Vintage Xmas Cards

Click on image to enlarge it and see the beautiful detail. Enjoy and share with  friends. Updated December 24, 2015

MJ’s year in review on NBC

Southern Californians can see Michael’s assessment of the year from an ethical perspective on Conan Nolan’s show ‘News Conference,’ airing on Sunday mornings at 9:00 am on NBC on Christmas Day, December 25th.

CHRISTMAS IS MORE THAN A HOLIDAY, IT IS A PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE

COMMENTARY: Christmas – Christianity’s Gift to the World. Though I am Jewish, I have always loved Christmas and what is commonly called the Christmas Spirit. Of course, I don’t mean the crassly commercialized version of the Christmas Spirit that stresses consumerism, but the spirit of love, forgiveness, family, friendship and — remember this phrase? — “Peace on Earth and Good …

COMMENTARY: Tis the Season to be Jolly — Even While Shopping

People are not at their best in crowds. It’s as if every survival-of-the-fittest primordial instinct comes out to obliterate thousands of years of civilization. Pre-and post-holiday shopping, and the inevitable lines, test our character. My wife’s a professional shopper. She has strategies on where to park and how to find the fastest moving line (which I’ve discovered is not always …

Kindness & Gratitude

If you want to make people really happy this year be extraordinarily generous giving two things you have an unlimited amount of and cost you nothing: KINDNESS & GRATITUDE. – Michael Josephson

Christmas Gift Suggestions

TO YOUR CHILDREN: patience and a good example TO YOUR PARENTS: Respect and gratitude TO OTHER RELATIVES: Opportunities to get together TO YOUR FRIENDS: Empathy and meaningful attention TO THE LESS FORTUNATE: Charity and service TO YOUR SPOUSE: Understanding and a commitment to have more fun TO YOURSELF: Challenges and personal growth Real generosity is doing something for others even …

Help us make a difference

Donate on line at https://www.razoo.com/us/story/Charactercounts or send a check to Josephson Institute of Ethics 8151 Tuscany Avenue, Playa del Rey, CA 90293

COMMENTARY: Will This Be a Good Christmas?

Will this be a good Christmas? To lots of kids, the answer may be embedded in the response to the question: “Whaddja get?” On the other hand, retailers and Wall Street investors will look to sales and profits. What a pity that the spiritual and social potential of this holiday can be so easily lost. Of course, Christmas is a …

COMMENTARY: Surviving Critical Relatives at Family Gatherings

I realize that not everyone lives in a Norman Rockwell world where family gatherings are sources of warmth and good memories. For some, the prospect of holiday get-togethers generates dread and anxiety; they are something to endure, not enjoy. One reason is that family members can be tactless and downright cruel when expressing their opinions about perceived foibles, flaws and …

COMMENTARY: What is a Good Christmas?

Will this be a good Christmas? How will you measure it? For lots of kids, the answer may be embedded in the response to the question, “Whadja get?” On the other hand, retailers and Wall Street investors will look to sales and profits. What a pity that the spiritual and social potential of this a holiday can be so easily …

Christmas Through the Eyes of Norman Rockwell

It is a pity that the legacy of the great painter/illustrator Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) has faded. His images, mostly on magazine covers, were humorous, sentimental, even corny, but they still evoke in irrepressibly warm feelings. His images also powerfully conveyed important truths about human dignity and American values but here I want to share a collection of many of his …

COMMENTARY: The Missing Baby Jesus

In a lovely essay*, Jean Gietzen wrote about a family experience in 1943. It was just before Christmas in North Dakota and her family had just bought a nativity set with small figurines. But Jean’s mother was deeply disturbed to discover the set included an extra Baby Jesus. “Go back to the store,” she instructed, “and tell the manager to put …

A Story About Giving

Give generously and continuously. Give to people who need it and causes you believe in. It may deplete your purse, but it will enlarge your life. – Michael Josephson In  Gifts of the Heart, Betty Youngs tells of a man who reads in his church bulletin of a family in need. Members were asked to donate food, gifts and toys to help this family …

One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others. — Lewis Carroll

Personal Note: My Optimism Re-Emerges

I confess my irrepressible sense of optimism was repressed quite a bit by an election process that I found deplorable in so many ways. You can see my assessment of the year from an ethical perspective on the Conan Nolan show airing in Southern California on  Channel 4 NBC at 9:am on Christmas morning (will anyone watch?). Nevertheless, I will not …

For Yourself or as a Gift to Others – Share Michael Josephson’s Insights

Buy one or a dozen books to experience and share Michael’s cogent, wise and warm words. Please help us heal the world by a donation or purchase. See our Accomplishments 2016 and our Goals and Priorities for 2017 Michael Josephson’s classic booklet “Making Ethical Decisions” (its assigned reading at some universities) is only $10 a piece. You can buy five for $39 or …

Our Goals & Priorities for 2017

These are tumultuous times, and from a character and ethics point of view, it seems that the challenges are mounting. This makes the need for the Institute’s pro-active and practical efforts to improve the ethical quality of society greater than ever. Your financial support will help us with these priorities for 2017: Reduce physical and cyber bullying in schools. Introduce faith-based versions …

The Josephson Institute, through its various programs and projects, is making a meaningful difference.

Here are some of our major accomplishments in 2016: CHARACTER COUNTS! School Climate. Developed a comprehensive new structure, training materials and resources to create a Positive School Climate and create a culture of kindness to enhance academic achievement and eliminate violence and bullying. Student Journals. Created Way-to-Go Journal student workbooks and a complete revised School Agenda-Student Planner keyed to the Common Core and the Josephson Institute’s, Model Standards for Academic, …