Continuing my series of alternative responses to the New York Times column, The Ethicist, looking at the consequences of one’s actions instead of imposing values on others, here is my take on today’s post, “Is It O.K. to Take a Gender-Non-Conforming Child to North Carolina?” For the past 10 years, my husband’s family has convened for an annual summer reunion at a beach house in North Carolina. It’s great fun[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of alternative responses to the New York Times column, The Ethicist, looking at the consequences of one’s actions instead of imposing values on others, here is my take on today’s post, “How Do I Explain to My Evangelical Relatives Why I Avoid Family Functions?” I grew up in a strict evangelical home and participated in our church as a child without fully understanding its principles. As an[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of alternative responses to the New York Times column, The Ethicist, looking at the consequences of one’s actions instead of imposing values on others, here is my take on today’s post, “Must I Tell My Long-Distance Boyfriend I Met Someone Else?” I have been with my boyfriend for several years, and I love him very much. We each decided to study abroad for the spring semester of[…] Keep reading →

We all have strong motivations—what I call passions. Some of us feel like we don’t, but we do. Motivations that drive us our whole lives, that we can always tap for energy to do things. Some we like, others we don’t. Some are solitary, others are social. One thing for everyone: our greatest passions are also our greatest vulnerabilities. Great passions enable others, if they know about them, to motivate[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of alternative responses to the New York Times column, The Ethicist, looking at the consequences of one’s actions instead of imposing values on others, here is my take on today’s post, “Is It O.K. to Get a Dog From a Breeder, Not a Shelter?” I got my wonderful, loving dog from a reputable breeder about eight years ago, but sometimes I feel guilty that I didn’t adopt[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of alternative responses to the New York Times column, The Ethicist, looking at the consequences of one’s actions instead of imposing values on others, here is my take on today’s post, “Must Suspicions About Personal Health Be Shared With an Insurer?” I have Parkinson’s disease — at least, I think I do. I have a slight tremor in my right hand, my posture is becoming more stooped[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of alternative responses to the New York Times column, The Ethicist, looking at the consequences of one’s actions instead of imposing values on others, here is my take on today’s post, “Should a Friend Have Been Told That His Date Was H.I.V. Positive?” More than 30 years ago, five years or so into a world shaped by AIDS, I had two friends. One of them, “Dean,” was[…] Keep reading →

Here is an interview with a student who took my online leadership course, Isabeaux, an undergraduate at NYU who hadn’t taken an experiential course before, which initially threw her, before she came to find it led to more growth than she’d ever seen, despite going to an elite university. Reach your potential in business and life. My courses don’t take time from the rest of life. You work with people[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of alternative responses to the New York Times column, The Ethicist, looking at the consequences of one’s actions instead of imposing values on others, here is my take on today’s post, “Can a Young Woman Vote at Her Swing-State College?” Our daughter just celebrated her 18th birthday and is excited about being able to vote. She is active politically and has strong opinions about many social and[…] Keep reading →