Tag: Human Nature
Posted on December 22, 2024
On Christmas (2024)
‘Tis the season, as it were. A time of joy and hope, prayer and merriment. The Christmas season is one many of us cherish, and for good reasons. But as I sat down to consider what it means …
Posted on October 27, 2024
Lessons from Sue the T-Rex: Why We All Need Moments of Wonder
Last week, I went to Chicago’s Field Museum to visit Sue the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Did you know it’s the most complete T-Rex skeleton ever found? Or that one of the only artificial parts of the skeleton on display …
Posted on July 28, 2024
Violence Is the Last Refuge of the Incompetent
I am fond of a saying Isaac Asimov coined in his Foundation series: violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. It’s used as an insult towards those who jump to violence because they cannot—or will not—work through …
Posted on May 19, 2024
An Empty House
An empty house is an interesting thing, particularly one you have no intention of filling. I have had six major moves in my life and we are in the midst of number seven. Movers showed up this week …
Posted on April 23, 2024
Get Off My Lawn
Watching a toddler grow fascinates me. Every day seems like it brings new developments, especially with physical skills. Our son has two new favorites: the headbanger, and the butt-first stair slide. Admittedly, these skills aren’t anywhere on the …
Posted on February 25, 2024
I Use 100% of My Brain and You Can Too! The Nature of Pervasive Myths
I’m currently reading Adam Grant’s Hidden Potential, which has been quite enjoyable so far. One data point from the book, however, stands out. The popular educational belief that each of us has a preferred learning style (e.g. audio, …
Updated on December 25, 2023
On Christmas
Tomorrow is my 34th Christmas. I have had Christmases full of joy, and some tinged by sadness. One year involved cutting down our own snow-covered Christmas tree with thermoses of hot chocolate holding off the crisp winter air. …
Posted on August 27, 2023
Someday
Tom Cruise is apparently this week’s muse. My initial idea for today’s Wandering was to review the latest Mission Impossible movie. When I talked through it with my wife, though, the conversation strayed into territory covered by a …
Posted on August 13, 2023
Handicaps and Flaws
Generally speaking, interesting characters have to overcome obstacles. That’s why Superman bores me. It’s hard for the most powerful being around to face challenges that don’t immediately turn absurd. Something writers think about when developing those characters is …
Posted on April 24, 2023
It’s All Connected: Scams, Conspiracies, and Belief
In an interview shortly after publishing The Da Vinci Code, author Dan Brown stated unequivocally that the various secret holy orders contained within were real, that the French monarchy blood line claimed to have been wiped out in …
