Holdovers On Metabolizing Pain

The movie starts with Paul as an angry man, drowning his pain in alcohol and vitriol. The movie resists finding romance as an easy salve to his pain. Instead it attempts to help people find resolution through honesty, acceptance and facing the truth of their past. The last scene of the movie is Paul taking a swing of liquor and spitting it out, setting Paul on a new journey.

Read More

Why is sci-fi fundamental to Elon's worldview and work?

What is peculiar to Elon is he has civilizational vision for using science and technology - to save humanity. This is why the goal of SpaceX is to make human beings a spacefaring civilization. In the Foundation series the psycho-history genius Hari Sheldon helps civilization navigate through a major crisis by creating a remnant far out in space.

Read More

The Crown SE 06: Father Wound of Diana and Dodi

One of the most powerful scenes in this Season is one the father and son have a heart to heart conversation. In order to not spoil the scene I do not want to say too much, but only this. In that scene Dodi tells his dad that the reason why he is so controlling is that he is seeking the affirmation of the West, suggesting that his own controlling nature comes from deep in securities.

Read More

Why is Luna Lovegood a Great Character in Harry Potter?

So what helps luna Lovegood to be that person that brings comfort to people when they are there, when they are in distress? And how has she developed that ability? A part of this goes back to luna love good's own life history. When she was about nine her mom died accidentally. And she witnessed that death. Anytime somebody witnesses death, in the Harry Potter world, they become people that can see the thestral until then they cannot see the thestral.

Read More

Oppenheimer: American Prometheus: Technology vs Moral Virtue

So who is Prometheus? He is a figure from the Greek mythology. He stole fire from the gods to bring it to human beings. So that's what they're referring to when they say "raided Mount Olympus again", to bring this technology to human beings so that human life would prosper. The scientists that worked along with Oppenheimer brought the technology that fuels the sun nuclear energy to earth, so to speak. Which is why they are called the modern Prometheans.

Read More

Stockton Rush: Hero or Villian OR What may Aristotle say?

There are some that consider Stockton rush as a hero. There are some that say that captain Stockton is a pioneer because he was trying to figure out a way to take multiple people on a tour together to the deeper depths of the ocean. Because the current models do not allow more than two people to go together at the same time. So in that sense, is he an Explorer that is that is trying to push the boundaries and figure out innovative ways of doing things. In that sense, is he a hero?

Read More

Lessons from Succession: Finite and Infinite Games

Logan is always playing the game to win. He says, "I always win." And this mindset of playing the game to win   is something Simon Sinek, calls the finite game. He wrote a book called the infinite game in which he says people often play two types of games.

Read More

Why are Cormac McCarthy's books so bleak yet hopeful? Facing Terminal Decadence!

So what is terminal decadence? If you think about different cultures and civilization? They rise up, they go to a peak, and then they start coming down. And terminal decadence is the stage where they start crumbling and they reach a point where there is no return.

Read More

Succession and the Gospel: Inversion of Patriarch's Power Games

This thing that sat on Kendal's heart since he was nine is the desire to be crowned as the King. Is that because he really wanted to do the job. Or is that because that is the only way he could get his father's approval. Is Logan exploiting Kendall's need for his approval. Logan would repeat similar tactics with his other children too, Shiv and Roman, manipulating their ambition and loyalties sowing the seeds for grand betrayals and escalating rivalry.

Read More

Waking Ned Divine - Breaking the Machine

Lizzy reminded me of the book Fate of Empires. In the book Fate of Empires, Sir John Glubb analyzes how different civilizations follow a common pattern of rise to power, then decline and fall. Civilizations rise to power when people value courage, duty and honor dealings with others. One of the stages in the decline and fall is what he calls the Age of Affluence. In this stage the ethic of honor and duty is replaced by the ethic of wanting to make money and get ahead in life, often at the cost of civic virtue.

Read More

Lessons in Love: Fightclub and Codependency

Every human being is broken in some ways. We all seek to healing. And love can be a powerful healing force at multiple levels - psychological, neurological and sociological. The problem is that when two broken people try to use each other's love to heal their wounds, it can create more brokenness - because two different people may need two different ways of feeling loved by the other, to feel healed. But the other may not be able to provide that particular way of being loved. This can create a lot of resentment in relationships.

Read More

From Woody Allen to Christmas

This is the meaning of Christmas! It means we do not have to resign our unyielding despair like Bertrand Russell suggests or try to escape into a world of comic relief as Woody Allen does, rather we can face the despair in life with the hope that our pain points to a bigger purpose and our desires point to a transcendent beauty and our life will find meaning which will echo through eternity. All because the Logos took on Humanity and transformed what it means to be human.

Read More

Hack Slowness!

Hacking slowness is not about slowing down just to speed up again. Sometimes we think we will slow down on vacation and then come back to the real world to speed up. Hacking slowness is about slowing down for the sake of slowing down. Hacking slowness is about creating the inner capacity to notice more. Chronic speed will reduce our inner capacity to notice. If we are not careful we could break things.

Read More

How to Get UnStuck When we Feel Overwhelmed? Lord of the Rings

When life seems overwhelming and you feel stuck in a state of frustration, to get unstuck, start with empathy follow up with meaningful response by celebrating your agency to choose and you would be following on Frodo’s footsteps, bravely matching to Mordor!

Read More

The Terminal List - On What is Wrong with our Society

To the extend that we don't value our need for deep bonds with the community around us we will become less human, the way the elite managerial class seem in Terminal List. In exchanging the brotherhood for money, the elite managerial class lose their humanity. Their humanity dies before they indeed are terminated.

Read More

James Bond - The Proper Function of Man

The Moore Bond existed to entertain, the Craig Bond lived to point us to the deeper way of love, the Christlike way of self-giving love which is the proper function of a man who lives a life worth living.

Read More

A Reliable Get-Rich-Quick Scheme: Spiritual Gratitude

The comedian, author and TV host Ben Stein says, "I cannot tell you anything that, in a few minutes, will tell you how to be rich. But I can tell you how to feel rich, which is far better, let me tell you firsthand, than being rich. Be grateful. . . . It's the only totally reliable get-rich-quick scheme." We live in a culture where developing gratitude as an attitude is seen as being key to success.

Read More

Why is big bend Important for my Spirituality?

Augustine says in his confessions, "vast are you O Lord, we are restless until we find our rest in thee." Big Bend this vast meeting space in which I am no longer restless. I am home. I am rested because I am purged of the frenzy of the city. My perception is attuned to enjoying God's cosmos, permeating the glory of His presence. Only then do I truly live!

Read More

How to stop watching Netflix too much?

Do you want to see change in your life? Are your external rules based strategy failing you? Then Identify the dysfunctional belief which is driving your behavior. Then change the dysfunctional belief with redemptive belief, and let that drive your motivation to change your behavior. Change your belief and your behavior will change!

Read More