Disagreeing with an AI on the meaning of life
If, by chance, you run into a super intelligent computer, you should ask it the meaning of life. Science fiction writers could not be clearer on this. So, when I tried the Artificial Intelligence (AI) known as ChatGPT,1 my first request for it was to explain the meaning of life. I watched as the […]
Should you take responsibility for others?
I keep hearing the phrase “Take responsibility for yourself. Don’t take it for others.” I’ve heard it spoken with such conviction that at times I’ve wondered if looking out for others is somehow wrong. My stance on accepting responsibility for another person is more nuanced than simply labeling it good or bad. There is a […]
7 reasons the meaning of life is hard to find
Searching for the meaning of life is one of the great philosophical pursuits of every generation. People have been trying to find it since at least the days of Aristotle. And yet, many can’t come up with a coherent explanation for what makes life worthwhile. A quick search on social media for the meaning of […]
Is this moral decline or progress?
The morals of the millions of Americans are changing, and that troubles people. In 2019, 77% of Americans were very worried or fairly worried about the nation’s morals.1 I believe even more people are concerned about what they see as a moral decline today. Sex-related topics are at the forefront of this tectonic moral shift. […]
Is it okay to work for an unethical company?
You are sitting in a meeting or reading the news, and it dawns on you. You work for an unethical company that is involved in some sort of evil. One or more of your fellow employees is violating a principle that matters to you, and you feel tainted by the association. Perhaps your coworkers are: […]
Words can never hurt me
Imagine someone walks up to you in the street and begins shouting in a language you don’t understand. The person clearly intends to tear you down, but you cannot guess what he’s saying. Would you feel offended in such a situation? Do his words harm you? Research shows that areas of the brain that experience […]
How the cherished aspects of culture endure
Imagine what your world would be like as an educated person from the Kingdom of Judah after Jerusalem fell in 597 BC. The holy city – your people’s refuge – has been sacked. The Chaldeans have destroyed your temple, killed your loved ones, and carried you and your temple’s sacred treasures to the great city […]
An attack on individualism
I was standing at the train station on a cold morning near my home in the suburbs of Philadelphia. The train to the city was running a few minutes late and I was nervous about the final exam waiting for me in the city at 11 am. The question then came to me, “Are you […]
In defense of true tolerance
During the Battle of Fredericksburg, the union soldiers launched a failed assault against a low ridge known as Marye’s Heights. By the end of the attack, 1,000 troops lay dead below the ridge. When the sun rose the next morning, thousands of injured Yankee troops lay stranded in the muddy field between enemy lines. Any […]
The emptiness of screen time
It draws me in, filling my eyes and ears with distracting beauty. It envelops my senses and makes me forget painful truths for a time. It promises hidden wisdom and connections with like-minded individuals but instead isolates me and offers me up as prey to willing buyers. Television, computer screens, and other personal devices provide […]