A worrying trend is emerging in schools across the country. With increasing regularity, school districts are tracking students’ mental health and raising flags if a screening shows something amiss.
Tag: control
On Empowerment
If you wanted to help someone feel empowered to take control of their circumstances, their life, and to make improvements, would you tell them that everything they want to do is within their power to reach for and possible to achieve, or would you tell them that before they can reach for what they want, they must wait for other people to act first?
Spinoza – A Man for Our Troubled Times
In these interesting times, we all need someone to admire. I have found such a one in Benedict de Spinoza (1632-1677), the 17th-century rationalist liberal philosopher who advocated freedom of thought and expression, toleration, and simple kindness.
On Gun Policy
Gun control advocates like to talk about the “costs” of gun policy by citing homicide, suicide, and accidental gun death/injury statistics. Something about the concept of “costs” as it concerns issues like this doesn’t sit right with me.
Workplace Personalities, Self-Knowledge, and Office Conflict Immunization
Relating to new personnel in a job can be hard. When scaling happens fast or when you’re busy, it can seem unnecessary. But if you want to avoid unnecessary conflict and gain necessary wisdom with these outsiders, try “inoculating” yourself to all the different kinds of people who make up the world of business, for better or for worse.
“Well At Least He’s Not Hillary!”
Just a friendly reminder: every tyrant rose to power, always with some degree of popular support, while righteously railing against whatever authoritarian injustice came before. Mao did it. Stalin and Lenin did it. Hitler did it. Che and Castro did it. And so on.
High Court’s Power Unconstitutional
Every time there’s an open spot on the Supreme Court, a political free-for-all erupts to fill it. Those who believe they have a claim on your life, liberty, and property take the nomination of a Supreme Court justice very seriously, indeed. It’s no wonder, given the power those calling themselves “government” currently enjoy. Almost none of this power is constitutional; even less is legitimate.
When It’s Time to Opt-Out of Institutions
As September rolls along, you may be having your own stopwatch moment. Maybe all is not quite right at your child’s school. Maybe you keep being reassured that it will get better, that this is just the way it is, that everything is fine. But maybe you keep sensing that timer.
Their Vision of La-La Land
They picture a giant hippie commune scene where everyone is happy and loving and caring and sharing, and there is no need for any control, or decision-making, or coercion, because in their imagination (and only in their imagination) there is no disagreement or dissent that needs dealing with.
Give Up Comfort
What if we could let go of concern for our comfort? What if we could dive fully into the insecurity of the situation, and stay in the insecurity without needing to change it? It would transform our lives. It would transform us.