I wrote the following to someone who was looking for arguments on eating habits, wanting arguments not to eat meat but liking the taste and convenience. On one side you’re looking for logical arguments but on the other side you have taste, pleasure, and convenience. No logical argument can counter your feelings of pleasure or convenience. Your issue is your own internal conflict: you have a gut feeling you’re doing[…] Keep reading →

I used to think plants used energy from the sun to pull material out of the ground and that they were made of that material, meaning they were ultimately made of earth. Seems plausible, but wrong. They use energy from the sun to pull carbon from carbon dioxide and make themselves out of that. In other words, they’re made of air. They get some material from the ground, but not[…] Keep reading →

Every system of leadership, professional development, and personal development I’ve heard of has some concept of raising your self-awareness. “Know thyself.” “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Acting on the advice isn’t easy for many. Today I’ll post some tips. Generally knowing yourself means knowing your motivations, values, what you find meaningful, and so on. I find all these things are rooted in your emotions. The more you understand[…] Keep reading →

As far as enjoying life goes, I see it like running a marathon, though you can substitute any challenging activity with a specific goal. You might think the glory is in the step across the finish line, but every step is as important as every other, be it the first step, number 1,234, number 2,341, or whatever. Realizing every step is as important as any other lets you enjoy every[…] Keep reading →

NYU emailed me to make sure the athletes in my class are doing well. I understand that some athletes pay more attention to sports than academics than the school wants. I have no problem with their checking in. It makes me think, though, about the relative value our society puts on the mind and body. I understand why a school would want to make sure its students succeeded academically. Maybe[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of alternative responses to the New York Times column, The Ethicists, looking at the consequences of one’s actions instead of imposing values on others, here is my take on today’s post, ”Can I Change My Name to Avoid Discrimination?“ Is it ethical to modify my name on a job application to prevent unconscious bias? For instance, if my name were Samantha, I could apply as Sam, or[…] Keep reading →

This morning was beautiful in New York City. I was thinking of a running, but when I saw how nice it was I couldn’t stop from taking the train to Central Park and running in my favorite place in the world. A mile in it started drizzling. It turned into a downpour, for roughly the second mile. You rarely want to run in the rain but once it happens, you[…] Keep reading →

The following is half-baked, but I’d rather share half-baked thoughts, take criticism, possibly embarrass myself, and learn than keep quiet and not learn. Since before Plato a major goal of philosophy has been to figure out how to make yourself happy, to understand what makes for a good life, and how to make one’s life a good life. I haven’t met many philosophers, but they don’t seem the happiest people.[…] Keep reading →

Do you have trouble making habits stick? Come to my seminar one month from today! Hosted by the Columbia Business School Alumni Club and NYU-Stern, I gave this seminar at NYU last month and people loved it. They learned things about themselves and about each other that made habits click for the first time. Date: Sunday, June 14, noon to 4pm Location: NYU-Stern, 40 West Fourth Street Whom better to[…] Keep reading →