Posted on January 11, 2018 by Robert Ringer
The dictionary defines hypocrisy as “a pretense of having virtuous character, moral beliefs, or ethical principles that one does not really possess.” Perhaps an even better definition of hypocrisy came from 17th century French author François de La Rochefoucauld, who said: “Hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue.” Whether it’s the film and […]
Posted on December 19, 2017 by Robert Ringer
A friend of mine was recently lamenting about his “impossible situation.” I guess it’s all in the eyes of the beholder, because after listening to his detailed explanation of the facts, it appeared that his was an impossible situation with a lot of possibilities. Our discussion got me thinking about what, exactly, defines an “impossible […]
Posted on December 13, 2017 by Robert Ringer
Watching the lies coming out of Washington — “tax reform,” “Russian collusion,” “sexual harassment,” to name but a few — reminds me of one of my favorite movies, Charade. There’s a profound line in that classic that explains perfectly why lying is a way of life for politicians. When Regina Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) asks Peter […]
Posted on December 5, 2017 by Robert Ringer
It’s a simple but important truth that abstract concepts such as universal principles, human nature, and philosophical insights are constants. From Plato to Will Durant … from Epictetus to the Dalai Lama … from Montaigne to Eric Hoffer … the rules of life never change. In a world of chaos and madness, it’s nice to […]
Posted on November 23, 2017 by Robert Ringer
Here it is, Thanksgiving again. I love Thanksgiving because it brings back a lot of great childhood memories — turkey, giblet gravy, mashed potatoes, five or six desserts … the Packers and Lions doing battle on our black-and-white television set … snow flurries … the long weekend … and, best of all, family. Most everyone […]
Posted on September 19, 2017 by Robert Ringer
While it’s true that we live in a rapidly changing world, it’s important to recognize that the daily changes we witness are changes in form only. The real substance of our universe, and of life itself, is comprised of universal principles. These principles, also known as axioms, truths, or natural laws, form the infrastructure for […]
Posted on September 9, 2017 by Robert Ringer
Volumes having been written over the years on the subject of goals, and, indeed, there’s no question that goals are important. But the more I reflect on the subject of goals, and the more I draw from my own experience and the experience of others, the more convinced I am that striving toward goals is […]
Posted on September 6, 2017 by Robert Ringer
I will never forget when I first heard that Google had adopted “Don’t be evil” as its motto. My first thought was: Spare me the self-righteousness, please. My second thought was that such a holier-than-thou statement could only come from a couple of immature kids who were infected with that horrific moral disease known in […]
Posted on August 30, 2017 by Robert Ringer
Heroes are people who accomplish extraordinary feats under extraordinarily difficult circumstances, such as the firefighters who marched into the World Trade Center towers on 9/11 in an attempt to save lives while everyone else was scurrying to get out. But there’s another kind of hero — one who makes a living accomplishing extraordinary feats under […]
Posted on August 26, 2017 by Robert Ringer
With the United States on the verge of civil war, all half-way informed people realize that there are bad times on the horizon. I was writing about the probability of a runaway inflation and subsequent collapse of the foundations of Western civilization clear back in the late seventies, and I was far from alone in […]
