I give myself a solid C+

Last month I got very excited about doing a 30-day writing challenge. I saw it not only as an opportunity to get back into the writing habit but also as a way to overcome my perfectionism. Did I succeed? Kinda. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

I started out strong, writing and publishing every day for the first week. Then I missed a couple of days, went on and off for the next week, and fell off after that. All told, I published 12 pieces.

But, I knew I’d probably struggle, and hitting the 30…

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (or the MBTI as it’s commonly called) is an outdated, poorly designed test that has little value. It’s not accurate or useful. There’s also new data emerging that personality tests could be culturally insensitive, sexist, and creating more bias in the workplace. I would argue that it’s dangerous for companies to continue using it. Don’t believe me? Want to cling to your ESTJ? Please read on.

1. The test was not created by experts

The MBTI was the hobby project of a home-schooled aristocrat and is based entirely on her opinions of people. Katherine Briggs read a book about personality by psychologist Carl Jung…

Our preferred way to receive love may be determined by moments in our childhood. Although we all may appreciate affirmative words, hugs, and gifts, our preference for one over the other is shaped by the most meaningful connections made in our youth. The way I feel most loved is when I get to spend quality time with the people I care about. This time doesn’t have to be complicated, I simply want a shared experience. …

If you spend any time at all on the internet, you have a profile somewhere, a photo, maybe a short bio. You have an online self, maybe more than one. These selves have posts and comments on posts and people that interact with them.

Each of these is a little piece of you. Existing both now and at another time. There is a person in the future reacting to your post. There is a you of the past who is being spoken to right now.

You exist in other times. Our selves have splintered.

Time capsules in comments

Last year, in a reaction to…

During the lockdown last year, alcohol sales in the U.S. increased by over 200%. Many folks were turning to whatever coping mechanisms they had and for a lot of people, that method of coping was drinking. Heavy alcohol use is linked to a number of health concerns, both physical and mental. Combine that with stress and trauma, and you have a potentially dangerous outcome.

The effects of pandemic drinking may not be known for a while. Maybe as people restart their lives, they may turn to healthier coping mechanisms, such as venting with friends or exercising. But the stress and…

My fascination with Jaron Lanier started with a TED talk. Stumbling into his work is like discovering a treasure chest in your backyard. You wonder how you never knew about it and why no one else seems to. The reason for this is simple. Jaron Lanier doesn’t have any social media accounts and never has.

In this day and age, not having a social media presence of some sort can almost render you invisible to the rest of the world. Lanier only shows up on Google searches because of his words. Either through the books he’s written, interviews, or talks…

Imagine you are sitting near an open window. You are lost in your thoughts, but then hear the song of a bird.

In that brief moment, the birdsong has broken through your thoughts, even though it had been entering your ears for a little while. It has been caught in the spotlight of your attention. And it rises from the soil of the subconscious into the flower of consciousness.

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

— Viktor E. Frankl

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