Some emotions are secondary effects of our perceptions and thoughts. These manufactured emotions can cause us a lot of problems. Let’s try on a hypothetical example. Perhaps you see a task in front of you that scares you and you freeze up. Once you recognize you aren’t getting the job done you get angry with […]
Taking on Manufactured Emotions Read More »
I remember feeling pulled to the military at a young age. I’m not sure to what extent this is common, but my intuition tells me that it might be fairly rare based on the tiny fraction of the population that serves in the military. There are likely some significant factors at play when I think
Emerging from Shadow Part 2: Before the Call to Arms Read More »
One of the keys to living the life we want to live is learning to master our emotions. The goal isn’t to minimize or repress them, that’s a dangerous path that leads to suffering. What we should aim to do is understand them so we can benefit from their positive effects and mitigate their harmful
Exploring Emotions: Anger Read More »
Today I have been thinking a lot about influence. It is both a blessing and a curse to be susceptible to influence. On one hand we can learn and grow from positive and helpful influences and on the other we can be tormented and manipulated by coercive and maligned influences. We need positive influences in
Mastering Influence to Protect Your Autonomy Read More »
We are all subjected to internal and external pressures. These pressures push us and pull us in ways that have profound impacts on our lives. Understanding how these systems interact with us can help us respond to them in ways that enable us to live the life we want to live instead of being cast
Responding to Pressure Read More »
In Stoicism there is the idea that seeking fame, power, and wealth can lead you into a type of self generated captivity. It’s not that being famous, powerful, or wealthy is inherently bad, but the consequences of obtaining those prizes can be subtle and binding. Think of the restrictions placed on the famous by society.
The Chains That Bind Us Read More »
The reluctant hero called to seek out a mythical dragon and its horde of treasure is one of my favorite types of adventure stories. The idea of a small band of adventures heading off on a journey of redemption to reclaim the treasure and riches stolen by a wicked and evil beast is vivid and
Here there be dragons! Read More »
During military service we walked a path defined by discipline, strategy, and vigilance. The profession of arms is the warrior’s way—shaped by training, honed by experience, and reinforced by the culture of military service. But what happens when the mission ends? When the uniform is set aside and the battlefield is no longer external, but
Emerging from Shadow Part 1: The Call to Transformation Read More »
Operational Security (OPSEC) as a concept in a military setting is meant to reduce vulnerabilities by controlling the flow of information in an effort to prevent adversaries from exploiting weaknesses. We can also use the concept of OPSEC to protect our minds from nefarious attempts by others to gain influence over our thoughts, emotions, and
In my teaching role I have the opportunity to take college students through the forest of mirrors that is the world of political and military deception. The course centers on overcoming self-deception and deceptions induced by others through the application of sound critical thinking skills, awareness of heuristics that are helpful and cognitive bias that
