Tuesday's Teachings (From Life)

EVIEMAGAZINE.COM -- Should we be afraid of COVID-19? Well, that depends. What is the greatest thing that COVID-19 could take away? Your job, your security, your life? Those would cause fear in any person. However, religion provides a response to fear we have lost in our secular society. No matter the tragedy, they do not ultimately affect religious people's identities because their hope is rooted in the transcendent rather than earthly life.Religious people have a grounding that gives hope when faced with fear secularists simply don't have. When your hope is rooted in the transcendent, then even the greatest tragedy cannot shake your hope, faith, or identity. This doesn't mean that religious individuals live recklessly in the face of fear; rather, they live hopefully in the face of fear, because they ...

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MATIANE.WORDPRESS.COM -- Nobody is as bored as the rich, for money buys time, so expect boredom to hit as soon as the tools of self-gratification become available. In general, a man shooting heroin does so largely for the same reason you buy a video: to dodge the redundancy of time. When hit by boredom, go for it. Boredom is your window on time's infinity and teaches you the most valuable lesson in life: your utter insignificance. "You are finite", time tells you through the voice of boredom, "and whatever you do is, from my point of view, futile." The sense of futility, of limited significance even of your best actions, is better than the illusion of their consequences and the attendant self-aggrandizement. Boredom puts your existence into its perspective. The more you learn about your own size, the more humble and compassionate you become to ...

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QUILLETTE.COM -- WHO announced that Europe is now the epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic. As the announcement was made, many countries in Africa and Asia were imposing strict restrictions on arrivals from Europe. It felt like a great historical reversal, one full of irony. Suddenly Europeans were being kept away, they who for so long fortified their borders against the developing world. It was serious, but no one in Europe took it seriously. And now the instincts of less developed societies and the excessive precautions they took -- precautions the developed world chalked up to less advanced societies' "backwardness" -- take on a new meaning. What of the developed world's belief that we had conquered nature once and for all? Perhaps premature. Or its feeling that science can be replaced with postmodernism? A dangerous delusion. In a penetrating piece published ...

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[H/T MOHIB EBRAHIM] -- AREOMAGAZINE.COM -- [ISMAILI DIGEST ED: Hazrat Ali: "No one establishes the order of God the Glorified except one ... who is not a conformist ..." Hazar Imam, 2006: "[We must] constantly review and revise and renew what we think we know."] ARTICLE: Freeman Dyson passed away this week at 96 and left a massive hole in the scientific establishment, we are unlikely to fill in the foreseeable future. His career was arguably more prolific and illustrious than that of any other scientist of our current era and his influence is impossible to quantify. He was a theist, publicly remaining a Christian throughout his life. He earned the right to reject the importance of scientific consensus and had a deep-seated commitment to opposing scientific orthodoxy. He saw it as deeply moral and essential to the progress of science. In 2005, Dyson said, "The prevailing dogmas may be right, but they still need to be challenged. I'm proud to be a heretic. The world always needs heretics to challenge the prevailing orthodoxy." What is extraordinary ...

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IFSTUDIES.ORG -- Carla is an energetic, ambitious young Latina woman with sleek, chin-length brown hair and an open, confident manner. Though just twenty-five years old, she is already managing multimillion-dollar projects as a procurement specialist at a defense contracting firm where she works full-time -- her bosses had quickly promoted her from the entry-level clerical job where she'd started out. She is also a homeowner as well as a mom, the proud owner of a small condo she shares with her boyfriend and two young sons. But it was only a few short years ago that Carla was homeless, pregnant, and struggling to stay in school. She'd run away from home and spent two years "couch surfing" with friends and relatives while ...

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[H/T MOHIB EBRAHIM] -- FS.BLOG -- If life is a game, how do you play it? In "Finite and Infinite Games" James Carse, the Director of Religious Studies at New York University, that explores the difference between approaching life as a finite game with an end, or an infinite game that goes on forever. What do you do after you win a finite game? You have to sign up for another one and find a way to showcase your past winnings. These players spend their time in the past because that's where their winning is. Infinite players, in contrast, look to the future. Their goal is to keep the game going, so they focus less on what happened and more on figuring out what's possible. Finite players need ...

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YOUTUBE.COM -- ESSENTIAL TRUTH -- In this excerpt from one of his University of Toronto class lectures, Jordan Peterson describes the harsh reality of the Alpha Male life -- the life of those at the top of the organization ladder, driven to work 70, 80, 90 hours a week. ...

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YOUTUBE.COM -- ICOMPILATIONTV -- Restoring Faith in Humanity ...

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MAYOOSHIN.COM -- For 15 years, Dan Buettner -- a National Geographic researcher and New York Times best-selling author -- has been exploring the healthiest and happiest places in the world, to uncover the secrets of happiness. The Danes practice Hygge: the art of creating an atmosphere of relaxation and togetherness: candlelit tables, family time, reading, playing games, and social interactions without electronic distractions. Costa Ricans live in close-knit communities and get together each day to watch sports and play music, gather for meals with their families on the weekend, and regularly practice their faith. Singaporeans hold unto Confucian values and ideals, which favor the welfare of the group over that of the individual, family honour, working hard and respecting elders. Here are 6 lessons ...

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ARTOFMANLINESS.COM -- One of the keys of maturing into wisdom is realizing that the laws which govern personal development are just as immutable and invariable as the laws that govern the universe. They can no more be circumvented than can the force of gravity. We feel there must be a way to make good money, without working hard; to lose weight, without cutting calories; to drink caffeine throughout the day, and still get a good night's sleep; to get ripped, without lifting heavy weights. In a world of so much progress, it's simply hard to accept that the rules which have governed human health and happiness since time immemorial are ...

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MAYOOSHIN.COM -- On November 25th 1915, Albert Einstein presented his general theory of relativity--the by-product of almost a decade's dedicated work--to the Prussian Academy of Sciences. A few days prior, Einstein wrote a letter to his 11-year-old son, Hans Albert, who was living with his second son, Eduard "Tete," and estranged wife, Mileva, in Vienna. In the letter Einstein shares advice to his son, Hans Albert, on creativity, passion and the secret to learning anything. Here's the brief letter to his son: "My dear Albert, ...

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[H/T MOHIB EBRAHIM] -- MEDIUM.COM -- I hesitate to give advice because every major single piece of advice I was given turned out to be wrong and I am glad I didn't follow them. If I had to relive my life I would be even more stubborn and uncompromising than I have been.... So I will tell you what tricks I employ. (1) Do not read the newspapers, or follow the news in any way or form. To be convinced, try reading last years' newspaper. It doesn't mean ignore the news; ... (2) If something is nonsense, you say it and say it loud. You will be harmed a little but will be antifragile - in the long run people who need to trust you will trust you. Treat the ...

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MEDIUM.COM -- THE POLYMATH PROJECT -- James Lovelock's done original work in medicine, space exploration (at NASA), climate science, nuclear research and, as an lone scientist, first identified atmospheric CFCs. At 98 he is, as far as I know, still doing science. Lovelock's "lab" for 30+ years was the basement of his modest suburban home. There's a lot to like about this freedom" no bosses, no paperwork, no annoying bureaucracy to deal with. However, it comes with a downside: you don't get paid and yet he managed without any grants or other charity. In his book "A Rough Ride to the Future", he writes: "... being a loner gives a wonderful freedom to make mistakes and then learn from them; only very rarely do corporate scientists ...

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ARABNEWS.COM -- [ISMAILI DIGEST ED: Hazar Imam, 1967: "Ever since I was old enough to understand a little bit of one's own surroundings, I have always felt much closer to the East and till the day I die will always have these same feelings.... I'm very far away at heart from the West ..."] ARTICLE: I was smoothly becoming a Pukka Brown Sahib. I had the right credentials in terms of school, university and, above all, acceptability in English aristocracy, something our brown sahibs would give their lives for. So what led me to do a 'lota' on the Brown Sahib culture and become a 'desi'? It did not happen overnight. I was in the unique position of living between two cultures. While institutions were strong in Western societies, we were, and still are, superior in family life. I realised this was the West's biggest loss. In trying to free itself from the clergy, they had removed both God and religion from their lives. Its direct impact has been on family life. Science ...

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YOUTUBE.COM -- Inspired by his story, Will Smith played Chris Gardner in "The Pursuit of Happiness." Chris was a single, homeless father in San Francisco, struggling to pay rent and daycare. He and his 2-year old son slept in parks, airports, motels and, during their darkest moments, on the floor of a train station bathroom. Despite working long hours, Chris could barely afford an apartment. "I was homeless, but I wasn't hopeless." Everything changed after a chance encounter with a man in a red Ferrari. The man was Bob Bridges, one of San Francisco's top stock brokers. The two hit off and soon Bob was helping Chris find work and finally scored an interview for a job at a brokerage firm. (Continued ...)

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YOUTUBE.COM -- (Continued ...) But after making it through the interview, he was instead offered a job as an intern. Hungry for an opportunity, Chris jumped at the position ready to learn. There is no Plan B for passion. After work, Chris had to mow lawns and clean basements to support himself and his son. Both father and son lined up at soup kitchens and slept wherever they could for an entire year. They were even taken in by a women's homeless shelter who took pity on them. Chris' hard work at the firm eventually paid off when they offered him a full-time job. "This part of my life ... this little part ... is called "Happiness.'" ...

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[H/T MOHIB EBRAHIM] -- ARTOFMANLINESS.COM -- [ISMAILI DIGEST ED: Hazar Imam, 1994: "Plans and visions are poor things if they engender no action." Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah: "But Islam first and Ismailism much more so, insists on action. Without action, faith is useless; Without action prayer becomes pride."] ARTICLE: There's a kind of listless, restless, low-grade anxiety permeating our society today. That perpetual exhaustion comes from your refusal to act. The reason you don't feel alive is because you've worn yourself out thinking about things instead of actually doing them. You haven't moved because your habit is to flinch away from action. Action is a kind of back door to the promises of so many philosophies and religions. Theories do no good unless they can reliably guide action. The concept of virtue is useless unless it drives your behavior. You can never know ...

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YOUTUBE.COM -- A moving scene from "Dead Poets Society" starring Robin Williams. ...

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OZANVAROL.COM -- The 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers project, sent two rovers to Mars. We had seen snapshots of the two landing sites taken from Martian orbiters so had some idea of what to expect. But once we touched down, our expectations for both sites were "totally, completely, utterly wrong," as Steve Squyres, the mission's principal investigator, put it. So we learned to use the rovers' tools to solve the problems that Mars gave us -- rather than the problems we expected. For example, when Spirit's right front wheel failed, we drove the rover backwards. There are important lessons here for us all. Absolute certainty is a mirage. When we face uncertainty, we often manufacture excuses ...

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DAILYSTOIC.COM -- "Summum Bonum" was the expression from Cicero, Rome's greatest orator. It means "the highest good." And what is the highest good? To the Stoics, the answer is virtue. They said that everything we face in life was an opportunity to respond with virtue. Even bad, painful or scary situations. If we act virtuously, they believed, everything else important could follow: Happiness, success, meaning, reputation, honor, love. The Stoics believed there were four virtues: Wisdom. Courage. Temperance. Justice. Let's look at each. Stoic courage: Courage to face misfortune. Courage to face death. Courage to risk yourself for the sake of your fellow man. Courage to hold to your principles. Courage to speak your mind and insist on truth. Stoic wisdom ...

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YOUTUBE.COM -- THE OUTCOME -- A Robin Williams tribute on his life and how he experienced life. As an actor, he brought tons of joy and laughter to his audiences. Robin Williams lived his life with wisdom, and provided inspiration to those who needed it. On August 11 2014, Robin Williams was found dead and his death was ruled as a suicide. ...

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ARTOFMANLINESS.COM -- I'm sure you remember the story of the Little Red Hen. The hen asks her friends to help her plant and harvest wheat, and they decline. She asks them to grind the wheat into flour, and bake the flour into bread, and they refuse. Then, when the hot, delicious-smelling bread comes out of the oven, all the hen's friends want a bite but none of them wanted to help make the bread. The old fable offered a reflection of certain human tendencies back when it was first told, and can tell us something about our culture today. Everyone hopes their children learn good things at church, but ...

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[H/T MOHIB EBRAHIM] -- SCRAPSFROMTHELOFT.COM -- [ISMAILI DIGEST ED: Profoundly insightful and moving.] ARTICLE: "[What's said about me] isn't what my life is like at all. What my life is like is that wherever my wife and I go, literally--30-40, many countries. If I go down the street, or in an airport, or in a cafe, or n a movie theater, or in a mechanic's shop, someone comes up to me every 10 minutes, and says, 'I've been watching your YouTube videos or read your book, and was in this dreadful place six months ago.' Then they say, 'I've been trying to develop a vision for my life.' Or, 'I've been trying to take more responsibility, and it's really working. Things are way better. Thank you.' It's overwhelming to have that happen continually." ...

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ARTOFMANLINESS.COM -- [ISMAILI DIGEST ED: Hazrat Ali: "The coward has no enjoyment of life."] ARTICLE: Courage is a virtue that philosophers have been trying to define for millennia. For me courage is something that I know when I see. When I see courage in action, I'm inspired to dare for noble causes. Courageous men stir my soul to endure, even when I'm surrounded by defeat and cynicism. But before a man can take on the big challenges, he must hone his courage in the small decisions he makes every day. Courage is like a muscle; it can be strengthened and developed through consistent training. Below we discuss the physical, intellectual and moral courage which every man should seek to embody, and how to develop each. ...

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FAITHCOUNTS.COM -- The day after Brady Campbell, 6, lost his dad to colon cancer, he decided to start a lemonade stand so he could take his mom out on a date. He says it was his dad's final wish. "My dad and I came up with the idea," Campbell told Fox 31 Denver. So, he set up a lemonade stand outside of his home that read ...

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DAILYSTOIC.COM -- We miss out on wisdom if we're too narrow. Specialists become so narrow that they actually start developing worse judgment about the world as they accumulate knowledge. Breadth of training predicts breadth of transfer. Transfer is your ability to take knowledge and skills and apply them to a problem or situation you have not seen before. And your ability to do that is predicted by the variety of situations you've faced. As you get more variety, you're forced to form these broader conceptual models, which you can then wield flexibly in new situations. ...

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IFSTUDIES.ORG -- TIME magazine editor-at-large Belinda Luscombe begins her new book, "Marriageology," by describing one of her husband's most annoying habits. It's personal anecdotes like this one, sprinkled throughout the book alongside the latest science, that make Marriageology such an engaging read. In six, easy-to-digest chapters, Luscombe, who has been writing about relationships for TIME for a decade, shares what she's learned about how to stay married. Alysse ElHage: I enjoyed your book so much, and I have to say it was refreshing to read something on marriage from a mainstream journalist, who is not a conservative, yet recognizes the value and beauty of marriage. ...

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CALNEWPORT.COM -- Edwin Land is famous for co-founding the Polaroid Corporation, but he's also known as one of the twentieth century's most innovative inventors. In a 1975 interview with Forbes he explained his approach to innovation: "If anything is worth doing, it's worth doing to excess ... My whole life has been spent trying to teach people that intense concentration, for hour after hour, can bring out in people resources they didn't know they had." He underscores an important, overlooked point in an age that lauds open offices and social media-enabled serendipity: creativity is 99% hard, deep work. ...

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FS.BLOG -- One of Darwin's great strengths was his extraordinary breadth of curiosity. He read eclectically. Over the years he collected an enormous quantity of interconnected facts across scientific fields. He looked for patterns but was intrigued equally by exceptions to the patterns, and exceptions to the exceptions. Not only was Darwin thinking broadly, taking in facts at all turns and on many subjects, but he was thinking carefully. He was on the hunt for truth and not necessarily to confirm some highly-loved idea. Darwin's great success, by his own analysis, owed to his ability to see, note, and learn from objections to his cherished thoughts. ...

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CALNEWPORT.COM -- Frustrated with much of the advice encountered online and in contemporary books and magazines, my friend Dale Davidson decided to draw lessons from the most ancient and enduring philosophies and religions. These ideas are not what lifestyle designers will tell you or what you might find in the standard Business Insider click-bait story. They're based on insights formed over thousands of years and represent some of humankind's best thinking. To live a good and meaningful life, you're better off following philosophers like Epictetus, Catholic heroes like Saint Ignatius, or Islamic prophets like Mohammed than following advice from the latest lifestyle design blogger. ...

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OZANVAROL.COM -- We give advice with a strong dose of certainty. But in life what works for one person may not work for the other. In conditions of uncertainty -- in other words, in life -- we assume others know something we don't. But a single case study often represents the entire foundation for their disturbingly confident advice. On the receiving end, we tend to equate confidence with accuracy. Before you act on advice, even from a trusted source, seek multiple opinions -- particularly contrarian ones. In the end, having an adaptable mind will take you further in life than blindly following the confident advice of any self-proclaimed expert. Instead of trying to answer ...

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FS.BLOG -- Nassim Taleb is exquisitely credentialed: a Wharton MBA and PhD from the University of Paris, yet believes that academia produces insights that are far removed from the realities of the world, and that credentials are largely for show.... "We are made to follow leaders who can gather people together because the advantages of being in groups trump the disadvantages of being alone. It has been more profitable for us to bind together in the wrong direction than to be alone in the right one. Those who have followed the assertive idiot rather than the introspective wise person have passed us some of their genes." ...

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OZANVAROL.COM -- This story holds important lessons far beyond warfare. If a mathematician hadn't followed his contrarian instincts, World War II may have turned out differently. The question was how to better protect warplanes. In planes that returned home, bullet holes were clustered mostly on the fuselage, but not on the engines. Knowing this, where would you put extra armour? It seems obvious: the places with visible damage. But Abraham Wald thought the right approach was the exact opposite, that it should go where the bullet holes were missing. He realized everyone was looking only at the planes that survived enemy fire -- not at the planes that didn't. ...

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