Why is it that we treat our slip-ups like wrong turns we need to hide, rather than information that can help us get back on course? When we mess up, our modern world so often tells us to pretend we are still headed in the right direction. But the ancient wisdom attributed to Confucius cuts … Read more
It has been said that solitude is the place of purification. It has also been said that the great omission in American life is solitude … that zone of time and space, free from the outside pressures, which is the incinerator of the spirit. Indeed, enjoying your own company can be a great catalyst for … Read more
“I will fail this test.” “I will be uncomfortable at the party.” “I think she’ll hate me for saying this.” Worrying about future events makes you self-critical. The ability to consider possible outcomes is not always bad: it can help you face any possible threats with clarity and confidence. However, prolonged anxiety can take a … Read more
How do we read a haiku? A surprising primer on this art comes from a slim volume by Yoel Hoffmann titled Japanese Death Poems: Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death. In the introductory part of the book, we learn that a haiku consists of seventeen syllables written in three … Read more
The afternoon was grey, the kind of Tuesday that seems to leach the color out of the walls before the sun has even begun to set. Jeremy sat on the edge of my corduroy sofa, his thumb performing a rhythmic dance over the screen of his phone. Every ninety seconds, the speaker in the corner … Read more