I grew up in much simpler times. Television was in its infancy and the idea of a hero was exemplified by a white-hatted cowboy. There was a clarity and simplicity to the moral code of these heroes that left no doubt that there is a right and wrong. As I became more sophisticated, it was easy to ridicule these simplistic …
COMMENTARY: The Truth About Trust
Everyone seems to understand the importance of trust. No one seems to doubt the vital role that it plays in personal relationships, business, and politics. We want to trust the people in our lives and we want them to trust us.
COMMENTARY: The Cookie Thief 747.2
There’s a nice poem circulating on the Internet about a woman who bought some cookies and a book at an airport and sat down to read and nibble while waiting for her plane. She soon noticed a man sitting next to her, who casually took a cookie from the bag. Although shocked and seething, the woman remained silent as the …
COMMENTARY: Changing Lives 747.1
Long ago when I was a law professor, I was at a conference and a man I didn’t recognize greeted me warmly. He said he wanted to thank me for changing his life. I was embarrassed as I listened to him tell me that he had met me after a speech I had given at his law school. He said …
When Bad Things Happen to Good People 746.5
Recently two dear friends were inflicted by the soul-searing, heart-rending pain of the deaths of people close to them. One lost her lifelong companion and soul mate, a gentle, good man who lived a good life of 70 years. The other had to say goodbye to her totally innocent newborn son, the victim of a neurological anomaly. I’ve tried to …
COMMENTARY: We Are What We Think 746.4
In the early 1900s, a little-known philosopher named James Allen wrote a powerful essay called “As a Man Thinketh” in which he argued that we are what we think, that a person’s character is the sum of his thoughts. He declared that the power to control our thoughts (whether we use that power or not) is the ability to mold …
COMMENTARY: Save the World, Daddy 746.3
Just before leaving for Nigeria I called my daughter Samara, a college freshman at NYU, to say good bye. After a short but pleasant conversation she closed with: “Save the world, daddy. I love you.” I suspect her remark was affectionate teasing, implying that her nearly 69 year old father is a sort of Don Quixote, jousting with wind mills …
Better Isn’t Always Good But It’s Always Better 746.2
I am recording this Lagos, Nigeria. I’m here to meet with private citizens and government officials to talk about bringing CHARACTER COUNTS! to Nigeria’s schools. If you grunted a cynical “good luck” and thought about scam e-mails, street vendors selling counterfeit designer purses and sun glasses and the country’s reputation as one of the most corrupt in the world, you’ve …
COMMENTARY: Let the Butterfly Struggle 746.1
There’s a parable about a new mother who discovered a butterfly struggling mightily to escape its cocoon through a tiny opening at the top. She became concerned when the creature seemed to give up after making no progress. Certain that the butterfly just wouldn’t make it out without help, she enlarged the hole slightly. On its next try, the butterfly …
GOING TO NIGERIA!
In a few hours I am leaving for Nigeria! I have some high level meetings in Abuja with govt folks re: bringing CC! to Federal Unity schools, a speech at the Nigerian Institute for International Affairs in Lagos (10am Saturday Oct 29 — all are welcome) and a two day workshop for 25 private schools that are adopting CC! If …
Digging and Filling Holes 745.5
Charlie, a road crew supervisor for highway landscapers, came upon a pair of workers from one of his crews seemingly hard at work. He watched one fellow dig a hole while his partner waited a few minutes and then filled the hole. After a few repetitions Charlie demanded an explanation. The hole-filler was offended: “We’ve been doing this job for …
What Will Matter – by Michael Josephson
I love to teach. I live to teach. I need to teach. So, in an effort to create a new platform for my teachings I recently created this new website called WhatWillMatter.com. I hope you’ll visit and subscribe and stay regularly engaged in the search for what matters. The name of the website or blog comes from the title of …
A Good Company and a Sharp Ax 745.3
Ben was a new lumberjack who swung his ax with such power he could fell a tree in 20 strokes. In his first few days he produced twice as much lumber as anyone else. He was making quite a reputation for himself but by week’s end, he was less productive. One friend told him he had to swing harder. Another …
All Good Things Come to an End 745.2
In 1997, Bob Sims, the program manager of KNX-1070 in Los Angeles, invited me to record short personal editorials looking at the world through the lens of ethics and character. Fortunately, the CHARACTER COUNTS! Commentaries drew a following and have run daily for more than 14 successive years, making it one of the longest radio features in radio history. It’s …
The Last KNX Broadcast 745.1
Every weekday for 745 weeks I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of sharing my thoughts from this great radio platform at KNX-1070. During that time, my life changed dramatically.
Leading by Inspiration 744.5
Why are negative management practices so prevalent? They include yelling, cursing, insults (sometimes masked in sarcasm or masquerading as jokes), criticizing subordinates in front of others, threatening demotion or termination, and talking to adults as if they were children. Why are so many managers insensitive to the demotivating impact of focusing almost exclusively on weaknesses and shortcomings without properly acknowledging …
If You Were Arrested for Kindness 744.4
If you were arrested for kindness, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Some people cheer up a room by entering it, others by leaving it. What do you bring to your interactions with workmates, friends, and family? Is it encouragement, optimism, or kind words? Or is it pessimism, criticism, or cynicism? People often forget what we say and …
I Choose to Live 744.2
Michael was always upbeat. Some found his relentless good moods annoying, but attempts to mock or belittle his cheerfulness were just more fuel for his good nature. Once he explained to a friend how he did it. “Every morning I look in the mirror and say good morning to myself. I see a note on the mirror that says ‘Choose,’ …
Can Gloomy Gus Become Cheerful Charlie? 743.5
Bad stuff happens. People get sick, lose a loved one, get fired, and make mistakes. Though these events are facts that become a permanent part of our history, the quality of our lives is not determined by the number or nature of our bad experiences, but how we interpret and react to them. Most of us have a default position …
Are You Wiser Today Than You Were Yesterday? 743.4
Do you think you’re any wiser today than you were five years ago? Do you think you’ll be wiser still in another five years? I hope the answer to both questions is an emphatic “yes.” One of the benefits of growing older is getting better. And we get better by learning. I’m not just talking about new facts like how …
Converting Pessimists into Optimists 743.3
Every full life has its bright days and its dark days, its triumphs and defeats, its calm and stormy seas. All these high and low experiences could justify viewing the past through the lens of gratitude or disappointment. And the way we characterize our history will determine whether we look toward our future with hopeful expectations or anxious trepidation. Scientists …
The Baby’s Not Dying 743.2
My commentary about caring more and judging less by giving a few dollars to panhandlers generated lots of letters, most disagreeing with me. Here’s another story likely to agitate some of you. A man named Jack was rushing home to tell his family about a $1,000 bonus check he’d unexpectedly received at work. Before he got to his car, a …
Emotional Resilience 743.1
Despite romanticized myths about the gloriously carefree teenage years, adolescence has always been an emotional battlefield where young people must fight their way through insecurity, depression and anger. For many teens, classrooms, playgrounds and hallways are hostile environments where name-calling, malicious gossip, taunting, and physical bullying regularly threaten their emotional and physical well-being Technology has not made kids meaner but …
The Pursuit of Human Perfection 742.5
Jews all over the world are in the midst of a ten-day period called the High Holy Days. It starts with Rosh Hashanah, the celebration of the New Year, and ends with Yom Kippur, a solemn day of atonement. The overriding theme is the pursuit of human perfection and the obligation of each person continually assess and improve his character, …
How Good Do I Have to Be? 742.4
Years ago, Rabbi Steven Carr Reuben told the story of a little girl who learned to tie her shoes for the first time. After a moment of triumphant celebration, she got sad, almost despondent. Her mystified parents asked why she wasn’t happier. The little girl acknowledged that she was proud of her achievement, but she sobbed, “Now I’ll have to …
Your Opinion, Please…
…and you could win a personally inscribed copy of Michael Josephson’s poem “What Will Matter.” Please click here to take a quick survey and help us decide on our next steps after the October 17 termination of Michael Josephson’s KNX-1070 AM radio commentaries in Los Angeles. (For more information, see our blog and the LA Times “Big Picture” blog.) In …
Establishing a Culture of Kindness 742.2
Though intensive media attention on bullying has died down, the problem persists in many forms, and it continues to diminish the lives of tens of thousands of young people every day. According to a recent survey, roughly half of all high school students said that in the past year they were bullied in a manner that seriously upset them. A …
Things Work Out 742.1
Despite a continuous parade of stories revealing the shortcomings of people and the moral deterioration of society, I am an incorrigible optimist. There are two aspects of life-improving optimism: 1) an optimist has a positive outlook about the future, believing sincerely that things will get better; and 2) the optimist sees and is grateful for the silver lining to every …