Posted on March 21, 2015 by Robert Ringer
Longtime readers know that I have often referred to the current decadent state of Western civilization as the Age of Envy. On reflection, however, I believe it would be more appropriate to refer to it as the Age of Guilt and Envy, because guilt and envy go hand in hand; i.e., one person’s envy leads […]
Posted on March 12, 2015 by Robert Ringer
It’s always a good idea to exercise discretion when it comes to private matters, choosing both your words and actions carefully. What makes discretion so important is a little reality of life called human nature. To the extent we ignore this reality, we invite bad consequences into our lives. Perhaps the number-one rule of human […]
Posted on March 4, 2015 by Robert Ringer
Even though we’re living in an era where perhaps more college dropouts than at any other time in history are becoming obscenely wealthy, there are still those establishment folks — on both the political right and left — who ferociously cling to the old caste system whereby experts are accorded a cushy position at the […]
Posted on February 27, 2015 by Robert Ringer
Who among us does not have unpleasant experiences in his past? Being bullied in school, getting cut from an athletic team, losing a sweetheart to a rival, the premature death of a loved one, failing a licensing exam, or suffering through an ugly divorce are the kinds of painful experiences that stay with most people […]
Posted on February 21, 2015 by Robert Ringer
Today, February 22 in New Zealand (February 21 in the United States), is a day of reflection for my family. On this date in 2011, Christchurch, New Zealand was hit by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake that destroyed dozens of major buildings, including a number of treasured landmarks. The reason the effects of the quake were […]
Posted on February 13, 2015 by Robert Ringer
I finally got around to seeing American Sniper last weekend, and it certainly gave me a lot to think about. First and foremost, it was a grim reminder that since the beginning of recorded history, the most significant and consistent phenomenon about mankind is his penchant for war. The greatest loss of life in America […]
Posted on February 11, 2015 by Robert Ringer
Motivational speakers and authors have long insisted that it’s possible to exert a great deal of control over your destiny by maintaining a positive mental attitude. Even though problems are an integral part of life, they believe that the key to success is how you react to those problems. So, are they right? Or is […]
Posted on January 29, 2015 by Robert Ringer
When I was about twenty years old, I excelled at two things: naiveté and gullibility. It never occurred to me that making money had anything to do with creating value in the marketplace, so it was quite natural for me to gravitate toward gambling. I loved horse racing, and went through a period where I […]
Posted on January 27, 2015 by Robert Ringer
A friend recently told me that he never worries about negative input from others because he has such a positive outlook on life that he doesn’t believe negative talk has any effect on him. Maybe so, but in my view it’s still a good idea to avoid negative people, particularly those who are critical of […]
Posted on January 20, 2015 by Robert Ringer
The facts notwithstanding, I believe that a majority of people unthinkingly delude themselves about their mortality — meaning that they act as though they believe they are immortal. Of course, they don’t consciously admit it, at least not to others. I’ve known more than one person who acted as though he believed he will be […]
