Despite the advice of preachers and philosophers warning us of the shortcomings of money, it’s hard to argue with Gertrude Stein’s observation: “I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. Rich is better.”
WORTH READING: The Truth About Money and Happiness
From Tejvan Pettinger at PickTheBrain.com: It is an oft repeated axiom that money cannot buy happiness. While this is certainly true, poverty will not buy happiness either. Some people become very wealthy, yet struggle to enjoy their lives. On the other hand, others manage to go through life with very few money problems simply because they are able to make …
COMMENTARY: Are Cynics Right? Is Lying Really Necessary? 752.3
What do you think? In today’s society, does a person have to lie or cheat at least occasionally to succeed? The question isn’t whether occasional liars and cheats sometimes get away with dishonesty; we all have to agree with this. The question is whether you believe people can succeed if they are not willing to lie or cheat. Those who …
COMMENTARY: Unkind Words Are Weapons 752.2
With four teenage daughters, I frequently find myself correcting, disciplining, or simply protesting unnecessary and unkind comments certain to anger or wound a sister and evoke counterattacks that fill the air with nastiness. Hoping to get them to think before they speak in the future, I often ask, “What did you expect to accomplish by that remark?” and “Did it …
COMMENTARY: Birds on a Wire: Actions are More Important Than Intentions
Five birds are sitting on a telephone wire. Two of them decide to fly South. How many are left? Three, you say? No, it’s five. You see, deciding to fly South is not the same as doing it. If a bird really wants to go somewhere, it’s got to point itself in the right direction, jump off the wire and flap its …
OBSERVATION: When someone you love takes a different road.
People take different roads in pursuit of their happiness. They are not wrong, foolish or lost simply because it’s not the road you would have taken. Once a decision is made, your doubts and disapproval
CONGRATULATIONS! Announcing the Winners of the 2011 Commentary Essay Contest!
In the fall of 2011, the Josephson Institute of Ethics created a special contest to celebrate the end of Michael Josephson’s extraordinary run of more than 14 years on KNX-AM1070 radio in Los Angeles. Listeners and newsletter readers were invited to write short essays on how his radio commentaries had make a positive impact on their lives. The prize: the …
KINDNESS
See all the resources at Random Acts of Kindness website. Random Acts of Kindness
COMMENTARY: A Parent’s Love for the Family Treasure 751.4
There are all kinds of love. The passionate romantic love immortalized and often fantasized by poets and novelists; Platonic love among friends, the love of humanity preached by missionaries and ministers, the love of country, and even the love of our work. I’ve been fortunate to have experienced all of these forms but none has impressed me more than the deep, enduring …
COMMENTARY: Moral Courage – The Engine of Integrity 751.3
Mignon McLaughlin tells us, “People are made of flesh and blood and a miracle fiber called courage.” Courage comes in two forms: physical courage and moral courage. Physical courage is demonstrated by acts of bravery where personal harm is risked to protect others or preserve cherished principles. It’s the kind of courage that wins medals and monuments.Moral courage may seem less …
OBSERVATION: Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, “I’ll try again tomorrow.” – Mary Anne Radmacher
The Roman philosopher Seneca said, “Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.” Life rarely demands grand acts of valor where we put our lives on the line for a principle or person we love, but it often demands the strength and fortitude to do what we are afraid to do, to do what we don’t want
WORTH WATCHING: “You’re better than that.” Rocky Balboa talks to his son about courage.
The video clip is not able to be embedded in this post, but you can watch it here.
COMMENTARY 751.2: What Is Character?
Here’s a riddle: You can hardly ever find it anymore — especially in politics or business. Lots of schools don’t teach it anymore. We want more of it in our children and in all the adults who interact with them. We want it from our bosses and the people who fix our cars. And most of us believe we have …
OBSERVATION: Character is destiny. – Heraclitus
Of course, our character shapes our destiny. We must not forget, however, we shape our character. Thus, character may determine our fate, but character is not determined by fate. It is
Doing The Right Thing
Character is doing the right thing even when it costs more than you want to pay. – Michael Josephson
WORTH READING: THE ASPEN DECLARATION. In July 1992, the Josephson Institute of Ethics hosted a summit in Aspen, Colorado bringing together ethicists, educators and youth-service professionals to identify shared ethical values that could be the foundation of character education programs. The result was the Aspen Declaration, the seminal document for the CHARACTER COUNTS! movement which presently engages about 7 million children and families worldwide. (click to see the Declaration)
Click to see 12′ x 25′ mural by Nadi Spencer at Monson Sultana School in Tulare County, CA
COMMENTARY: Who Am I to Judge? – The Ethics of Moral Judgments 751.1
Almost every week someone indignantly attacks my integrity because I offended them with a real or perceived opinion they didn’t like. The underlying assumption is that stating an opinion on any controversial matter violates the sacred duty of neutrality. First, I’m a teacher and a commentator, not a judge or journalist. Although I strive mightily to be objective, I don’t …
OBSERVATION: The precept ‘Judge not that ye be not judged’…is an abdication of moral responsibility. It is a moral blank check one gives to others in exchange for a moral blank check one expects for oneself. – Ayn Rand
When I graduated law school in 1967 it was popular to rail against people who made moral judgments. We called finger wagging moralists presuming to judge people and life styles as right or wrong “moral imperialists” and adopted, instead, a form of ethical relativism implying that there was no true universal right or wrong, just equally valid or invalid opinions. After all, we …
Thank You: Gratitude on Thanksgiving
Please accept my heartfelt wish that you and all those you love have a very happy and rewarding Thanksgiving holiday and please accept my sincere gratitude to you. Your willingness to read and consider my thoughts and occasionally share them with others is a gift of immeasurable value. I treasure this opportunity to be part of your life in this …
COMMENTARY: A Personal Note from Michael Josephson
Dear Reader and Friend, I hope it’s not presumptuous to address you as “Friend,” but I’ve shared with you so many of my deepest thoughts — including my recent sense of loss and uncertainty when the radio station KNX in Los Angeles cancelled the Character Counts broadcasts — that I feel a genuine intimacy with you. I’ll turn 69 in a …
COMMENTARY: Give Yourself the Gift of Gratitude 750.5
For some, Thanksgiving is the beginning of a holiday season filled with joy and happiness at the prospect of spending time with family. For others, it’s a sadder time blemished by bad memories or dread. Some people see their lives filled with abundant blessings and find thankfulness easy and natural; others are so pre-occupied with tending to past wounds or …