Today’s post is an article written by Gordon Manley, one of my students at the International School of Brussels. In it he shares his insights into pop culture, morality and the obligations of public life. I watched Tiger Woods’ apology the other day, and I have to say I was dumbstruck by one of his [...]
Your secret to a better life
A documentary on living happily recently aired on PBS. A lot of the clips from the show (called This Emotional Life) are available on YouTube (here). Here’s an interesting one on intimacy: This particular insight (from Elizabeth Gilbert) was interesting to me partly because I’m reading her book Eat, Pray, Love at the moment. The [...]
The secret of happiness (from Daniel Kahneman and Jerry Seinfeld)
I am by day a mild-mannered Economist, quietly correcting students’ supply and demand diagrams, discussing the long-term profit possibilities in oligopolies. But by night, I get to pursue my real passion in life: surfing –both channel and web. Sometimes I do both at once! So I live a pretty full existence. Sometimes on my quests, [...]
Caring Advice from Old People
Seth Menachem is an LA director who, in his spare time, asks elderly strangers for advice. I grew up far away from my grandparents and I’ve lived overseas, away from my own parents, for a long time. Maybe this is why I love these clips from Life Advice from Old people. These are two of my [...]
The Music Video Reinvented
Check out this music video from the group Ok Go. Mesmerizing. Cool, huh? It reminds me of Feist’s 1234 video and the treadmill video –also by Ok Go. These guys have it figured out. There is something subtly compelling about these videos. I can watch them over and over again. I think we appreciate seeing [...]
The Perfect Career is Closer Than You Think
Barry Schwartz explains why having the freedom to choose can actually decrease your happiness.
Government-Enforced Happiness: Buddhist Ultilitarianism in Bhutan
Running a country is not easy. As hard as you try, you simply can’t make everyone happy. Or can you? In the late Eighteenth century, Englishman Jeremy Bentham suggested a Utilitarian approach –governments should aim to bring the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people. His contemporaries in the New World agreed and declared [...]
