Insights & Resources
Filtered by: Society
Making good with irony and absurdity
What does Ferris Bueller say at the end of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”?“Yep, I said it before and I’ll say it again; life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it’”A Bloomberg CityLab/MapLab story about the inefficiencies of bus networks awakened a series of memories from 15 years ago when I was in the early months of reinventing my life. I moved to Sioux Falls, SD from the jail in Winner, SD during the last week of January 2006. I was staring life over without a job and living in a sober home. My license was revoked for 5 years. My parents bought me a bike to get around, some new clothes, a cell phone, and paid a few months of my rent.
Read More →By David
2/20/21
Don’t wait for the most painful proof
We’ve set our default to act when action becomes the hardestIs there something in your life that could and should be changed or fixed but you’re holding off because it’s just not bad enough yet?
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2/15/21
On our addiction to resiliency porn
All of human history is marked by the stories we tell of our own triumph and the tragedy of others.These stories provide comfort and caution. They also inspire us to be better.But what happens when individual stories of triumph and tragedy fuel opportunism from crisis?
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2/7/21
On interrupting the inevitable
The inevitability paradox strikes again. We have a mental health crisis coming — so we hear.The inevitability paradox posits that because of (x) happening, (y) will happen and we have to accept it. But, there are things we could do to deal with (y). The paradox is, if we just did (y) in the first place because it’s good for us anyway, (x) never would have happened.
Read More →By David
1/30/21
Get everyone an oar
As the events of 6 January unfolded and in the days since, I have gravitated to the words and acts of both John F. and Robert F. Kennedy. It's clear from the insurgency on the Capitol that America is not working for everyone. Whether we fully understand the insurgents position or not, there's a dangerous imbalance.
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1/17/21
Moral Determinants of Wellbeing
2020 was by any measure a bad year for humanity. In the United States, we bore witness to intense disruption to the social fabric of our nation. And then, during the first full week of 2021, the citadel of American democracy, the U.S. Capitol, was invaded by U.S. Citizens during an active session of Congress.
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1/10/21
There was good in 2020
We will always experience ups and downs, but what we reflect on impacts our happiness and wellbeing.
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12/31/20
Look to First Principles To Solve the Voting Problem
Who can vote and who cannot has been an original fixture of American democracy. This reality is counter to the ideal of our representative democracy. And now, on the cusp of a presidential election in the middle of a pandemic and social strife, the very act of voting is plagued with uncertainty. This problem seems incredibly solvable.
Read More →By David
8/21/20
Leveraging the Value of Structure
A couple weeks into the COVID-19 lockdown, I intentionally introduced two structured behaviors in to my life. When faced with uncertainty, my natural reaction was to create certainty. Control what you can, let go of everything else.
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7/16/20
Celebrate Good Decisions
If our mind has reached a point of identifying an extraordinary behavior — good or bad — we should recognize something remarkable has happened.
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7/5/20
My Ecosystem of Good
Thank you for giving me a little space in your mind and your heart today. This writing is meant to recognize the impact of others in my life, the impact I may have had in others lives, and part of a process allowing me to define and author a new moment in my life.
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6/30/20
Discover Your Values
Companies pride themselves on having values. Back when we went into offices, our company values would be on display for all to see. These values would be as simple as a photograph and a word or incredibly ornate murals that give life to what that company believes.
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5/29/19