Who is at fault = who is responsible?
Who is at fault = who is responsible? - Suppose while we are working from home, we see from a window our neighbor’s son playing [...]
Three kinds of negative thinking — and why they all aren’t undesirable
Three kinds of negative thinking — and why they all aren’t undesirable - Nowadays, negative thinking is often criticized. However, what that term means is [...]
When positive thinking affects our life negatively
When positive thinking affects our life negatively - “Think positively,” is an oft-circulated message in our self-help steeped culture. And it’s helpful to the extent [...]
Are soldiers heroes or victims?
Are soldiers heroes or victims? - In many traditions, warriors were often praised as heroes; in much postmodern thought, they are often seen as victims. [...]
Is war evil?
War often has terrible consequences. Seeing these consequences, some people deem war itself evil. Such pronouncements can help if they counter the unhealthy glamorization of [...]
Why helping others doesn’t always help others
Why helping others doesn't always help others - Suppose a person had a severe accident that immobilized them for a long time. As they recover, [...]
Why imposing equality backfires?
Why imposing equality backfires? - Suppose a class teacher resolves to do away with all inequality in students’ marks. So they decide to average the [...]
Justice or just is?
Suppose a ship with three hundred people is hit by an iceberg and starts sinking. Suppose further that it only has life-saving equipment for a [...]
Winning, whining, wining — or worshiping?
Suppose we strive to do something challenging. If we win, our mind becomes jubilant; if we don't, it often goes into a zone of negativity, [...]
Compassionate action = compassionate disposition?
Suppose a doctor is treating a patient competently, but with the sole motive of earning money. Though the activity is compassionate, the mood isn’t compassionate. [...]
The things that hurt us = the things we think hurt us?
Suppose we are bitten by a snake. We may get panicky, dreading that the snake bite will kill us. Actually, the snake-bite can't kill us; [...]
Is hurt = harm?
We often equate hurt, the sensation of pain, with harm: injury or damage. And they do frequently correlate. If our hand goes too close to [...]
How to improve our relationships
A major challenge in relationships is dealing with differences of opinion: “When do we stick to our stand? When do we listen to others?” To [...]
How can we differentiate between lust and love?
Lust manifests grossly as the craving for sexual gratification. It also manifests in a subtler form as the craving to control others so that they [...]
Why can’t some people see the obvious?
Why can’t some people see the obvious? When we try to explain something to someone and they just don’t get it, we may wonder, “What’s [...]
When pride masks itself as humility
Suppose we get an opportunity to serve Krishna, say, by speaking about him. We may think, “I am too fallen and impure. I'm not qualified [...]
Three ways to see our abilities spiritually
We all have certain abilities. Though we often think that those abilities belong to us, they sometimes inexplicably desert us, as when talented sports players [...]
What do we need to be happier?
Many people think that to be happy, they need to become richer and thinner. By their wealth, they believe they can buy the things that [...]
Why we remain strangers to ourselves …
We are often fascinated by characters depicted in novels and movies. Fans fill blogs analyzing every single dialogue spoken by fictional characters in, say, Star [...]
How to live amid danger
We often worry when visiting dangerous areas infested with terrorists or infected by pandemics. If fear overwhelms us, we can remember that we can never [...]
How to assess the value of our work
We often value our work based on the paycheck it provides — the bigger the paycheck, the better the work. Such assessment is understandable because [...]