I trust you know the value of a mentor. I’ll take for granted you also know how to create a connection with someone. If not, read my Meaningful Connection exercise and my social skills exercise series. So I’ll start at a point where you have at least a rudimentary dialog with someone whose mentorship will help you. Step 1: Ask them for advice Ask them for advice on something that[…] Keep reading →

Most people who love The Godfather 1 and 2 dislike the third because of the director’s daughter in a lead role, saying they don’t like her acting. I find the closing scene completes the story beautifully. What do I find so beautiful about this scene? It wordlessly communicates most of the themes of the series—family, women, men, intimacy, solitude, winning, America, and Sicily—with subtlety and complexity. I can’t put into[…] Keep reading →

I’ve been writing my The Ethicist column for over six months and wanted to co-opt another advice column. I can’t find any men’s relationship advice columns. Most advice columns for men seem to be about things advertised in men’s magazines—grooming, clothes, fashion, alcohol, and cars. “The gentleman’s guide to the perfect martini” or “Your grandfather wouldn’t wear white after Labor Day and neither should you.” Almost none are serious, instead[…] Keep reading →