post I said you need someone in your life who knows you personally and can be there for you in those moments of doubt, fear, or weakness. It’s important that they are someone who cares for you, wants the highest good for you, and most importantly, believes in you. If you don’t have someone who qualifies in that role right now, that’s the most important next step in your journey toward prosperity and enlightenment. Let’s explore some ways to do that…
Killing Your Inner Victim
There are random acts, but no random lives. As you now know, your life (whether we’re discussing the old one or the reboot you desire to create) is the harvest of the thoughts you give precedence to. And the daily actions those thoughts produce. While it may sound simplistic to some, the profound truth is that when you transform your thoughts, you can transform your life. The final and decisive step of this transformation is the release of victimhood.
Are You Really Living Your Life?
I get asked frequently why I’m so hard on organized religion. Most who ask believe I’m on a crusade to convert the world to atheism. In actuality, that’s the last thing I want to do. There are many people whose faith nourishes their souls and lives in wondrous ways, and that’s a beautiful thing to behold.
Why You Have to Forgive Yourself
You can read this post today, only because back when I was a 15-year-old on trial for armed robbery, there was a public defender and a judge, who believed I was worthy of redemption. I’d like to believe I turned out to be worthy of that belief. One of the greatest gifts of humanity is our ability to forgive others and allow them the opportunity for redemption. Last post we explored the power of forgiving those who have wronged you for any reason.
Now we need to talk about forgiving yourself…
The Power of Forgiveness
I told you earlier that along with the balmy breezes and swaying palm trees, my relocation to Miami also delivered to me the gift of coming face to face with a hopped-up crack addict with a gun. That encounter ended up pretty much as you might think, with me taking a bullet to the gut.
