Your Happiness Quotient (H.Q.)

Important to measure, even more important to grow. It consists of good, even temperament (20%); abundant humor (20%); inclination to see the bright side (20%); health and wellness (20%); and smarts, looks & luck (20%). If that’s true, and it seems as reasonable a formula as any, it’s good news, because most of it is […]

Political Animal

The smartest people I know are fierce conservatives. The most compassionate are bleeding-heart liberals. Where is the Solomon who can cleave them together?

Econ 101

The reason economics is such an inexact science is that it’s so dismal at understanding the vagaries of human nature. Take pricing, about which people are supposed to be so sensitive. When I order two lattes, a banana and two paninis at Starbucks, I don’t run the calculations in my head, and I snap to attention […]

Colossi

Bach and Beethoven are twin towering peaks, and which is the taller depends, on any given day, only on how our emotional clouds are blowing.

Perspective

How odd that we apprehend the universe through a neuron-filled cabbage atop a five-foot stalk of cartilage.

Culture Shock

Time travel is always intriguing, but it doesn’t teach us much about ourselves. We’d learn a great deal more if we could propel a few cave people to the present. They would surely admire our science – and be frightened by our culture, aghast at our obesity and slovenliness, stunned at our war-making capacities and dumbfounded that human nature has […]

Fateful Skill

Even under the worst circumstances, it is possible to prove oneself the master of fate, even if it is only to show grace and perseverance in handling whatever fate dishes out.

Growth Spurt

The body’s propensity to grow must be very strong indeed if kids can double in size in 15 years on a steady diet of Pepsi, pizza and mac and cheese.

Room for Growth

We are of course products of our genes, our environment and our upbringing. But we are not captive to them. The human capacity for growth and improvement is almost limitless.

Maturity

Acceptance of, even contentment with aging, rather than raging against the dying of the light, is the gift the old give the young.