Being For Others

1 A polite corection
Grocery product mislabeling handled amicably with merchant, not law enforcement
--Constructive outcome: self-monitoring
--Resolution of differences; responsive merchants

2 The promised land: Mexico
Promotion of permanent refugee settlements for the benefit of refugees and the host country Mexico.
--Significant research required before implementation

3 Healthy happy lucky you
Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) leads to choosing happiness
--Aristotle purpose of life
--Attitude brings altitude, contagious happiness

4 Cacophony
Playground religious contests = combative ignorance
--Admonition: adults should seek positive exercises

5 Wishy-washy
Car turns right or left to stay on the road
Flexibility, progress is neither unique nor linear

6 Let's be (positively) real
Patience; long path to right goal (Paul inside every Saul)
--Redemption, selfishness disappears by atrophy

7 Single-party state?
Positive relationships among empathetic people
--Diversity, pluralism over polarization (as in two-party system)
--Shortcomings (narrowness) of one-party system
--Rebellion against party is less damaging than rebellion against state

8 Ranked Choice Voting (Instant Runoff)
Promote civility and give voice to minorities (third parties) without throwing away votes
Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) counts the ballot for the highest viable choice if the first choice on a ballot does not get the most votes. If your first choice cannot win, your second choice gets the vote and so on.
(1) no wasted votes
(2) no runoffs
(3) more official than popular polls, very influential

9 Counting votes -- RCV
Picnic location story; cheating tax collector story; sports brackets
--Sampling theory simplifies getting nuanced results
--Suggested counting formula

10 How to buy successfully
Argument against impulse buying; no buyer's remorse
--Honorable informative advertising; buy for intended use

11 How to evade discouragement
Musings: human role on life's stage; quality over quantity

12 Discover your happy
Short socializing examples threaded by the happy person
--Perceive the "happy world" -- contagious.

13 You create your own world
Create better world thoughtfully in unity, not unanimity
--"Puff talk" myths debunked.

14 Noah complex
No need to be separatist to avoid fighting; understand and uplift

15 Peak motivation
Hard-wired for cooperation, social value stronger than self-interest
--Geriatric suicide (not needed), struggling father, single mom examples of others ahead of self
--Strength from will, not resistance--power of empathy

16 So, what is needed?
Needed for better future, not for overindulgence or bossing others
--Restorative justice = reconstruction and healing

17 Being for (and aware of) others
Restraint rather than greed, need for sharing production and consumption

18 When better does not mean more
Measuring-increasing production model
--What to measure, realistic expectations, perceptions

19 Engulfed in beauty
Genuine healing environment, not gloss-over
--Useful statistics, beauty of the good

20 What is the big picture?
Beautiful world context: perspective, relationships, expectations
--All necessary to the big picture

21 The drumbeat of being needed
Need to be needed but not overbearing
--All within good measure, not for power

22 Rising above altruism
No separation "self" and "non-self" but self-control is good
--Not "altruism" but functional equality, not ranking

23 "9 to 5" ain't all bad
Excitement of solopreneurship, traditional job dignity
--Industry, commerce, self-expression, gratitude
--Fantasy or self-limiting extremes

24 See through a wooden fence
Seeing through the surface to the meaning that lies below
--Reasoning

25 Redemption through education
Prison rehabilitation rather than suffering
--Behavior replacement, redemption, recovery environment

26 Educate everybody?
Meeting social needs, no jealousy, include everything uplifting
--Sufficient and fair means free education or equal wealth resources

27 Humans' Needs = the F.I.S.H.
Hierarchy (urgency) of needs not money
Meaning = being useful to all, F.I.S.H.
Fundamental Ingredients Sustaining Humans

28 Worshipful attention from your children?
Leadership to respect or to forgive, set aside non-useful
--Lau-Tzu "We have done this ourselves"

29 Are your toes stepped on?
Risks in spontaneous helping--no avoidance of all misunderstandings
--Gracious givers and receivers

30 Picture this
Meeting needs, not greed, 70% tax, peace around sufficiency
--Open to innovation, that which is not yet
--Importance of understanding, science, will

31 Should you resist?
Resisting bad ideas wastes strength; be for good, do not protest against bad
--Redirect, understand at the source, choose best approach

32 Where do you look?
Futility of negative sensationalism, let go of unhappiness
--Direct to productivity, appreciate progress (encouragement), PMA

33 We go where we look
Dwelling not on evil but on improvement; stopping smoking; analyzing what happened
--Dispense with concepts sin and guilt

34 I will get them
We get what we want; we become what we think. Similar to mind-body duality.
--Awareness=passive; Doing=active; mental=internal; physical=external

35 Martians or Covid19?
External threat brings people together. Collapse of familiar enables fresh start.
--Opportunity to do better on rebuild

36 Silo worlds
New thoughts: separate job & housing so you keep both, one system for each
--New views of property and distribution of consumption & production

37 Lose job -- keep house
Cooperation does not destroy individuality or incentive
--Creating and distributing can be balanced and maintained at macro level

38 The Ernstraudian Way
People enhance each other = jointly invent good outcomes instead of opposing
Begin where you are.
Face the light.
Proceed at your own pace.
Bring someone with you.

39 I want this result, but ...
Resolution of discomforts: examine, determine, weigh, refine; social mores that meet needs
--Don't try to change your spouse

40 Expect better? Always?
Expectation advantage: thinking it better; realistic is more likely to succeed
--Expectation of self and of others

41 Think first!
Patience and logic about what to expect; unity better than compelled simplification
--Long path, strength spread out over time

42 Resolution really means ...
More details of problem solving with patience: it is how we approach decisions
--Science does not dictate procedures; patient reasoning is necessary

43 Price of safety?
Lifespan is not infinitely flexible; occupy the stage and move on
--Cost-benefit analysis guides what to change and what to accept

44 Production for use
Ignorant pursuit of goals can devastate; positive attitudes have the most utility
--Thoughtful deliberation outperforms painful threats or force.

45 Sharing the pain
Alleviate pain by sharing it--keeping firm footing and using it to help.
--Only some burdens can be lifted. Grab the flag and run with it.

46 Difference is essential to meaning
Being identical prevents being individual. Value of uniqueness to the whole
--Thesis + antithesis resolves to synthesis.

47 Made-for-you (MFY)
"Business in a box" worked for someone else. You are different; now is different.
--Experience, including failures, leads to business skill.
--Chick needs to break the shell; understanding why is more important than obeying.

48 Go after the king
Chess goal = checkmate, not capturing pieces; clarity and focus bring us to a goal.
--Hypothetical measurements don't constitute success.
--Research lab, particle physics, and marketing review goals and act on them.

49 The real perspective on wealth
Material wealth is a flawed goal; customers buy improvement; humans' needs drive human effort.
--Private funds are better directed than public funds -- no gridlock.
--Grandstanding income disparity and platitudes do not help; society is a collaboration.

50 Dreaming failure
Mysterious dream allegory of life; awareness of others
--Sharing the light is part of the journey
--Dream succeeded in delivering a message; matching objects to metaphors

51 Duality in dreams
Three major life theories: reincarnation, resurrection, Ernstraudian -- states of awareness / elevation
--Others would have imparted their light to me if I were sensitive.
--who is teaching whom; patronizing or appreciating others?

52 Definition of God
Godhood is a future state; pondering settings of limitless growth; applicable to atheism, too
--Not fallen state; positive view sees the future Buddha in everyone; no terminal / ultimate state
--collective subconscious; man-made God or God-made man = viewpoints to ponder
--create own world and own heaven; individual progress through overlapping states

53 Let's talk
The blog is for discussion, tool of growth--we enrich each other
--Writing and action clarify understanding; try expressing what you do next
--no deadlines, avoid overwhelm; concentrate on the doing, happiness follows

54 Anti-Christ?
Bludgeoned by Bible as weapon allegory; divorce over crucifix; survival requires forbearance
--The "good book" has burdened Western Civilization. Make something good of religious beliefs.
--Old Testament and Book of Mormon teach (1) depravity of fallen man (2) cleansing by slaughter (3) racism
--(1) Be reverent (respect all people); (2) be vigilant against negative mindset; (3) find positive replacement

55 Self stands in the way
Resolved battle with mother; do adults learn reconciliation?
--winning an argument or improving an outcome?
--examples from politics, business, engineering for de-emphasizing self

56 If not self, who?
Private parties are more effective than government to meet Humans' Needs universally
--Humanity requires that wealth be applied as necessary to maximize the common good.
--Good management is necessary to complex production and distribution.
--It is required of private parties to volunteer their means to address the common needs.

57 We achieve what we want
Lighten up; view some dogmas and simplistic examples
--demonstration, money, laws, autocracy, tax, disability, education, minimum wage, healthcare
--applying the lesson to healthcare
--accept health as the goal; discussion about getting there

58 Why try to be happy?
Happiness journey, not destination; indirect, like peripheral vision;
--largely determined by expectations
--links to more external references and nine previous blog articles
--likening to vigorous exercise: happiness is the desired byproduct of work

59 Let freedom ring
Ernstraudian way; uncomfortable differences; private more directly, effectively, and personally applied than government;
--grab the flag and run; desire to be needed, controlling element
--Private or public contains support and control, private wealth, relationships
--who is controlling whom; price of liberty is eternal vigilance

60 Achieve anything together?
Principle of fairness; social contract; stability; exceptions; faulty majority or inconvenient minority
--election goes wrong? rights, sincerity
--historical positions, puzzles to consider but not consider solved
--right not to be bound by decision? list of examples

61 You become what you eat
Independent of physical being; define eternal life
--what you eat becomes you; god made man--man made god
--A Poem about Generation -- homelessness, creation for utility, spiritual elements
--see opposite of home, creating life of food substances, learning prerequisites

62 Eternal Life
Identity is unique, before and after this visible world.
--key question of immortality -- one magic word
--Stories from immortals eating mortal food to atomic structure and vibrations
--best possible human experience you want to continue forever

63 Be sad yesterday
No happiness if no sadness (contrast); two kinds of sadness
--being sad we failed motivates not failing; tomorrow is better
--There is a human note, an allowed present sadness.
--Our happiness shares in the sadness of others.

64 Please disagree
Five steps: energy goes down in the middle; cooperation descends
--Benefits go down as cooperation goes down
--Examples that distinguish agreement from disagreement
--WHY disagree? strong metaphor

65 Is it a commandment?
Request v order; need commandments? Question God's intent?
--Nicer term "best way"; would we disobey God's suggestion?
--Slothful servant is commanded; discipline children, not handicap
--Internalize the why = voluntary commitment

66 Teach me!
Safe to disagree here; students' effect on teacher
--Handle difference with civility; 4 methods collect feedback

67 Teaching is not dispensing
LIFT convention by Mirasee, I studied the teacher -- teacher leads by doing
--It is about the students, not the teacher

68 Do we measure?
Go together; reader participation gives direction to our group
--About progress, not money; this is not about popularity of topics

69 Shoes to fill
WFMT Studs Terkel; WBEZ Jerome McDonnell; thought leaders were giants
--We are necessary to carry on the tradition; sharing is not bragging

70 They don't fit
Realistic: professor used real-world homework, not nicely fitted examples
--Science expands by investigating what does not fit;
--Forbearance; yesterday's absurdity might be tomorrow's truth.

71 Breaks my heart -- competition
Blending self with others is collaboration toward mutually beneficial goals
--Good competition builds all parties; selfish competition hurts progress
--All humans = one unitary organism; disappearance of go-it-alone

72 More Mind Games
Eternal existence, not just physical resurrection; analysis to unseen (energy/matter)
--Key is sentience; do not limit to present imagination
--Stimulate new thinking, make room for tolerance (civil discourse)

73 Intelligence over Obstacles
Others ahead of self is collective advancement, aggregation from local to cosmic.
--We spend energy retreating into introspection, reap new strength.
--Sometimes we forgive, cannot retreat; even crows can benefit other individuals.

74 Supply Pipe
View the world as the combination of production and consumption; view both globally
--F.I.S.H. & Millennium Development Goals; on macro level there is enough
--Direct resources to the fundamental needs -> quality of life; no throw-away people

75 Who will tie the bell?
Whose resources? Self as first contributor. Interbeing poem loosens self-other distinction
--Think "we" as the new social order; cooperation is winning; we use our resources
--Higher orders are attained when we do not put our own benefits first.

76 Do not protest; do!
We can produce enough for everyone to be well fed. That obligates us morally to do so.
--Self over others is inhumane -- job shortage harmfully undercuts wages
--The law does not supply happiness -- voluntary good deeds lead to happiness
--Sub-minimum-wage jobs disappear because we create better jobs.

77 Do not kill unbelievers
When unbelief is a good thing -- boasting is veneer over doubt -- neither true nor false
biblical content worthy of unbelief -- tolerate unbelievers -- welcome imagination
--Unbelievers must tolerate those who do not believe them.

78 Why are you not effective?
Starting a fight does not garner favors. You are effective when positive.
--Disagreeing by fighting is ineffective. Good political paths lead to an outcome.
--Losing the vote is occasion to accommodate and assist someone else's path.
--Replace impasse by finding agreement; success comes from "we believe."

79 How this is done
We get self out of the way and then apply everything we have to what everyone needs.
--"Losing" the election merely changes our route to positive results.
--Cooperation results from giving support, not from screaming "ignoramus."

80 The power is in you
Outlook, PMA empower us to realize what could be.
--Fighting does not make the country beautiful. We make it look good.
--Imperfection--do we find fault, or do we improve the object of attention?

81 Demographics and history
Discussing slave masters, foreign conquerors, exploited labor turned voter, demographic mobility
--American colonization and immigration into America -- human rights -- Switzerland, Russia
--American neighborhood and bongo drums -- micro level -- object of patriotism

82 Human reallocation
--Efficiency and engineering equip us to produce more and work less.
--Frugality and skills obsolescence also reduce the labor need.
--We adapt to change and redirect individual labor appropriately.

83 I'm only one, but
--Realize = aware + achieve; one ant is small but not discardable
--If the project appears too big, rejoice that you are aware.
--Therefore it takes all of us ("ants")
--Avoid one universal overall clearing house; we all see different aspects
--Many roads to Dr. King's mountaintop; our diversity covers the ground.

84 Is there evil?
--Light and sound are perceptions: what you make of it
--Evil world is not a creation; it disappears when light goes on.
--Buddhism suffering = "not highest state of being"
--Omit long list of ills in the world; Dr. Schweitzer and ice cream cone

85 Is it material?
--Materialism is not material to happiness. Satisfaction is reaching an expectation.
--Decide right goals; external circumstances. Mental states are material.
--Notre Dame, twin towers; personal relationships over physical objects
--Foundation: how we share our circumstances and efforts.

86 Nervous about being relaxed
To want the cure, you must have the problem. Vendors see to that!
--Health, Religion, Business -- in EACH of these, we have
--Promise (the good), Problem (the bad) and Program (my resolution)
--Three stories this time, the paradox = cure makes it worse

87 Gentle lesson
Telling each other what to do: accepted in the family and close social circles
--Overboard in Germany -> Hitler
--Overboard in America -> slavery, nuclear weapons, torture, capital punishment
We Germans and we Americans find redemption in facing the past and improving on it.
Here a favorite philosophy is preciously brought to us by Dennis the Menace!

88 Want to be a freshman again?
--Birth is a forgetting -- death is also; both are ascending to something new, not descending.
--No fall; Near-death experiences fit subject's expectations; parallel or sequential progress
--Why restart: no freshman experiences = no graduations
--Resurrected to a higher order -- long learning period like the one after birth.

89 What is the cost of progress?
Progress in moon exploration, interstate highway system, containerized shipping
Change disadvantages somebody. There is a price of progress.
Duty of those who benefit is to spread their advantage and alleviate that suffering.

90 Overcome self to share the world
We cherish uniqueness, expressing diversity. Teamwork accomplishes more.
Value is the gift you give; sufficiency; responsibility for distribution
Natural resources are not private property (including land)
Grab the flag: individual initiative; channel coming generations (spread your unselfishness)

91 How to be my other half
Only you alone? OK, meditation is good. However, worth arises through relationships.
Somebody else is the other half. Strange bedfellows.
Learn outgoing kindness to your other half.

92 Think about infinity like a child
At the edge of the universe, what is on the other side? We learn space, then time, then relativity.
Broken bottlenecks don't break reality, they lead us to learning more about reality.
Similarly, rising above conventional spiritual thinking takes us to the promised land.

93 How to be more than infinite
We stretched to infinity. Now we progress to a higher level--yes, there is something higher than infinity. The "no end" game itself is infinite.

94 Spiritual boost from raw Brussel sprouts
Enjoying Brussel sprouts raw is one reverent return to nature. Native American tradition developed that capacity over the centuries. We lose it when we are brainwashed with materialism. Good things satisfy; bad things intensify craving. Overindulgence messes up our social order.

95 The peaceable dignity of understanding
We humans respond to each other. You have great influence over how people respond to you. One word in article 95 opens world peace to you if you apply it right. The phrase "fight for" is obsolete because there is a better way to get what you want.

96 The precious dignity of people
Reliability is a satisfaction; human interaction is greater satisfaction; business is people.
Your ideal customer is you. The sharing of interest brings vendor and customer together.
Individuality matters; voluntary aspiration is stronger than assignment.
It matters to understand ourselves, other people, and our relationships.

97 Helpless, clever, enlightened -- which are you?
We are bound to familiar behavior patterns. Poor and rich alike have self-limiting beliefs which stand in the way of realizing their potentials.
Sometimes wealth facilitates being clueless, without street smarts.
Understanding removes barriers, opens communication, and meets Humans' Needs.

98 Why hold wealth for somebody else
Rising generation in regard to education, to wealth--no self-sufficiency
Prepare the way for others, the (macro) global family has adequate resources
What is above basic needs, you are holding for somebody else.

99 What is so good about heaven?
Do you want to go to the beautiful next stage of human progress? Not limited by any theology, what would you like next? My reward is not an abstract remote place. It is rather a condition I call joy.

Don't just long for relief from something unpleasant. Instead, increase what is pleasant. Too much rest is boring. Anticipation and realization keep us alive--forever!

100 Labor for heaven here and now
Let's walk over to the outskirts of heaven to sense the interface to that peaceful place. It is not unpunctuated rest; our work ethic as it smoothly transitions to an eternal state of growth. This article uses some teachings of W. Edwards Deming in a heaven-based allegory. Labor and management are on the same side of progress: namely, doing the best we can in all circumstances. We should not expect this heaven to appear instantaneously in this life or the next. It is worth our labor.

101 The new style for better education
Do you control your children? Do you feel manipulated by them? The learning relationship is bidirectional: each side teaches the other, learns from the other, learns how the other teaches and learns how the other learns. Effective teaching is enduring, including repeating, accumulating, spiraling, distributing, and passing of time. Education is the change that takes place in life, creating the better world.

102 Be the best version of yourself
This is a peculiarly Ernstraudian perspective on goal setting. Self-other blending leads to communal goals, especially the ones for a better world which we share with appropriate sensitivity. I suggest meeting Humans' Needs as the common starting point and allow generous room for individual variety. We simultaneously help and tolerate each other by balancing talents and balancing outcomes. This has nothing to do with money, and everything to do with who we are together.

103 Think abundantly to achieve your purpose
Do you think abundantly? Do you live abundantly? Do you give abundantly? As God does? As humanists do? What does all that mean? Value is enduring, not artificial scarcity that raises price. Egalitarian often refers to equal opportunity. Equal opportunity to grab enables the aggressive to dominate. Empathy is the approach that can meet all people's needs. The abundant mindset is not material wealth, it is willingness to cooperate.

104 When one size does not fit all
Some people invent solutions; some follow when shown; some deny the problem. Protestors extensively use the wrong tool because they have inadequate preparation and cannot teach the detailed path. Asserting is not educating. Everyone has a path through past, present, and future. The better goal is not to pass a law; it is to improve behavior because we believe in better. Helping the poor and needy requires unselfish collaboration at the personal level.

105 When to treat me like a cow
Can we treat employees at least as well as we treat cows? Farmers learn to keep their animals healthy. We are capable of making sure every laborer is cared for.

Rich and super-rich people generally mean to do well, but they are not adequately covering the above need. Since THEY are the ones with the resources, THEY have the responsibility to administer them effectively. We should be respectful of millionaires (support their efforts to do right), while they do well to respect the choices of us common folk, the beneficiaries--after all, we don't feed cows sawdust!

106 How to blend self with other
Are you ready for an upbeat, witty observation of happiness? Today's article is not scolding anyone for anything. It is celebrating our mutual existence and thanking you for joining me here. From a self-centered infant who tends to be a self-centered adult comes a sincere appreciation of you, the reader. My story encourages you to positive relationships within the human family, where you enjoy the oneness of the many.

107 Dispense (with) punishment
Growing the future includes laying the old behind when it holds us back. Today we replace a big negative roadblock with a happier, more productive mindset. The beacon points to better life based on good example and positive expectations.

108 Is the passage of time progress?
Mind games help us stretch our thinking--out of complacency and pat answers. Today we study time, space, and life forms above humans. The progress of the individual is different from the progress of the species and there is ever increasing complexity.

The article may be a bit poetic. At the end, we feel small enough to think that we do not know it all.

109 On the threshold of wealth
The country's pain is not a person. It is anger. The pain will endure as long as the anger. Attempting to get even and to override others is scripted discord. Triumph over the other expresses selfishness, not completeness. Every resetting of course provides some degree of fresh start. It was so beautifully expressed in George H. W. Bush's emphasis on the "kinder, gentler America." With a dramatic personnel change underway, we have the perfect moment to institute that more divine order. Our joy lies in being the new America where we sincerely care about the least of these (our neighbors).

110 How to enjoy Ernstraudian wealth
Continuing Tuesday's discussion, we look at constructive tolerant action. Pacifism is anything but passive; happiness is sharing. Love reaps peace in a better society. Putting others ahead of self is the blessing I aim to bring to my country's people. Parents who control their children make themselves unhappy. Apply that to government!

Until my persuasion prevails, it is my duty to live peacefully in a country that does not live up to my standards. It is not my place to overthrow the government of the country when it offends me. Let's get along peacefully with each other.

111 The hero who found beauty in us
New arrivals will find here what they found in their previous neighborhoods -- unless they expect to finding better. The worlds we find depend on what we seek. Dr. King would have us find the promised land by creating it from within. I never met him in person, but he is my friend.

We have the opportunity, not a burden, to find the good. The mountaintop provides positive perspective. When I hear this hero speak, my heart beats quicker and my eyes tear up. Enjoy today's tribute.

112 How to succeed by being nice
Happiness is not something that is forced upon us. We achieve it by expanding into our opportunities and improving our circumstances. The improving we do, not the attention we are given, is the foundation of our happiness.

The strength we radiate will attract, not compel, the better social order we seek. Our examples must persuade others that we are happy. Persuasion is only one aspect. The bigger principle is that we improve everything worthwhile by being nice.

113 How we improved the world by ourselves
Am I going to Hell? Some people think I am. Are they brainwashed? Relying stubbornly on political dirty tricks is a different kind of brainwashing. Journalists relax a little now that objective facts are admissible. Whether Hell exists is less urgent than whether my neighbor loves me. I influence the latter condition. Unhappy people are often pessimistic because they are upsetting themselves with the attitudes they practice. The world is not generally under my control. My worldview is. I will not bring unhappiness on myself.

114 If you are not happy, why?
Work and exercise build muscle. Is that the only reward? Might the exercise also be doing useful work? Quitting exercise causes atrophy. Fortunately, being unable to work does not mean doing nothing at all. We can substitute activities. Increased happiness of others is not a result of our happiness; it is the cause. Beauty and happiness attach to health--especially mental health. Therefore, let us increase happiness by giving it away. These stories show failure and success of the process.

115 What glory rises in me today?
When my perspective falters, poetry inspires and strengthens me. In this article, a David Whyte poem provides the ideal metaphor for the glory that rises with the day. We reflect on the inner core of Jane Addams and Dr. King, who radiate from the genuine foundation within. We become aware of what we think and say as evidence of what we are and the power within us. Instead of complaining, we creators are fully occupied with positive perspective that becomes our world. We direct our energy, with our attention, from what is wrong to what is right.

116 Super motivation: rolled oats are goat candy
Goats eagerly respond to rolled oats. Humans are inclined toward results they perceive as desirable and reachable, and they cooperate with enthusiasm to achieve them. Abundance depends on getting on a common track. Causes have effects. Associating available resources with desired outcomes promotes solutions. It matters how and where we ask the questions. Demonstration is ongoing and more constructive than admonition. Influencing is speaking to people's motivations. Successful leaders are appealing. Am I winning you over?

117 How do you know when you are happy?
If you choose unhappiness,
that means unhappiness makes you happy.
[proof: you choose it]

Now we introduce the garden-variety do-gooder who shouts, "these people are hungry!" Does that make you sad? Much to the contrary, it makes me happy that someone has caught the vision! Being oblivious to shortage is not happiness. It is merely ignorance.

Wake up, world, and be happy that somebody has cried out. That call to action is our only hope, and hope is my greatest happiness. Going forward, we set in motion all the positive feelings and energies that attend to the human condition. (1247 words)

118 If it isn't right, fix it
It takes keen insight to change only the proper things. Along with deciding what to change and how to change it, we must also ask who should change it. Decisions by individuals and small bodies have enormous repercussions, impacting personal and world peace. Anyone owns the problem who is aware of it, but it is all right to need help when we are overwhelmed. Nevertheless, we are never justified for using the magnitude argument as a reason for not caring. We must expand awareness to the community that can take action. We are all born to this responsibility and opportunity. (1236 words)

119 Inequality isn't right, fix it
Government is not taking assets from one party and dropping them on another. However, when the parties realize equality makes them all better off, they develop tools for working toward that condition. Then government is an agent for accomplishing the common will. We must think in results, not slogans. When we wish for enough food, we must not add "for me." A worthy desire says, "for everyone." Equal is not identical; happiness is idiosyncratic. Sensitive, aware people don't look at "I want." Instead, they describe society as "we have." Moral self-regulation concentrates on meeting "our needs" ahead of "my needs." (1082 words)

120 Heal people the only way
We recover from wrong things we do and go on making progress. We should dispense with the concepts of sin and guilt. Teachers regarded me with dignity and accepted me for the educated individual I was becoming. Religious emphasis on sin and guilt holds its captives in a negative outlook. Effective motivation is healthy realization of self. Society does well to organize work meaningfully. We love bullies; it is the love that heals them. Remedial work is by nature difficult. Consistently loving is the easy way to make the world better. We can afford to be nice to each other. (1289 words)

121 They cry for help
Prejudice and misunderstanding are terrible. Do they call for action? Deciding that comes after deeply understanding underlying deficiencies. Misbehavers are not sharing happiness; they are acting out their insecurities. Sadly, even the victims of the most serious misinformation act on the premise that their information is correct. They are empty barrels crying for better substance. Empathetic sharing of truth is non-confrontational healing balm. Merely contradicting is inadequate to achieve progress. Confident indirection minimizes conflict by substituting higher thoughts in place of aggressions. We do not overcome offenders. We help them to grow. PS: The most opinionated voice here is mine. (1270 words)

122 Did I contradict myself?
If all humans are equal, how do I know my "understanding" viewpoint is correct? What appears to an aggrieved party as ignorant prejudice appears to the bully as progress. If I force my largesse on the other party, then I am the bully. We tolerate and survive our differences as we explore improving our lives together. Time is the healer. We look to history to sort out consequences. The biblical eliminate-the-opposition solution (like limiting voting rights) is blatantly cheating. We do not say, "I told you so." We say, "Let me help you find improvements." (1179 words)

123 How keeping calm creates a clear benefit
Doctors could conceivably feel disgust at the medical conditions that are presented to them. Reprimanding bad behavior such as smoking is not the most constructive way to build a healing mindset. If I cannot have genuine, nonjudgmental love for the recovering party, I have no business being the doctor. Today we examine positions of superiority and inferiority. Once you perceive that the other party is in pain, you are in the role of the doctor. In practicing your healing art, you are the one who lives and deeply experiences happiness. Yours is the lasting clear benefit. (973 words)

124 How discourse reduces anger and makes us happier
Contentious political sloganizing symptomizes the small minds that revel in thoughtless provocation. Adults are often not clear that their social exchange is harmless pretend battle. The root conflict is usually difference in assumed definitions. Misdirected enthusiasts reduce issues to buzz words and then condition the public into mindless reactions to those words. Intelligence equips humans to evaluate objectives and methods. Working through the difficult questions leads to realizing that there are common goals. We condition ourselves with the kindness that honors the dignity of others. Our happiness increases as we become a civil society. (1157 words)

125 What kind of chameleon do you want to be?
Humans referred to as chameleons are usually being called shifty and accused of being untrue to their principles. Today's article views adaptability to the environment as a virtue. We remain ideologically distinct and differentiable, but adaptation makes us effective as we learn from each other. Protest adds to the noise in the world, making peace harder to achieve. Any tone of unkindness is a barrier to positive life force. Open channels of communication enable improving the world with love, kindness, and caring. "Fitting in" beneficially spreads happiness. (1182 words)

126 Parent and child: beginning in joy or ending in disownment?
At the birth of offspring, parents are unselfishly prepared and determined to provide perfectly for every need of the newborn. Commitment is total and permanent. The idiosyncratic child is not a completely blank slate. The parties and their environment must steadily remain in balance. A myriad of things can go wrong. Parents, having experience, carry the initial responsibility. By analogy, the populace gives birth to democratic government. Both sides grow within their respective roles. Neither can die or disinherit the other. Our legacy is a country that has had a new birth of freedom. (1133 words)

127 Which do you experience first, success or happiness?
Brian Tracy, a leading motivator and trainer, observed that successful people had positive mental attitude. We identify the high road and identify with it. The mystery is why-the capacity to learn, which is hopefully universal. Happiness is internal, intuitively sensed. Being abrasive deprives you of audience. Leading people to happiness is making the positive viewpoint more attractive, being likeable, modeling self-assurance in an assuring way. Happiness comes first; it is the most powerful tool you have for achieving success. (1041 words)

128 The power of love that is stronger than name-calling
When others are name-calling, it is all right to expect them to be human just as you are. They, too, contain the potential for good. You would never badmouth anybody, but consider: do you ever say to yourself, "those people just don't understand"? There you go! You have just called them ignorant. The best thing you can do for your country is to recognize the emergence of negative emotion and turn the speech off. Love (sometimes called God) requires us to extricate ourselves from hate and radiate love from our hearts. That quiet power (soul force) is irresistible. (1224 words)

129 How name-calling helps by letting off steam
A label can be a coping mechanism, a comfort, whether rational or not. The threats can be mental, physical, or abstract. A neutralizing label seems to disarm the unknown. Relief is not objective, but rather subjective or apparent. Temporary belief in the label can have a calming effect, much as a placebo has, to allow understanding to develop over time. Damage follows from pejorative labels or labels that are not eventually set aside as reality prevails. (1081 words)

130 Sell all you have, and ... NO!
Wealth does not accomplish goals; people do. Instead of waiting for the sky to drop resources on them, successful people assemble and apply their own resources, the first of which is skill. Cooperation is the preferred process. An improved world is the desired outcome. This article presents three steps you can take to be effective.

Good government is cooperation toward a shared goal. Authoritarianism is excess government, and gridlock is absence of government. In our diverse society, voluntary cooperation moves us forward. Because we are diverse, there is a skill appropriate to every need, assuring that nobody is left out. (1004 words)

131 Theology of Humanism
Am I a preacher? Am I an atheist? My readers reside in and between both camps. I write to them all, trying to do so in their languages. My personal thought process combines more viewpoints than these. Existence is unitary; our descriptions vary. I write as a future god while I am writing as an atheist, recognizing that my value is not what I write but rather what you think after you read it. (360 words)

132 [ Gospel = Social ] Order
Today's article quotes scriptures about equality that contributed significantly to Ernstraudian philosophy, conflating spiritual and material quality of life. Heavenly benefits are available now to those who live the heavenly principles. The article goes on to liken the LDS doctrine of three degrees of glory to the three types of behavior we find on this earth: make things happen, watch things happen, wonder what happened. Theological and humanist expressions can be remarkably equivalent. (348 words)

133 The Ark of Noah - an allegory
The Old Testament exposes us to people's efforts to address society's problems. It is not a rigorous historical account of events. It is valuable for philosophical stimulation. Its negative viewpoint on the human condition is counterbalanced by deep discussions of enduring truths. The challenge is to recognize the meaning without bogging down in the painful details. The story of Noah's flood is today's example. Taken literally it is senseless carnage. As an allegory, it teaches the role of the nuclear family. (522 words)

134 Don't wait for a government order: do this now
Why is the Carter Center successful? Are you ready to apply your own initiative to making the world better? Here we think through applying your means to human needs. You are more empowered than you think. Taking these steps matches who you are with what needs to be done. You find your meaning. (376 words)

135 The godhood of real people
Sometimes freedom is reached by breaking barriers. This article identifies religious barriers, including the fallen-man perspective of the Bible, that hold back enlightenment. The epilogue traces one person's bombshell spiritual journey to freedom. (629 words)

136 Harmonious Ontology
When an atheist explained away God, a theologian responded, "I don't believe in that God, either." Humans have more than a shared planet in common. Typical conflicts are dissolved when people enlarge themselves to comprehend the bigger picture, enfolding each other. It is our privilege to increase happiness by respecting diverse viewpoints. Today's article lays a foundation for peace. (709 words)

137 From Coal to Dignity
If you care about social progress, human dignity, and kindness, I offer you a brief article that encourages humanity. Using today's news story about people and coal-fired electric generation, I take away a battle and create a common cause in which everybody is needed. Saving space here, please click through and read a proposal that urgently cuts our Gordian knot and elevates human dignity. (400 words)

138 Never say "get a job"
Joe was not a habitual criminal. He was a shoplifter who did not understand how else to support himself. "Get a job" was not an effective order because of his self-limiting beliefs and inability to compete against others. A social safety net was needed to turn him into an appreciated, productive citizen. This article helps you think about your safety net and the role you play in somebody else's. Remember, never say "it cannot be done." (1482 words)

139 Apologetics for humanism
Individuation is shaking off the mold that does not fit. Integrity is clear responsible thinking. Is organized religion an imposed mold? Is there freedom from religion? Is fear ever productive? Do scriptures create the very problem they claim to solve?

140 Individuated, not apostate
Why am I here? Where am I going? People ask religion for answers. It might be wiser to reform the questions—particularly, “Am I of value to others?” Happiness is cultivating my relationships rather than my self-appreciation. My meaning emerges from those relationships. This article defends me from a high-demand religion that provides an uncommonly workable platform for me to use in helping others. I don’t seek rest; I focus on being helpful forever.

141 Chicago mayoral race impressions
We live in Chicago. That makes us responsible for the quality of life here. Dedicated leaders help in the process according to how well we support their positive directions. Their leadership skill concentrates the good in us.

142 The beginning of faith
Some concepts are best delivered in religious language that conveys awe and reverence. My humanism encompasses them fully within my ever-expanding intellectual environment. This story is uplifting without proving divinity of the subject matter. Let us accept life without raising objections. In other words, you don’t have to believe in anything to be moved by the human connections.

143 Are you sure?
“Are you sure?” is a useful question we ask of all our observations. Without an affirmative answer, acting on uncertainty is questionable. After an affirmative answer, acting on it is called integrity, living what we believe. Happiness includes putting our beliefs into practice. This article applies the principle to gender and sexuality.

144 Maturing in the "faith"
Healing calls for discontinuing that which is unhealthy without creating a vacuum. Growth is replacing, not purging. This article expands upon previously identified religious issues and prepares for positive replacements to be presented in the following article.

145 Godhood = eternal proression
There are podcasts that criticize The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because it teaches eternal human progression through which one becomes able to create worlds. Ernstraud Philosophy posits that we begin creating while we are in the present human state, here and now. From this beginning, our expansion is infinite.

146 Open letter to DCCC fundraising
Free flow of information is vital to market efficiency, especially in politics. Paid advertising is noise in the system.

147 Survive savior complex!
We are mentally ill and immobilized if we expect our presence to solve every problem in the world.

148 Do not OTHER others
Individual identity requires and therefore implies difference. What you do with that difference makes all the difference. This article clarifies melding self with other.

149 Who am I really?
Present good exceeds mythical future heaven. If my unique self can manifest in a future state, I am already on the road to eternal progression. My nature is forever emerging as choose how I develop it.

150 What I KNOW experimentally
My reality necessarily reflects my perception and evaluation of my unique set of experiences. My authentic self is what I think, upon which I act.

151 I can't do that
Described with arch diction, a behavior trait belonging to the simplest social graces is analyzed and found to be an element of momentous cultural significance. What starts lightly becomes deadly serious.