Tuesday's Teachings (From Life)

[H/T MOHIB EBRAHIM] -- THEFEDERALIST.COM -- Peter Weir's 2003 masterpiece, "Master and Commander," is a film about manhood, fatherhood, service, and sacrifice. Adapted from Patrick O'Brian's epic Aubrey-Maturin series and starring Russell Crowe, the film is set at sea during the Napoleonic Wars. It tells the story of British Captain Jack Aubrey's mission to find and sink a French privateer that's been harassing the British whaling fleet off the coast of Brazil. In other words, it's not a comic-book film for woke zoomers and millennials trapped in adolescence. It's a film for adults who want to see a nuanced portrayal of masculine virtue set amid breathtaking cinematography and awesome naval battle scenes. Crowe himself explained as much over the weekend when someone on Twitter snarked ...

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THEFEDERALIST.COM -- [ISMAILI DIGEST ED: Hazar Imam, at Harvard, 2015: "What is needed, as the former Governor General of Canada Adrienne Clarkson has said, and I quote, is a readiness 'to listen to your neighbour, even when you may not particularly like him.' Is that message clear? You listen to people you don't like!"] ARTICLE: Those with illiberal ideas have transformed colleges from institutions of open debate into the least welcoming environment for diversity of ideas. Their aggressive tactics have cowed many staff and students, with opposing views, into silence. However, free speech just scored a major win at Cambridge, one of the most "woke" college campuses. When it proposed a new speech censoring policy, free speech proponents pushed back. Arif Ahmed, an associate professor, offered 3 amendments supported by faculty, students and even the Cambridge Radical Feminist Network. Nevertheless, the university rejected them. However, after heavy pressure, they allowed the university's 7,000 staff a vote and more than 80% approved all 3 amendments. Defending free speech isn't a battle between conservatives and liberals: it's a battle between freedom and tyranny. Cambridge presents a winning approach to push back what's known as the "woke" mob: first ...

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ARTOFMANLINESS.COM -- For most American Presidents, it's clear they're glad to give up the office after their term. It's an exhausting job where they are relentlessly attacked by opponents, sometimes by their own party. Even great acts were reviled by partisans of the era. While President Roosevelt loved the job, President Taft was a prime example of someone being perfectly unsuited for it. "Within hours of his election triumph," Goodwin writes, he "was already anguished that his nature was ill-suited to his new role." A classic example of the "should" game. I can imagine Taft saying, "I love Theodore and want to uphold his legacy; I should run for president." Can you relate? Is social media/family/friends/culture egging you into pursuing a life you don't really want? Entrepreneurship certainly appears alluring online, but ...

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WHATKILLEDMICHAELBROWN.COM -- [ISMAILI DIGEST ED: Very highly recommended.] ARTICLE: A Senior Fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, Shelby Steele has never shied away from controversy when it comes to race in America. In 2006, Steele received the Bradley Prize for his contributions to the study of race in America. In 2004, he was awarded the National Humanities Medal. His latest documentary, "What Killed Michael Brown?" promises a subtle critique punctuated by powerful insight. Steele, has long argued that systemic racism is more a strategy than a truth, and that the universal oppression of black Americans is largely over with. But the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, by a white policeman shook the nation to its core. During Steele's investigation of Ferguson, America was rocked by the brutal killing of George Floyd. Didn't these killings, and others like them, put the lie to Steele's argument? ...

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THEFEDERALIST.COM -- In a new Joe Rogan podcast, Matthew McConaughey said his religious beliefs are not separate from his belief in science, calling science, "the practical pursuit of God." McConaughey proudly said he is a "religious" man, outright rejecting the "spiritual and not religious" label associated with Hollywood liberals. He explained why Christianity sometimes plays a role in Hollywood's cancel culture, remarking "You can't erase someone's entire existence. Where the heck does some forgiveness go?" He said that the progressive and "illiberal" trend of "condescending and patronizing" people who believe differently must stop. "To illegitimize them because they say they are a believer, is just so arrogant and in some ways hypocritical to me," McConaughey said. "There's a lot of great truths that come ...

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[H/T MOHIB EBRAHIM] -- YOUTUBE.COM -- Emotional, fact-based drama of revolution and racism about a wealthy white surgeon and a poor black lab tech, without a college degree, who work together, during segregation between the 1930s and 1940s, to achieve a medical breakthrough -- heart bypass surgery -- that changed the world. ...

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YOUTUBE.COM -- PRAGERU -- Schools in my neighborhood in Jacksonville, Florida, functioned less as places of learning and more as warehouses to keep kids off the street. I know - I was one of those kids. My early years in school were not a success, to put it mildly. I seldom understood the lesson. I was often confused and frustrated. I'd ask my teachers questions, but it seemed to me that this just annoyed them. So, I stopped asking questions. I failed third grade -- twice. Fourth and fifth weren't much better. I lashed out by getting into fights with my classmates. I was going nowhere. I was just another kid in the warehouse. But fortunately, my life changed the summer before sixth grade. I went to live with my godmother. She had one overriding thought ...

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YOUTUBE.COM -- PRAGERU -- I would like you to imagine sitting in a room, looking up at a tiled ceiling. And you notice that one tile is missing - just one. What would you concentrate your vision on? What would you look at the most? The answer of course, is the missing tile. We can replace a ceiling's missing tile and once again have a perfect ceiling. But this doesn't apply to life. Most of what is missing in our lives, or what we think is missing, cannot be replaced. For that reason, concentrating on the missing tiles in your life is a big problem. Let me give you the example that taught me ...

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[H/T MOHIB EBRAHIM] -- YOUTUBE.COM -- A compilation of some inspirational movies scenes. My list was pretty long so I decided to post just a few of them, that really inspired me in some way. Hope y'all will like it. Enjoy ...

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YOUTUBE.COM -- EVA ZU BECK -- This was probably one of my favourite travel experiences - EVER. I had a beautiful time with my Wakhi family in Jamalabad, Gojal, Upper Hunza. I feel like the warmth and knowledge they passed on to me, I wouldn't have been able to gain anywhere else. The Gojal region, also known as Upper Hunza, has 20,000 Ismaili residents. It is ...

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YOUTUBE.COM -- Miracles From Heaven is based on the incredible true story of the Beam family. When Christy discovers her 10-year-old daughter Anna has a rare, incurable disease, she becomes a ferocious advocate for her daughter's healing as she searches for a solution. After Anna has a freak accident and falls three stories, a miracle unfolds in the wake of her dramatic rescue that leaves medical specialists mystified, her family restored and their community inspired. ...

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YOUTUBE.COM -- PRAGERU -- We all know that there's more to maturity than simply growing older. So what characteristics do you need to become a mature person? And why will that help you lead a better life? UCLA Medical School psychiatrist Dr. Stephen Marmer explains five characteristics of maturity. ...

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THEFEDERALIST.COM -- In revealing how "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek developed his kind, humble heart, his new memoir also provides the story behind the remarkable and steadfast success of "Jeopardy!" The book also contains Trebek's reflections on life, and living, since his pancreatic cancer diagnosis over a year ago. He writes about wearing a hairpiece -- which he has worn since a December 2017 fall required cranial surgery to remove blood clots in his brain. Trebek's description of the pain he has suffered from cancer and chemotherapy will elicit sympathy from readers. While disclosing in publicity interviews for the book that he (briefly) contemplated suicide, Trebek continued his hosting duties, refusing to delay "Jeopardy!" tapings, despite excruciating pain during some of them. The memoir's first 100 pages contain ...

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[H/T MOHIB EBRAHIM] -- SAFEGRAPH.COM -- [ISMAILI DIGEST ED: Hazar Imam, 2007: "But as a wise observer once said, it's not so much what we don't know that hurts us, but also all those things that we are sure we know -- but which are just not so."] ARTICLE: Peter Thiel's favorite interview question -- "What important truth do very few people agree with you on?" (or, more simply: "what heretical view you have?") -- exposes that most people hold mainstream views which they just think are heretical. A good answer sparks a unique view of the world and shows you: 1) think independantly; 2) are open-minded, and 3) brave enough to discuss unpopular opinions. However, an answer with a conventional view suggests you: 1) are not unaware your view is mainstream; 2) don't have many original thoughts; 3) are afraid to discuss your original thoughts. As Thiel says in his book "Brilliant thinking is rare, but courage is in even shorter supply than genius." One learns quickly in life ...

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[H/T SAHIL BADRUDDIN] -- YOUTUBE.COM -- PHILOSOPHY INSIGHTS -- [ISMAILI DIGEST ED: Hazar Imam, 1987: "... if you are intelligent, if Allah has blessed you with intelligence ... " Hazar Imam, 2016: "Public wisdom is not dependent on education." Hazar Imam, 2007: "One of the great stumbling blocks to the advance of pluralism, in my view, is simple human arrogance. All of the world's great religions warn against self-righteousness ... rather than recognising their humility before the Divine."] ARTICLE: The arrogance of the intellect is what the Catholic Church had warned about for centuries. Because there is no relationship between being smart and being wise. They are not the same thing. There's no quick pathway from smart to wise. I've known people who were intellectually impaired and were still wise. And so if the intellectuals would drop their moral superiority, and fat chance there is of that, then that divide between the working class, say, and the elite would would resolve. And there's every reason to have respect for decent working class people. After all it's on their labor, as the left-wingers at least hypothetically agree, that the entire edifice of the culture is resting. There's this scene in ...

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CALNEWPORT.COM -- [ISMAILI DIGEST ED: Hazrat Ali: "What do I care whether I am thrown into ease or into hardship? For surely it is my duty to Allah the Exalted to be pleased with my lot in times of hardship, and to be grateful in times of ease."] ARTICLE: After ten years of waging war against the Trojans, Odysseus, king of Ithaca, began his seaward journey home. Storms thwarted an easy return voyage, and Odysseus found himself facing many additional years of tragedy and adventure, eventually forced to descend into Haydes, the underworld itself. Broken down and exposed, Odysseus resists collapse. He instead pulls himself out, perseveres through additional trials, until finally ... As Richard Roher wrote, Odysseus's journey is a metaphor for the proper human response to unexpected difficulty. Which brings us to our current moment. We're all suffering ...

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ARTOFMANLINESS.COM -- Man A boasts of how seldom he checks his phone, and shakes his head about how addicted people are to their devices. Man B feels good about the fact he never loses his temper, or gets into arguments with others. Man C is proud of how strictly he lives his faith, particularly how sexually chaste he's remained. All three individuals find a sense of satisfaction in their moral accomplishments. But should they? It turns out Man A ...

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[H/T SAHIL BADRUDDIN] -- INC.COM -- One of the biggest reasons most of us don't set out to achieve a huge goal is that we think we first need to develop a comprehensively detailed grand plan, one where every step is charted, every milestone identified, where success is pre-ordained. But because we don't have that kind of plan -- because creating that kind of plan is basically impossible -- we hesitate. And so we never start. Jobs knew that plans are never perfect. Only in hindsight can they appear that way. Instead Steve Jobs believed in the fundamental power of belief itself and of using that belief to motivate and inspire. As Jobs said ...

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EVIEMAGAZINE.COM -- I've had so many friends tell me how worried they'll stay single forever, or how much a guy they're seeing disappointed them, or how all the good guys are taken. Which lead me to think that we, as women, really need to observe the qualities that make for a good guy, to understand what exactly makes a guy "husband material." I was struck by Captain America, and in my humble opinion, we need look no further than him for the image of such a man. He possesses the very best aspects of masculinity. He uses his strength to protect, respects women, and sacrifices himself for the greater good, all while remaining unapologetically manly. In short, Captain America is ...

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THEFEDERALIST.COM -- At my local grocery store this week I came across an older man looking distressed at the many options of formula in front of him. I asked if he needed help to find what he was looking for, because I know that can be overwhelming. He said he knew what he needed but it was so darn expensive. He needed to get it for his daughter, who was in town because she lost her job due to the coronavirus. We parted but I just felt a pull to purchase a of couple cans for him. He broke down in tears, saying he had been contemplating how to steal those cans. Then he embraced me. We didn't have masks. All we had was our humanity. And that's exactly ...

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[H/T SIMERG] -- NYTIMES.COM -- "This major disaster is going to change our relationship to death; I'm not exactly sure how, but I am certain it will," Shannon Lee Dawdy, said. Long before the major religions, humans used rituals to deal with death. They honored the sacredness of life by burying the dead. This pandemic arrived in a country drifting away from many of its faith traditions. During the flu pandemic of 1918, many churches closed for services, but there was little question that a minister could visit the dying. A century ago, priests were "answering sick calls night and day," one Catholic newspaper reported at the time. Now nurses and doctors, not spiritual leaders or families, are most likely to be death's witnesses. "There was a vast ritual practice ...

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CSMONITOR.COM -- In late March, Ellie Linen hatched a plan: raise funds to pay restaurants to cook meals with ingredients from Maine farms to feed hungry people. By mid-April, two Portland restaurants had fired up their stoves. Since then, seven more joined the effort. Volunteers stepped up, donations poured in and today, Cooking for Community (C4C) provides just over 2,000 meals a week. Restaurants are paid $5 per meal and reimbursed for food and labor. During the first week, cooks made fried chicken served with German potato salad and grapes. For Muslims observing Ramadan, Mr. Malin commissioned halal meals. "The food smelled so good." "Hunger is almost normalized now ...

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[H/T RYAN MAKHANI] -- PBS.ORG -- There's a proverb that says, "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." However, what you learn in maturity aren't simple things like information and skills. You find that the world loves talent, but pays off on character. You learn ... As Norman Douglas said "There are some things you can't learn from others. You have to pass through the fire." ... The world is moved by highly motivated people who want something or believe very much. I'm not talking about ambition, but keeping your zest until you die. Everyone wants to be interesting -- but the vitalizing force is to *be interested.* Keep a sense of curiosity. Discover new things. Risk failure. Reach out. How many people, already trapped in fixed attitudes and habits, do you know? A man wrote to me ...

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[H/T MOHIB EBRAHIM] -- DAILYSTOIC.COM -- [ISMAILI DIGEST ED: Hazar Imam, 1989: "Uncompromising excellence is also an ethical principle."] ARTICLE: Arete--the most powerful word to the Stoics. It means excellence, and it was the ultimate expression of human greatness--moral, physical, spiritual. Reaching it requires a certain philosophical approach. Because brilliance and inspiration and skill are not enough. Summing up Aristotle's thoughts on excellence, Will Durant wrote, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then is not an act but a habit." In other words: Excellence isn't this thing you do one time. It's a way of living. It's foundational. It's like an operating system and the code this system operates on is habit. Which is why we've created this guide for you. Bookmark this page and return to it frequently--it is the ultimate guide on habits. We'll first lay out ...

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THEFEDERALIST.COM -- When half the working class is facing economic devastation and the other half still has to show up to work, are we really all in this together? I'm a lawyer in New York City, able to work from home only because of all those in "essential jobs" who cannot. What are those jobs? My building staff still comes to work. As do stockers, check-out people, and so forth at grocery stores. Streets are full of people delivering groceries and online food orders. Behind those is a vast network of truck drivers, warehouse staff, factory and agricultural workers keeping the goods flowing. What do all these folks, who cannot work remotely, have in common? These are working class. My class of professionals and managers can work remotely. The more numerous working class cannot, and make less money than those who work on computers. A recent study ...

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THEFEDERALIST.COM -- Learning, as a preteen, to share space and adapt to another loved family member's rhythms and needs was key to my adaptability as an adult. It made me a more flexible and compassionate person. Intergenerational living shaped my younger years, and it's still shaping my family dynamic today. Today, in my household, we spend many of our days as a family of seven: my husband and myself, our four children, and my dear mother-in-law. Living life together, generations under one roof, teaches us lessons and benefits everyone involved, but I believe my children benefit most from this arrangement. Many families are sheltering together right now ...

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[H/T MOHIB EBRAHIM] -- ARTOFMANLINESS.COM -- Though St. Augustine would become a bishop, church father, and one of the most influential thinkers of Christianity, he was slow and reluctant to accept the faith. As an eminent scholar and master of rhetoric, he was initially skeptical of a religion that seemed to him backward and unsophisticated. At 30 he met Ambrose of Milan, an older man who could match Augustine's sharp mind and deft oratory. He was also a Christian. Ambrose's keen intelligence married to sincere belief disrupted Augustine's preconceptions of what men of faith looked like. Someone he greatly respected was a follower of Christ compelled Augustine to reexamine his opinions. When someone remains unconvinced of something, we often think they haven't yet heard the right argument. Usually, though, they just haven't yet met the right person. Ambrose ...

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