Are We Entitled to Our Entitlements?

There once was a cabinet minister in Canada named David Dingwall. He immortalised himself forever in our history by declaring (when asked why he thought he should get a generous severance package when he had resigned voluntarily as President of the Royal Canadian Mint) that "I am entitled to my entitlements." I've been musing on … Continue reading Are We Entitled to Our Entitlements?

So, What Are You Doing These Days?

People are kind and interested, especially if they haven't seen you for a while. You're sitting at a table at a community dinner, you're chatting away, and at some point, that question comes up. Oy. I come from a family of intellectuals, mostly academics. My maternal grandfather was a university professor. My father and sister … Continue reading So, What Are You Doing These Days?

#BlogElul 16 – Change

As I mentioned yesterday, learning leads to change. Change is probably the scariest thing in the world, to many people. Others restlessly seek it out, bored with the everyday. What is it about change? The need for security and safety is very fundamental to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, just above such basics such as food … Continue reading #BlogElul 16 – Change

The Evolution of My Virtual Communities

The heart of being a Professional Enabler is to have a community to enable. I've been thinking about how my online community has evolved over the years, as my interests and enthusiasms have waxed and waned. Some people have stuck even though my participation in the community where I met them has become sporadic at … Continue reading The Evolution of My Virtual Communities

The Greeks called it ἀκρασία

I first ran into the term akrasia, acting against one's own self-interest, in a post by Mark Sisson. I've had blogging about akrasia on my to-do list for a while, and tonight I finally sat down to do it. Grabbed a chocolate chip cookie before I started writing. Sigh. Paleo, huh. I have to admit … Continue reading The Greeks called it ἀκρασία