Apathy is the True Measure of Poverty
In the course of my life, I have witnessed the broad spectrum of human fortune. I have seen men adorned with riches, and others clothed in rags.…
Health and Wellness
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To Hell with Meaning
Nietzsche said you can endure any what if you have a why. Frankl said man is driven by the search for meaning. I say they both drank…
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Well Adjusted to a Bad Situation
The man at the bar had a steady hand. That was more than could be said for most of them. He lifted his glass, took a sip,…
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The Misery of Minor Inconveniences
It is a curious feature of modern life, particularly in the affluent portions of the world, that comfort has not engendered contentment, nor abundance brought with it…
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The Library, the Fire, and the Flicker of Hope
T.S. Eliot, not often accused of excessive optimism, once remarked that the very existence of libraries affords the best evidence that we may yet have hope for…
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The Other Kind of Safety Net We Keep Forgetting
When we talk about safety nets in America, the conversation almost always swings back to money. Retirement accounts, emergency savings, insurance policies, college funds; we build them,…
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The Man Who Didn’t Starve
The man knew how to fix a roof. Not beautifully, but well enough it didn’t leak. He could wire a house without burning it down. He could…
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The Question of a Life Unshackled
I have often wondered why a man, when given the choice, so often chooses to be a beast of burden. It is not that he delights in…
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Let’s Get Back to Our Roots
In the years since World War II, a slow but deliberate shift has taken place. Once, Americans prided themselves on self-sufficiency. They built their own homes, repaired…
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The Weight of Need: On Helplessness and the Crushing of the Soul
To be chronically needy is not simply to lack; it is to be placed in a position of spiritual collapse. It is not merely hunger, nor solely…