OBSERVATION. The Vast Difference Between Lance Armstrong and Manti Te’o
It’s hard to be too critical of Lance Armstrong – he not only cheated his way to fame, he bullied others and betrayed millions who believed in his self-righteous claims that he was an innocent man being persecuted by jealous enemies. His confession was not an expression of genuine remorse, but another cynical effort to choose the lesser of two …
Memo From Michael: A Father-Daughter Adventure
I just returned from a nearly 3-week journey to Southeast Asia with my daughter Samara (a 19 year-old sophomore at NYU). It was an exceptional trip. We visited parts of the world I’d never been before – Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Viet Nam and China (Hong Kong) and the exposure to the vast array of cultures and languages in this part …
Michael Josephson Named One of the Top Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior
Trust Across America has named Michael Josephson one of the 100 Top Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior for 2013. Also on the list is Josephson Institute Board of Governors member Roger Bolton, who is president of the Arthur W. Page Society. Trust Across America researches and seeks to enhance the trustworthiness of organizations in the United States. It publishes this list of …
Memo From Michael: The Best is Yet to Come
Happy New Year. Think of today as the first day of the rest of your life. As I said in my last note, I am committed to prove the best is yet to come and I am beginning this year with an extraordinary experience. I will be leaving tomorrow for a cruise to Southeast Asia with my oldest daughter, Samara …
When Being Right is Wrong (or Irrelevant)
As I reflected on the year gone by as a prelude to doing better in the year to come I realized how many times I (and others) have caused strife and sometimes done
Wishing you a year full of mistakes.
“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living,
New Year’s Wishes From Michael
I hope you had a great Christmas or Hanukkah and, if you had time to spend with your extended family, that you had a wonderful time or, if such occasions are not uniformly a source of joy, that you, nevertheless, found reasons to be happy and grateful. This year has been unusually challenging for me, so I suppose I am …
COMMENTARY 807.3: Good Memories — The Gift That Keeps On Giving
When giving gifts or spending your own money, remember that experiences create deeper and longer lasting pleasure than any object you can buy. In a world preoccupied with the quest for material possessions, it’s easy to overlook the fact that the most valuable things we own are our best memories. Good memories are the gift that keeps on giving. They …
COMMENTARY 807.2: Christmas — Christianity’s Gift to the World
As a Jew married to a Catholic, my fondness and reverence for Christmas includes, but goes beyond, recognition of its enormous religious significance. I view Christmas as the gift of Christians to the world – a day dedicated to transcendent values like love, compassion, and charity, as both moral obligations and a source of joy. In 1905, Henry Van Dyke …
COMMENTARY 806.2: Saying the Right Thing
When someone you care about is suffering greatly, what’s the right thing to say to make him or her feel better? There are all sorts of traumas that can send us to the darkest dungeons of despair – the death of a loved one, being raped, getting a divorce, losing a limb, seeing a child sent to jail or on …
OBSERVATION: Have we allowed the pursuit of adequacy to replace the ethic of excellence?
What We Need to Teach Kids and Teachers: “Any job worth doing is worth doing well. And any job done well is worth doing.” – Michael Josephson The Common Core and Partnership for the 21st Century tell educators that their main job is to prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace.There are lots of qualities involved in such …
Take Control of Your Life
You are what you are today because of the choices you made yesterday, and the choices you make today will make you what you are tomorrow. Take control of your life. Choose wisely. – Michael Josephson