How we may overestimate the power of speech
How we may overestimate the power of speech - Suppose someone’s car stops working. They infer, “The spark plug is the problem,” whereas their friend [...]
Why we may underestimate the power of words
Why we may underestimate the power of words - Suppose a friend comes to us with a black eye, a bleeding nose and a broken [...]
Why speaking effectively is as difficult as loving authentically
Why speaking effectively is as difficult as loving authentically - When we love someone authentically, that love involves a dynamic tension between our concern for [...]
When political correctness helps and when it harms
When political correctness helps and when it harms - Few things are as polarizing in today’s Left-Right cultural divide as political correctness. The Left often [...]
How our speech becomes ineffective – 2
How our speech becomes ineffective - 2 - Suppose a child meets with a terrible accident that permanently damages his legs. Cultured society may avoid [...]
How our speech becomes ineffective – 1
How our speech becomes ineffective - 1 - Speech is effective when it is both sensible and sensitive (Bhagavad-gita 17.15). Our speech becomes ineffective when [...]
Two ways to make our speech more effective
Two ways to make our speech more effective- “How can I make my speech more effective?” We all have probably asked ourselves this question, especially [...]
Seek more to connect than to correct
Seek more to connect than to correct - On the brink of the Mahabharata war, Arjuna was overwhelmed by misdirected compassion and was about to [...]
How not to share spirituality
How not to share spirituality - Suppose a blind person is out in the cold, covered only by a thin, torn sheet. Wanting to give [...]
When being truthful makes us unhelpful …
When being truthful makes us unhelpful - Suppose a first-grade student struggling with math approaches their teacher and says: “This is so difficult.” And the [...]
Are we using our intelligence intelligently?
Are we using our intelligence intelligently? - When we see someone with intelligence far greater than ours (as measured by some parameter such as IQ), [...]
When black-and-white analysis helps and when it harms
When black-and-white analysis helps and when it harms - The Bhagavad-gita analyzes people into two distinct categories: godly and ungodly (16.05). We might wonder, “Are [...]
How to respond when someone hurts us?
How to respond when someone hurts us?- When someone speaks harshly or acts cruelly toward us, how we respond depends primarily on their disposition. The [...]
Get rid of misplaced guilt
Get rid of misplaced guilt- Suppose a policeman feels guilty about putting a vicious criminal in solitary confinement. If that criminal has been duly tried [...]
What does growing up mean? – 2
What does growing up mean? - 2- When someone complains too much about how hard things are, they are sometimes told to grow up. What [...]
What does growing up mean?
What does growing up mean? - If someone is whiny, a candid well-wisher may exhort them: “Grow up.” What does it mean? It refers not [...]
Two ways to deal with resentment
Two ways to deal with resentment - Resentment is a toxic but telling emotion. To understand what it is telling us, we need to attentively [...]
How can we be grateful when we don’t feel grateful?
How can we be grateful when we don’t feel grateful? - When we strive to cultivate gratitude, we often find it elusive. At one moment, [...]
How to feel grateful when life gets tough?
How to feel grateful when life gets tough? - Here are two thought-exercises: Dwell on the wonders of life: Though life can be demanding, even [...]
Why gratitude is especially difficult in today’s world
Why gratitude is especially difficult in today's world - Even when we have enough of the things we need, we don’t always feel grateful for [...]
Why is it so difficult to feel grateful?
Why is it so difficult to feel grateful? - If asked specifically to list things we are grateful for, we all can easily list several [...]