Why both independence and guidance matter (Balancing independence and guidance series 1)
Why both independence and guidance matter - When we are in relationships that involve instructing and inspiring others such as parenting or coaching, one of [...]
Where do we draw the line that separates the good from the bad? (Beyond black and white conceptions series 7)
Where do we draw the line that separates the good from the bad? - When someone wrongs us, we often tend to paint ourselves as [...]
Does the world hate me? (Beyond black and white conceptions series 6)
Does the world hate me? - Suppose we greet someone at a get-together and they don’t respond. We may be taken aback. Suppose several people [...]
Do the ends justify the means? (Beyond black and white conceptions series 5)
Do the ends justify the means? - Suppose someone is driving a heart attack victim to a hospital. Naturally, they will try to drive as [...]
Go beyond virtue signaling (Beyond black and white conceptions series 4)
Go beyond virtue signaling - When we see someone doing something horribly wrong, we may feel driven to protest or correct. Nowadays when activism is [...]
What’s wrong with hating those who have wronged us (Beyond black and white conceptions series 3)
What’s wrong with hating those who have wronged us - We may encounter some people who seem to have made it their life’s mission to [...]
How our experience may increase our ignorance (Beyond black and white conceptions series 2)
How our experience may increase our ignorance - Suppose someone has hurt us badly, several times. We may start seeing them as a villain, a [...]
How black and white conceptions disempower us (Beyond black and white conceptions series 1)
How black and white conceptions disempower us - When a small child learns to recognize black and white colors, that’s a step forward in their [...]
Boosting immunity boosting humanity
Boosting immunity boosting humanity - When caught in a pandemic, we wisely seek to boost our immunity. Simultaneously, we need to boost something just as [...]
Why two similar wrongdoings may be entirely different
Why two similar wrongdoings may be entirely different - Suppose someone we trust as a good person does something wrong, say become severely abusive or [...]
The scapegoating tendency
The scapegoating tendency - Scapegoating is one of the most universal of human tendencies. When we face difficulties, especially difficulties that seem unfair to us, [...]
How to expand our God consciousness in our relationships
How to expand our God consciousness in our relationships - When we strive to become God conscious by doing various devotional practices, we often start [...]
Why compassion matters more than erudition
Why compassion matters more than erudition - Suppose we discuss spirituality with a loved one whose conceptions differ from what we have learnt in sacred [...]
When helping others is compassion and when it isn’t …
When helping others is compassion and when it isn’t - Suppose someone is starving. We may help them by giving some money. If they are [...]
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 [...]