For me, our biggest debates about politics and culture come down to two questions about surplus.
All tagged goodness
When in doubt, just smile
If we don’t know how to treat someone who is not a close tie, we can just smile.
Is abundance enough? How much is enough?
I was thinking of a high school play - which satires Deux ex Machina - when thinking about the role of abundance and whether goodness is even necessary.
Why Goodness?
For me, the reason to be good comes down to protecting freedom.
Power and Goodness
This tension is at the crux of character.
“I hope you are persuaded that our freedom, from the ever growing reach of rules and institutions, is inextricably linked to goodness. But for that to happen, more and more people have to choose the work to walk the path of goodness, rather than power. And that my sons, starts with us and the choices we make every day of our lives.“
For sure, every person is capable of terrible things. But we, as men, don’t have to believe the delusion that we were born with a monster inside us. We have to stop believing that. We can build our identity as men around the parts of us that are most good.
If listening is the key to love, relationships, and trust, choosing to show up is the key to listening.
As your father, I promise to love you unconditionally and help you become good people.
Holy is an interesting word. Most people kind of know what it means, without knowing what it means. What is holiness? I’ll know it when I see it.
But what about me, what does it mean to be holy? Am I holy? This post is an attempt to put words to holiness without having to depend on just knowing it when we see it.
Passing on tragic flaws is part of being a father. Can I stop any of my sins from becoming intergenerational?
I am committed to helping us - on this journey to be better husbands, fathers, or citizens - all rise together.
Myles - this is a memory of your first steps, and a reflection of mine for you to remember.