I am; I simply am.
I think, but I am not my thoughts. I am.
I believe, but I am not my beliefs. I am.
I feel, but I am not my feelings. I am.
Pain and joy are transient, I am enduring.
I do, but I am not my actions. I am.
I experience, but I am not my experience. I am.
I want, but I am not my desires. I am.
I have, but I am not my possessions. I am.
My body is not me. I am.
I live, but I am not my life. I am.
I was and I will be, but now I am.
I am not that, I am my self.
I alone am. I simply am.
I am; I simply am.
… Inspired by the book:
I Am That, Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Simply Priceless
Many Harvard University graduates earn annual salaries of $100,000 or more. Harvard graduate John Fetterman holds two jobs and earns only about $30,000. What is going on here? Is he some slacker, or can we learn important lessons from him?
American mass media fuels our anxiety and consternation with incessant reports of slow growth in the economy, high unemployment, an obesity epidemic, a steady rise in chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, and cancer, and general levels of stress and discontent. Perhaps it is time for more of us to examine the worldview behind these problem statements.
When people talk about economic growth or the strength of the economy, they are often talking about the rate of growth of the gross domestic product (GDP). The GDP is a primary measure of a country's overall economic output. It is the market value of all final goods and services made within the borders of a country in a year. For example, the GDP includes:
An emphasis on more, including increasing the GDP, growing the economy, and a relentless focus on increasing stock prices has brought us: the subprime mortgage crisis, housing foreclosures, Enron and other accounting scandals, wars, hydrogen bombs and other nuclear weapons, the Holocaust and other acts of genocide, slavery, traffic jams, urban sprawl, the bridge to nowhere, wide-spread cheating, Vioxx and other dangerous prescription drugs, Twinkies, obesity, stress, anxiety, class struggles, pollution, paparazzi, deforestation, strip mining, overfishing, drought, failed states, global warming, and other waste, violence, destruction, and misery. We have become consumed.
In 2001 John Fetterman chose work for AmeriCorps and move to Braddock Pennsylvania, one of the most devastated cities in the country. It is a mix of burned out or boarded-up storefronts, collapsing houses, and more than 1,000 vacant lots. Pennsylvania has consistently classified Braddock a “distressed municipality”—essentially bankrupt—since the 1980s. Here Fetterman started, and still directs, a program helping the dislocated youth of Braddock and the surrounding communities to earn their GED, get jobs, and receive needed social support and intervention.
Fetterman calls Braddock “home” and is committed to living there for the foreseeable future. He has the Braddock zip code, 15104, tattooed to his forearm. In 2005 he was elected Mayor. He and his wife purchased an abandoned warehouse in the city for $2,000 and converted it into their first and only home. They are living there now and raising their young son. He was elected to his second term as Mayor in 2009, and is paid $150 per month for that grueling job. He also keeps his day job, still helping the city youth.
What if more of us had the wisdom to shift our focus to what is truly most meaningful in life? What if we decided we had enough of the old thinking and decided to value: peace of mind, integrity, tranquility, clean air, clean water, the beauty of nature, a healthy environment to enjoy now and sustain for the future, awe, family, friendships, community, safety, stability, trust, leisure time, joyful play, meaningful work, authentic experiences, reciprocity, respect, good health, reduced stress, ongoing education and learning, deeper understanding and appreciation, fun, enjoyment of the arts, transcendence, and making significant contributions that help others. We can enjoy what is already available to us.
Adam Smith never imagined how greedy the invisible hand would become. It is time to change our focus from economic growth to growth in human well-being.
The relationship between money and happiness is complex. The basic economic assumption that well-being increases with income is being challenged. A 1997 World Development Report shows that happiness increases with income until per capita GDP reaches a level around $15,000 per person at which point happiness levels off and does not appreciably increase as income increases. Another study showed people's day-to-day emotional well-being only rose with earnings up to an annual income threshold of $75,000. Increasing average income brings diminishing returns of happiness, but not less happiness. Also, peoples’ quality of life and longevity is affected by relative rather than absolute income.
At six feet eight inches tall and weighing 370 pounds, Mayor Fetterman is truly a gentle and courageous giant of a man. He is informed, realistic, optimistic, and humble. As an AmeriCorp member he pledged:
“…Faced with apathy, I will take action.
Faced with conflict, I will seek common ground.
Faced with adversity I will persevere…”
He is keeping his pledge, he is taking bold and creative action, and he is making a real difference.
He is slowly transforming the city. There is no grocery store in the community so the Mayor began an urban farming program that provides the residents with low-cost fresh produce as it provides job opportunities for area youth. He has opened the playgrounds and basketball courts and created summer jobs for youth. He is working to attract artists to occupy the low-cost loft space available in the city because he believes artists can often see opportunity where others do not. He started a nonprofit organization to save a handful of properties.
John Fetterman is committed and contented. He is making excellent use of his Master’s Degree in public policy and economics from Harvard; he is a happy man.
Perhaps more of us can turn our attention away from narrow indicators of economic growth and focus on the broader pursuit of happiness. We can learn to cope better with abundance. It certainly seems like a wiser path.
American mass media fuels our anxiety and consternation with incessant reports of slow growth in the economy, high unemployment, an obesity epidemic, a steady rise in chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, and cancer, and general levels of stress and discontent. Perhaps it is time for more of us to examine the worldview behind these problem statements.
When people talk about economic growth or the strength of the economy, they are often talking about the rate of growth of the gross domestic product (GDP). The GDP is a primary measure of a country's overall economic output. It is the market value of all final goods and services made within the borders of a country in a year. For example, the GDP includes:
- The costs associated with growing, harvesting, transporting, storing, and processing tobacco.
- The costs of manufacturing, distributing, advertising, and retailing cigarettes and cigars.
- The costs of doctor’s visits, medications, hospitalizations, and chronic care treatment for smoker’s cough, emphysema, and lung cancer.
- The costs of FDA tobacco regulations and tobacco-related law enforcement costs.
- Tobacco-related litigation costs,
- The costs of advertising health warnings.
- The costs of anti smoking campaigns and stop smoking programs and products.
An emphasis on more, including increasing the GDP, growing the economy, and a relentless focus on increasing stock prices has brought us: the subprime mortgage crisis, housing foreclosures, Enron and other accounting scandals, wars, hydrogen bombs and other nuclear weapons, the Holocaust and other acts of genocide, slavery, traffic jams, urban sprawl, the bridge to nowhere, wide-spread cheating, Vioxx and other dangerous prescription drugs, Twinkies, obesity, stress, anxiety, class struggles, pollution, paparazzi, deforestation, strip mining, overfishing, drought, failed states, global warming, and other waste, violence, destruction, and misery. We have become consumed.
In 2001 John Fetterman chose work for AmeriCorps and move to Braddock Pennsylvania, one of the most devastated cities in the country. It is a mix of burned out or boarded-up storefronts, collapsing houses, and more than 1,000 vacant lots. Pennsylvania has consistently classified Braddock a “distressed municipality”—essentially bankrupt—since the 1980s. Here Fetterman started, and still directs, a program helping the dislocated youth of Braddock and the surrounding communities to earn their GED, get jobs, and receive needed social support and intervention.
Fetterman calls Braddock “home” and is committed to living there for the foreseeable future. He has the Braddock zip code, 15104, tattooed to his forearm. In 2005 he was elected Mayor. He and his wife purchased an abandoned warehouse in the city for $2,000 and converted it into their first and only home. They are living there now and raising their young son. He was elected to his second term as Mayor in 2009, and is paid $150 per month for that grueling job. He also keeps his day job, still helping the city youth.
What if more of us had the wisdom to shift our focus to what is truly most meaningful in life? What if we decided we had enough of the old thinking and decided to value: peace of mind, integrity, tranquility, clean air, clean water, the beauty of nature, a healthy environment to enjoy now and sustain for the future, awe, family, friendships, community, safety, stability, trust, leisure time, joyful play, meaningful work, authentic experiences, reciprocity, respect, good health, reduced stress, ongoing education and learning, deeper understanding and appreciation, fun, enjoyment of the arts, transcendence, and making significant contributions that help others. We can enjoy what is already available to us.
Adam Smith never imagined how greedy the invisible hand would become. It is time to change our focus from economic growth to growth in human well-being.
The relationship between money and happiness is complex. The basic economic assumption that well-being increases with income is being challenged. A 1997 World Development Report shows that happiness increases with income until per capita GDP reaches a level around $15,000 per person at which point happiness levels off and does not appreciably increase as income increases. Another study showed people's day-to-day emotional well-being only rose with earnings up to an annual income threshold of $75,000. Increasing average income brings diminishing returns of happiness, but not less happiness. Also, peoples’ quality of life and longevity is affected by relative rather than absolute income.
At six feet eight inches tall and weighing 370 pounds, Mayor Fetterman is truly a gentle and courageous giant of a man. He is informed, realistic, optimistic, and humble. As an AmeriCorp member he pledged:
“…Faced with apathy, I will take action.
Faced with conflict, I will seek common ground.
Faced with adversity I will persevere…”
He is keeping his pledge, he is taking bold and creative action, and he is making a real difference.
He is slowly transforming the city. There is no grocery store in the community so the Mayor began an urban farming program that provides the residents with low-cost fresh produce as it provides job opportunities for area youth. He has opened the playgrounds and basketball courts and created summer jobs for youth. He is working to attract artists to occupy the low-cost loft space available in the city because he believes artists can often see opportunity where others do not. He started a nonprofit organization to save a handful of properties.
John Fetterman is committed and contented. He is making excellent use of his Master’s Degree in public policy and economics from Harvard; he is a happy man.
Perhaps more of us can turn our attention away from narrow indicators of economic growth and focus on the broader pursuit of happiness. We can learn to cope better with abundance. It certainly seems like a wiser path.
Becoming Priceless
Many Harvard University graduates earn annual salaries of $100,000 or more. Harvard graduate John Fetterman holds two jobs and earns only about $30,000. What is going on here? Is he some slacker, or can we learn important lessons from him?
American mass media fuels our anxiety and consternation with incessant reports of slow growth in the economy, high unemployment, an obesity epidemic, a steady rise in chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, and cancer, and general levels of stress and discontent. Perhaps it is time for more of us to examine the worldview behind these problem statements.
When people talk about economic growth or the strength of the economy, they are often talking about the rate of growth of the gross domestic product (GDP). The GDP is a primary measure of a country's overall economic output. It is the market value of all final goods and services made within the borders of a country in a year. For example, the GDP includes:
Destruction caused by natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunami, actually increase the GDP because the required reconstruction work is counted as economic activity. Inferior products, such as automobiles that quickly become obsolete or require extensive service and repair, increase the GDP because the costs of repairing and replacing them are included economic activities. The old, expensive slow computers used in the 1980s each contributed more to the GDP than today’s fast, powerful, and inexpensive computers simply because the older computers cost more. Junk food contributes to the economy as much as it adds to our obesity because of the increased healthcare costs it often leads to. Many foolish and wasteful activities contribute to increasing the GDP and our narrow measures of economic growth.
An emphasis on more, including increasing the GDP, growing the economy, and a relentless focus on increasing stock prices has brought us: the subprime mortgage crisis, housing foreclosures, Enron and other accounting scandals, wars, hydrogen bombs and other nuclear weapons, the Holocaust and other acts of genocide, slavery, traffic jams, urban sprawl, the bridge to nowhere, wide-spread cheating, Vioxx and other dangerous prescription drugs, Twinkies, obesity, stress, anxiety, class struggles, pollution, paparazzi, deforestation, strip mining, overfishing, drought, failed states, global warming, and other waste, violence, destruction, and misery. We have become consumed.
In 2001 John Fetterman chose work for AmeriCorps and move to Braddock Pennsylvania, one of the most devastated cities in the country. It is a mix of burned out or boarded-up storefronts, collapsing houses, and more than 1,000 vacant lots. Pennsylvania has consistently classified Braddock a “distressed municipality”—essentially bankrupt—since the 1980s. Here Fetterman started, and still directs, a program helping the dislocated youth of Braddock and the surrounding communities to earn their GED, get jobs, and receive needed social support and intervention.
Fetterman calls Braddock “home” and is committed to living there for the foreseeable future. He has the Braddock zip code, 15104, tattooed to his forearm. In 2005 he was elected Mayor. He and his wife purchased an abandoned warehouse in the city for $2,000 and converted it into their first and only home. They are living there now and raising their young son. He was elected to his second term as Mayor in 2009, and is paid $150 per month for that grueling job. He also keeps his day job, still helping the city youth.
What if more of us had the wisdom to shift our focus to what is truly most meaningful in life? What if we decided we had enough of the old thinking and decided to value: peace of mind, integrity, tranquility, clean air, clean water, the beauty of nature, a healthy environment to enjoy now and sustain for the future, awe, family, friendships, community, safety, stability, trust, leisure time, joyful play, meaningful work, authentic experiences, reciprocity, respect, good health, reduced stress, ongoing education and learning, deeper understanding and appreciation, fun, enjoyment of the arts, transcendence, and making significant contributions that help others. We can enjoy what is already available to us.
Adam Smith never imagined how greedy the invisible hand would become. It is time to change our focus from economic growth to growth in human well-being.
The relationship between money and happiness is complex. The basic economic assumption that well-being increases with income is being challenged. In the essay: How much can money buy happiness? Is the debate over for the Easterlin Paradox? Chris Albor reports that happiness increases with income until per capita GDP reaches a level around $15,000 per person at which point happiness levels off and does not appreciably increase as income increases. Another study showed people's day-to-day emotional well-being only rose with earnings up to an annual income threshold of $75,000. Increasing average income brings diminishing returns of happiness, but not less happiness. Also, peoples’ quality of life and longevity is affected by relative rather than absolute income.
A recent survey by the Gallup World Poll found that while overall life satisfaction does increase with income, positive feelings also depend on other factors, such as feeling respected and connected to others.
An August 2010 Scientific American article on how best to spend money reports that money may actually impair our ability to enjoy simple pleasures. However, spending money on a variety of well-chosen activities that provide rewarding experiences including personal growth, deepening our connections to other people, and other ways that allow us to savor the pleasure can increase our happiness.
At six feet eight inches tall and weighing 370 pounds, Mayor Fetterman is truly a gentle and courageous giant of a man. He is informed, realistic, optimistic, and humble. As an AmeriCorp member he pledged:
“…Faced with apathy, I will take action.
Faced with conflict, I will seek common ground.
Faced with adversity I will persevere…”
He is keeping his pledge, he is taking bold and creative action, and he is making a real difference.
He is slowly transforming the city. There is no grocery store in the community so the Mayor began an urban farming program that provides the residents with low-cost fresh produce as it provides job opportunities for area youth. He has opened the playgrounds and basketball courts and created summer jobs for youth. He is working to attract artists to occupy the low-cost loft space available in the city because he believes artists can often see opportunity where others do not. He started a nonprofit organization to save a handful of properties.
John Fetterman is committed and contented. He is making excellent use of his Master’s Degree in public policy and economics from Harvard; he is a happy man.
Perhaps more of us can turn our attention away from narrow indicators of economic growth and focus on the broader pursuit of happiness. We can learn to cope better with abundance. It certainly seems like a wiser path.
American mass media fuels our anxiety and consternation with incessant reports of slow growth in the economy, high unemployment, an obesity epidemic, a steady rise in chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, and cancer, and general levels of stress and discontent. Perhaps it is time for more of us to examine the worldview behind these problem statements.
When people talk about economic growth or the strength of the economy, they are often talking about the rate of growth of the gross domestic product (GDP). The GDP is a primary measure of a country's overall economic output. It is the market value of all final goods and services made within the borders of a country in a year. For example, the GDP includes:
- The costs associated with growing, harvesting, transporting, storing, and processing tobacco.
- The costs of manufacturing, distributing, advertising, and retailing cigarettes and cigars.
- The costs of doctor’s visits, medications, hospitalizations, and chronic care treatment for smoker’s cough, emphysema, and lung cancer.
- The costs of FDA tobacco regulations and tobacco-related law enforcement costs.
- Tobacco-related litigation costs,
- The costs of advertising health warnings.
- The costs of anti smoking campaigns and stop smoking programs and products.
Destruction caused by natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunami, actually increase the GDP because the required reconstruction work is counted as economic activity. Inferior products, such as automobiles that quickly become obsolete or require extensive service and repair, increase the GDP because the costs of repairing and replacing them are included economic activities. The old, expensive slow computers used in the 1980s each contributed more to the GDP than today’s fast, powerful, and inexpensive computers simply because the older computers cost more. Junk food contributes to the economy as much as it adds to our obesity because of the increased healthcare costs it often leads to. Many foolish and wasteful activities contribute to increasing the GDP and our narrow measures of economic growth.
An emphasis on more, including increasing the GDP, growing the economy, and a relentless focus on increasing stock prices has brought us: the subprime mortgage crisis, housing foreclosures, Enron and other accounting scandals, wars, hydrogen bombs and other nuclear weapons, the Holocaust and other acts of genocide, slavery, traffic jams, urban sprawl, the bridge to nowhere, wide-spread cheating, Vioxx and other dangerous prescription drugs, Twinkies, obesity, stress, anxiety, class struggles, pollution, paparazzi, deforestation, strip mining, overfishing, drought, failed states, global warming, and other waste, violence, destruction, and misery. We have become consumed.
In 2001 John Fetterman chose work for AmeriCorps and move to Braddock Pennsylvania, one of the most devastated cities in the country. It is a mix of burned out or boarded-up storefronts, collapsing houses, and more than 1,000 vacant lots. Pennsylvania has consistently classified Braddock a “distressed municipality”—essentially bankrupt—since the 1980s. Here Fetterman started, and still directs, a program helping the dislocated youth of Braddock and the surrounding communities to earn their GED, get jobs, and receive needed social support and intervention.
Fetterman calls Braddock “home” and is committed to living there for the foreseeable future. He has the Braddock zip code, 15104, tattooed to his forearm. In 2005 he was elected Mayor. He and his wife purchased an abandoned warehouse in the city for $2,000 and converted it into their first and only home. They are living there now and raising their young son. He was elected to his second term as Mayor in 2009, and is paid $150 per month for that grueling job. He also keeps his day job, still helping the city youth.
What if more of us had the wisdom to shift our focus to what is truly most meaningful in life? What if we decided we had enough of the old thinking and decided to value: peace of mind, integrity, tranquility, clean air, clean water, the beauty of nature, a healthy environment to enjoy now and sustain for the future, awe, family, friendships, community, safety, stability, trust, leisure time, joyful play, meaningful work, authentic experiences, reciprocity, respect, good health, reduced stress, ongoing education and learning, deeper understanding and appreciation, fun, enjoyment of the arts, transcendence, and making significant contributions that help others. We can enjoy what is already available to us.
Adam Smith never imagined how greedy the invisible hand would become. It is time to change our focus from economic growth to growth in human well-being.
The relationship between money and happiness is complex. The basic economic assumption that well-being increases with income is being challenged. In the essay: How much can money buy happiness? Is the debate over for the Easterlin Paradox? Chris Albor reports that happiness increases with income until per capita GDP reaches a level around $15,000 per person at which point happiness levels off and does not appreciably increase as income increases. Another study showed people's day-to-day emotional well-being only rose with earnings up to an annual income threshold of $75,000. Increasing average income brings diminishing returns of happiness, but not less happiness. Also, peoples’ quality of life and longevity is affected by relative rather than absolute income.
A recent survey by the Gallup World Poll found that while overall life satisfaction does increase with income, positive feelings also depend on other factors, such as feeling respected and connected to others.
An August 2010 Scientific American article on how best to spend money reports that money may actually impair our ability to enjoy simple pleasures. However, spending money on a variety of well-chosen activities that provide rewarding experiences including personal growth, deepening our connections to other people, and other ways that allow us to savor the pleasure can increase our happiness.
At six feet eight inches tall and weighing 370 pounds, Mayor Fetterman is truly a gentle and courageous giant of a man. He is informed, realistic, optimistic, and humble. As an AmeriCorp member he pledged:
“…Faced with apathy, I will take action.
Faced with conflict, I will seek common ground.
Faced with adversity I will persevere…”
He is keeping his pledge, he is taking bold and creative action, and he is making a real difference.
He is slowly transforming the city. There is no grocery store in the community so the Mayor began an urban farming program that provides the residents with low-cost fresh produce as it provides job opportunities for area youth. He has opened the playgrounds and basketball courts and created summer jobs for youth. He is working to attract artists to occupy the low-cost loft space available in the city because he believes artists can often see opportunity where others do not. He started a nonprofit organization to save a handful of properties.
John Fetterman is committed and contented. He is making excellent use of his Master’s Degree in public policy and economics from Harvard; he is a happy man.
Perhaps more of us can turn our attention away from narrow indicators of economic growth and focus on the broader pursuit of happiness. We can learn to cope better with abundance. It certainly seems like a wiser path.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Really‽
To move toward a greater understanding of the universe we need to be open to learning what we do not yet understand. However it is wasteful to be distracted by spurious claims of nonexistent effects based on nothing more than wild imaginations and undisciplined wishful thinking. It is a difficult and important balance to achieve.
Astrology, biorhythms, fortune telling, channeling, cosmic consciousness, synchronicity, afterlife, reincarnation, faith healing, chakras, exorcism, rebirthing, the law of attraction, and other mystical pursuits are fascinating concepts that remain unproven. Should we explore them further in the hope of revealing a profound cosmic truth, or abandon them as dead ends?
I believe we live in a causal universe but we may not yet know all the causes. Certainly radio waves—those invisible electromagnetic forces travelling at the speed of light—were unknown and unsuspected until 1865, less than 150 years ago. Even the most forward thinker of that time would have been both skeptical and mystified by today’s fantastic uses of the electromagnetic spectrum to phone home or watch YouTube while sitting on the beach. What other phenomenon—analogous to radio waves in their obscurity, ubiquity, and power—remain to be discovered in our universe?
James Randi—previously The Amazing Randi—encourages rigorous investigation and skepticism. He knows that charlatans prey on the vulnerable with knowingly false claims of clairvoyance. He works diligently to end those exploitations. His work is valuable.
I continue to develop my own theory of knowledge—how I decide what to believe. My thinking on nonfalsifiable claims is very simple: extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. And I recognize this represents a conservative bias.
Even as we explore ever farther into space and probe deeper into subatomic particles we remain profoundly ignorant about the universe. Where did it all come from? Where is it going? Why is it here? But we need to explore the answers, not guess at them or make up stories. While waiting for the facts it is better to suspend judgment, even if feeling certain is so much more comfortable. Will the Large Hadron Collider discover the Higgs boson or not? What is the role of dark matter and dark energy in the universe? What other life forms share this fascinating universe with us?
Stay open, stay curious, stay skeptical. Dream bigger, look farther, investigate deeper.
Astrology, biorhythms, fortune telling, channeling, cosmic consciousness, synchronicity, afterlife, reincarnation, faith healing, chakras, exorcism, rebirthing, the law of attraction, and other mystical pursuits are fascinating concepts that remain unproven. Should we explore them further in the hope of revealing a profound cosmic truth, or abandon them as dead ends?
I believe we live in a causal universe but we may not yet know all the causes. Certainly radio waves—those invisible electromagnetic forces travelling at the speed of light—were unknown and unsuspected until 1865, less than 150 years ago. Even the most forward thinker of that time would have been both skeptical and mystified by today’s fantastic uses of the electromagnetic spectrum to phone home or watch YouTube while sitting on the beach. What other phenomenon—analogous to radio waves in their obscurity, ubiquity, and power—remain to be discovered in our universe?
James Randi—previously The Amazing Randi—encourages rigorous investigation and skepticism. He knows that charlatans prey on the vulnerable with knowingly false claims of clairvoyance. He works diligently to end those exploitations. His work is valuable.
I continue to develop my own theory of knowledge—how I decide what to believe. My thinking on nonfalsifiable claims is very simple: extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. And I recognize this represents a conservative bias.
Even as we explore ever farther into space and probe deeper into subatomic particles we remain profoundly ignorant about the universe. Where did it all come from? Where is it going? Why is it here? But we need to explore the answers, not guess at them or make up stories. While waiting for the facts it is better to suspend judgment, even if feeling certain is so much more comfortable. Will the Large Hadron Collider discover the Higgs boson or not? What is the role of dark matter and dark energy in the universe? What other life forms share this fascinating universe with us?
Stay open, stay curious, stay skeptical. Dream bigger, look farther, investigate deeper.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Priceless!
American mass media constantly fuels our anxiety and consternation with incessant reports of slow growth in the economy, high unemployment, an obesity epidemic, a steady rise in chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, and cancer, and general levels of stress and discontent. Perhaps it is time to examine the worldview behind these problem statements.
When people talk about economic growth or the strength of the economy, they are often talking about the rate of growth of the gross domestic product (GDP). The GDP is a primary measure of a country's overall economic output. It is the market value of all final goods and services made within the borders of a country in a year. For example, the GDP includes:
Destruction caused by natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunami, actually increase the GDP because the required reconstruction work is counted as economic activity. Inferior products, such as automobiles that quickly become obsolete or require extensive service and repair, increase the GDP because the costs of repairing and replacing them are included economic activities. The old, expensive slow computers used in the 1980s each contributed more to the GDP than today’s fast, powerful,and inexpensive computers simply because the older computers cost more. Junk food contributes to the economy as much as it adds to our obesity because of the increased healthcare costs it often leads to. Many foolish and wasteful activities contribute to increasing the GDP and our narrow measures of economic growth.
An emphasis on more, including increasing the GDP, growing the economy, and a relentless focus on increasing stock prices has brought us: the subprime mortgage crisis, housing foreclosures, Enron and other accounting scandals, wars, hydrogen bombs and other nuclear weapons, the Holocaust and other acts of genocide, slavery, traffic jams, urban sprawl, the bridge to nowhere, wide-spread cheating, Vioxx and other dangerous prescription drugs, Twinkies, obesity, stress, anxiety, class struggles, pollution, paparazzi, deforestation, strip mining, overfishing, drought, failed states, global warming, and other waste, violence, destruction, and misery. We have become consumed.
But what if we had the wisdom to shift our focus to what is truly most meaningful in life? What if we decided we had enough of the old thinking and decided to value: peace of mind, integrity, tranquility, clean air, clean water, the beauty of nature, a healthy environment to enjoy now and sustain for the future, awe, family, friendships, community, safety, stability, trust, leisure time, joyful play, meaningful work, authentic experiences, reciprocity, respect, good health, reduced stress, ongoing education and learning, deeper understanding and appreciation, fun, enjoyment of the arts, transcendence, and making significant contributions that help others. We can enjoy what is already available to us.
Adam Smith never imagined how greedy the invisible hand would become. It is time to change our focus from economic growth to growth in human well-being.
The relationship between money and happiness is complex. The basic economic assumption that well-being increases with income is being challenged. In the essay How much can money buy happiness? Is the debate over for the Easterlin Paradox? Chris Albor reports that happiness increases with income until per capita GDP reaches a level around $15,000 per person at which point happiness levels off and does not appreciably increase as income increases. Another study showed people's day-to-day emotional well-being only rose with earnings up to an annual income threshold of $75,000. Increasing average incomes brings diminishing returns of happiness, but not less happiness. Also, peoples’ quality of life and longevity is affected by relative rather than absolute income.
A recent survey by the Gallup World Poll found that while overall life satisfaction does increase with income, positive feelings also depend on other factors, such as feeling respected and connected to others.
An August 2010 Scientific American article on how best to spend money reports that money may actually impair our ability to enjoy simple pleasures. However, spending money on a variety of well-chosen activities that provide rewarding experiences including personal growth, deepening our connections to other people, and other ways that allow us to savor the pleasure can increase our happiness.
Perhaps we can turn our attentions away from narrow indicators of economic growth and focus on the broader pursuit of happiness. We can learn to cope better with abundance. It certainly seems like a wiser path.
When people talk about economic growth or the strength of the economy, they are often talking about the rate of growth of the gross domestic product (GDP). The GDP is a primary measure of a country's overall economic output. It is the market value of all final goods and services made within the borders of a country in a year. For example, the GDP includes:
- The costs associated with growing, harvesting, transporting, storing, and processing tobacco.
- The costs of manufacturing, distributing, advertising, and retailing cigarettes and cigars.
- The costs of doctor’s visits, medications, hospitalizations, and chronic care treatment for smoker’s cough, emphysema, and lung cancer.
- The costs of FDA tobacco regulations and tobacco-related law enforcement costs.
- Tobacco-related litigation costs,
- The costs of advertising health warnings.
- The costs of anti smoking campaigns and stop smoking programs and products.
Destruction caused by natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunami, actually increase the GDP because the required reconstruction work is counted as economic activity. Inferior products, such as automobiles that quickly become obsolete or require extensive service and repair, increase the GDP because the costs of repairing and replacing them are included economic activities. The old, expensive slow computers used in the 1980s each contributed more to the GDP than today’s fast, powerful,and inexpensive computers simply because the older computers cost more. Junk food contributes to the economy as much as it adds to our obesity because of the increased healthcare costs it often leads to. Many foolish and wasteful activities contribute to increasing the GDP and our narrow measures of economic growth.
An emphasis on more, including increasing the GDP, growing the economy, and a relentless focus on increasing stock prices has brought us: the subprime mortgage crisis, housing foreclosures, Enron and other accounting scandals, wars, hydrogen bombs and other nuclear weapons, the Holocaust and other acts of genocide, slavery, traffic jams, urban sprawl, the bridge to nowhere, wide-spread cheating, Vioxx and other dangerous prescription drugs, Twinkies, obesity, stress, anxiety, class struggles, pollution, paparazzi, deforestation, strip mining, overfishing, drought, failed states, global warming, and other waste, violence, destruction, and misery. We have become consumed.
But what if we had the wisdom to shift our focus to what is truly most meaningful in life? What if we decided we had enough of the old thinking and decided to value: peace of mind, integrity, tranquility, clean air, clean water, the beauty of nature, a healthy environment to enjoy now and sustain for the future, awe, family, friendships, community, safety, stability, trust, leisure time, joyful play, meaningful work, authentic experiences, reciprocity, respect, good health, reduced stress, ongoing education and learning, deeper understanding and appreciation, fun, enjoyment of the arts, transcendence, and making significant contributions that help others. We can enjoy what is already available to us.
Adam Smith never imagined how greedy the invisible hand would become. It is time to change our focus from economic growth to growth in human well-being.
The relationship between money and happiness is complex. The basic economic assumption that well-being increases with income is being challenged. In the essay How much can money buy happiness? Is the debate over for the Easterlin Paradox? Chris Albor reports that happiness increases with income until per capita GDP reaches a level around $15,000 per person at which point happiness levels off and does not appreciably increase as income increases. Another study showed people's day-to-day emotional well-being only rose with earnings up to an annual income threshold of $75,000. Increasing average incomes brings diminishing returns of happiness, but not less happiness. Also, peoples’ quality of life and longevity is affected by relative rather than absolute income.
A recent survey by the Gallup World Poll found that while overall life satisfaction does increase with income, positive feelings also depend on other factors, such as feeling respected and connected to others.
An August 2010 Scientific American article on how best to spend money reports that money may actually impair our ability to enjoy simple pleasures. However, spending money on a variety of well-chosen activities that provide rewarding experiences including personal growth, deepening our connections to other people, and other ways that allow us to savor the pleasure can increase our happiness.
Perhaps we can turn our attentions away from narrow indicators of economic growth and focus on the broader pursuit of happiness. We can learn to cope better with abundance. It certainly seems like a wiser path.
Friday, September 10, 2010
The Tyranny of Evidence
Ever since humans first saw the sun rise in the morning, move across the sky, and set in the evening, the direct evidence has been clear and obvious: the sun circles the earth each day. Similarly we see the stars move across the sky each night, and it is obvious they are attached to a celestial sphere that holds them up and also circles the earth. This Truth we can all plainly see. With more careful observation we notice that the sun rises earlier and sets later in the summer than in the winter. Perhaps the architects of Stonehenge wanted to celebrate the annual phases of this cycle with its shortest day, longest day and two equinoxes.
Ancient astronomers mapped the sky and catalogued the constellations making up the celestial sphere. However, they also noticed “the wanderers”—certain stars, some of which are particularly bright—that move against the backdrop of the celestial sphere. What are we to make of these direct observations, available to anyone willing to look up and notice the night sky? Perhaps these wanders, now called “planets” have their own celestial sphere. But since they move in different patterns, maybe each has its own sphere. The astronomer Ptolemy worked this all out in some detail for us nearly 2,000 years ago. He even found a place in the heavens for the lovely moon.
Then about 400 years ago the astronomer Tycho Brahe dedicated his career to making the most accurate astronomical observations ever. These observations were inconsistent with planets moving in circles and provided evidence to support Kepler's discovery of the ellipse and area laws of planetary motion. Copernicus’s silly ideas about the earth circling the sun might be worth a second look!
In 1610 Galileo pointed his telescope toward the sky and directly observed the phases of Venus and the moons of Jupiter. He interpreted this evidence to support Copernicus’s heliocentric model and got in big trouble with Pope Urban VIII for speaking his mind based on the evidence he directly observed.
On July 5, 1687 Isaac Newton published the Principia where he stated his three laws of motion. He also defined the universal law of gravitation and used calculus-like mathematics to demonstrate how the laws of motion and universal gravitation combine to cause the planets to move in elliptical obits around the sun. The observations of Tycho Brahe were finally explained, except of course for the later discovery of additional planets, Einstein’s relativity, observations made by the Hubble telescope, and ongoing observations and evidence of our amazing universe. And what do we make of comets, eclipses, galaxies, and ocean tides?
We can now see these Truths:
Ancient astronomers mapped the sky and catalogued the constellations making up the celestial sphere. However, they also noticed “the wanderers”—certain stars, some of which are particularly bright—that move against the backdrop of the celestial sphere. What are we to make of these direct observations, available to anyone willing to look up and notice the night sky? Perhaps these wanders, now called “planets” have their own celestial sphere. But since they move in different patterns, maybe each has its own sphere. The astronomer Ptolemy worked this all out in some detail for us nearly 2,000 years ago. He even found a place in the heavens for the lovely moon.
Then about 400 years ago the astronomer Tycho Brahe dedicated his career to making the most accurate astronomical observations ever. These observations were inconsistent with planets moving in circles and provided evidence to support Kepler's discovery of the ellipse and area laws of planetary motion. Copernicus’s silly ideas about the earth circling the sun might be worth a second look!
In 1610 Galileo pointed his telescope toward the sky and directly observed the phases of Venus and the moons of Jupiter. He interpreted this evidence to support Copernicus’s heliocentric model and got in big trouble with Pope Urban VIII for speaking his mind based on the evidence he directly observed.
On July 5, 1687 Isaac Newton published the Principia where he stated his three laws of motion. He also defined the universal law of gravitation and used calculus-like mathematics to demonstrate how the laws of motion and universal gravitation combine to cause the planets to move in elliptical obits around the sun. The observations of Tycho Brahe were finally explained, except of course for the later discovery of additional planets, Einstein’s relativity, observations made by the Hubble telescope, and ongoing observations and evidence of our amazing universe. And what do we make of comets, eclipses, galaxies, and ocean tides?
We can now see these Truths:
- Our direct observations are limited to what one person sees from one place at one time. I see the sun rise and set each day. It has happened each day I know of.
- We interpret each new observation to help explain or become consistent with other observations. The sun moves across the sky, it does not fall down, therefore it is held up by a celestial sphere.
- Interpretation is separate from and necessarily extends our direct observations. These interpretations require judgment.
- The scope of direct observation and deductive logic is very limited. We regularly rely on inductive logic to extend our conclusions beyond our direct observations. The sun has risen every day; I expect it to rise again tomorrow.
- We regularly supplement our own observations with those reported by others. Those reports may or may not be accurate. We may or may not fully understand them.
- We have to decide for ourselves how to assimilate observations reported by others. I can see the planets, and if I take the time I can notice they move against the background of stars. I’m not sure what to make of it, but let me learn what the astronomers, religious leaders, and my friends have to say about this. I may also consult the mainstream media, specialized journals and publications, conspiracy blogs, or Wikipedia.
- Observations become more extensive and refined over time. The skills of Tycho Brahe and Galileo eventually brought more evidence to the table.
- Evidence is often difficult to collect, difficult to interpret, and apparently contradictory. Available evidence increases over time.
- As we expand our circle of concern in space and time, we have more observations, evidence, and reports to assimilate, interpret, and reconcile.
- Long-held beliefs are difficult to overcome, despite contrary evidence. The Pope was not quickly convinced by what Galileo saw. On October 31, 1992, Pope John Paul II expressed regret for how the Galileo affair was handled.
- People make decisions and live their lives based on what they believe to be true. It is an on-going process.
- Each of us uses some form of “Theory of Knowledge” to decide what we believe in the face of complex and often conflicting evidence.
- Developing our own robust theory of knowledge helps us to choose the most reliably accurate beliefs.
- My own theory of knowledge is described here: http://www.emotionalcompetency.com/theoryofk.htm
- Improving our theory of knowledge and applying it is the best we can do to move toward Truth.
- I hold these Truths to be self-evident!
Incubating Prose - Toward Creative Writing
Call me Ishmael. And so begins the celebrated novel Moby Dick. Perhaps, on a very good day I might have managed “My name is Ishmael” or more likely “I’m Ishmael” or perhaps “I’m John” and that difference, I think, is the chasm that separates my writing from great writing.
I’m told it is called “craft”— that artful transformation from the nascent text: “my name is Ishmael” to the finished product: “Call me Ishmael.” I am here to learn that craft.
Call me Lee. That is short for Leland Richard Beaumont. I am a retired Electrical Engineer who has been writing non-fiction for the past several years. The writing is clear, well researched, and useful, but it lacks panache. It’s not hard to put down once you have picked it up. I enrolled in a creative writing course at Brookdale Community College to work on making my writing more interesting. Let’s see how it goes.
I believe the best story wins, and I would like my stories to grow legs.
Is it too much to hope for some creative breakthrough? With my photography, writing, and frankly other aspects of my life I feel like there is a shroud separating me from unbridled creativity. I can come close to that threshold, but have no idea what is on the other side. I am working on the “study more, work harder” side of the line, and others are living in the “create freely” region. Can I join you? What is the essential core of creativity? Where is its wellspring?
The Omnivore’s Dilemma is a well-written non-fiction book by Michael Pollen that is making a real difference. It addresses an important problem we are all part of. It is elegantly structured and very well researched. It is informative, persuasive, and a pleasure to read. It inspires and enables the reader to act and contribute toward a solution. This I aspire to.
The plan is to incubate prose here and use this blog as a workspace for the course. Workshop feedback from the class and other general reader comments are welcome. As the writing matures, I may replicate it in one of my topical blogs on: Emotional Competency, The Golden Alliance, or The Wise Path.
I’m told it is called “craft”— that artful transformation from the nascent text: “my name is Ishmael” to the finished product: “Call me Ishmael.” I am here to learn that craft.
Call me Lee. That is short for Leland Richard Beaumont. I am a retired Electrical Engineer who has been writing non-fiction for the past several years. The writing is clear, well researched, and useful, but it lacks panache. It’s not hard to put down once you have picked it up. I enrolled in a creative writing course at Brookdale Community College to work on making my writing more interesting. Let’s see how it goes.
I believe the best story wins, and I would like my stories to grow legs.
Is it too much to hope for some creative breakthrough? With my photography, writing, and frankly other aspects of my life I feel like there is a shroud separating me from unbridled creativity. I can come close to that threshold, but have no idea what is on the other side. I am working on the “study more, work harder” side of the line, and others are living in the “create freely” region. Can I join you? What is the essential core of creativity? Where is its wellspring?
The Omnivore’s Dilemma is a well-written non-fiction book by Michael Pollen that is making a real difference. It addresses an important problem we are all part of. It is elegantly structured and very well researched. It is informative, persuasive, and a pleasure to read. It inspires and enables the reader to act and contribute toward a solution. This I aspire to.
The plan is to incubate prose here and use this blog as a workspace for the course. Workshop feedback from the class and other general reader comments are welcome. As the writing matures, I may replicate it in one of my topical blogs on: Emotional Competency, The Golden Alliance, or The Wise Path.
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