Welcome to

Think of this project as a non-linear book. Traditional books have a beginning, middle, and end, but I've always struggled to pinpoint where to start or finish my gaggle of essays. So, I've gathered them here, organized by topic.

Lady Liberty is an explicit or implicit theme in all of these posts. Everyone recognizes the word “liberty,” but few can agree on its meaning. Like the idea of “God,” everyone projects their values and beliefs onto common but abstract ideas that become the cultural anchors dividing us.

These posts focus on exploring how we evolve our values and beliefs. The Golden Rule, which states that we should treat others as we want to be treated, is nearly impossible to achieve. It has become an impossible dream because of profound differences in our worldviews, which exist in each of us, our social networks, and our polarized societies.

My posts explore the stories making today’s headlines, looking beyond the surface to understand what drives these events. I'm particularly interested in the growing divide between two fundamental ways of thinking: abundance thinking (celebrating many winners) and zero-sum thinking (someone’s got to lose, and it ain’t me). This division shows up everywhere—in how we view ourselves, our relationships, and how nations interact.

Feel free to explore any story that interests you—you can read each one in about 10 minutes. Each post is self-contained, focusing on a specific topic. There’s no required order, but some stories naturally connect to broader themes, such as the global decline of democracies or the complex nature of autocratic leadership. I’ve included links to related stories when themes overlap to help you delve deeper.