Is Realism the Middle Way?
Of all the definitions out there, I believe my view of the world falls closest to that of a “Realist.” The dictionary definition is “a person who tends to view or represent things as they really are.” (www.reference.com) In contrast, it seems that in western society there is a trend pushing people to believe that they should take a “glass half full” approach to life which by definition is that of a...
Bonobo Happiness
Lately I’ve been obsessed with learning more about Bonobos partly because until recently I had not even heard of them. In the briefest terms, they are the primates closest to us in the genetic tree, having only 1.2% difference in DNA from humans. That number is considered remarkable when you consider that there is more DNS difference among different species of birds than between humans and bonobos. Scientists believe the bonobo...
Healthy Doubt
I spend a lot of time thinking–perhaps too much time. One of my pet theories is that doubt is very healthy. Don’t get me wrong, I also believe that being decisive with making decisions is very healthy. What I mean is that I believe it to be a bit arrogant to believe we know much at all. I suspect that maybe less than 20% of what we believe to be true, actually is true and that the majority of what we currently believe is...
Why I Travel
Admittedly everyone travels for different reasons. The majority of Americans travel for vacation reasons; they wish to escape the 9-5 work day and go somewhere exotic with beaches and exciting adventure experiences or to sit back on a cruise ship and be pampered all day. I believe my reasons are a bit different, but have something in common with the average American on vacation. New Stimuli I think the single biggest factor in my...
Selling Everything in 77 Days
My goal was to sell all my belongings, including my house, in a short 77 day period of time in order to travel the world with just a carry on bag and computer bag. Although I ultimately ended up renting out my house rather than taking a $60,000 loss, I feel I accomplished my goals in an efficient manner. In many ways, I actually made money on some items. The key was to follow a seven step process which I came up with myself. 1. What...