All Articles

What Kind of People Help a Nation Flourish? “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” — Martin Luther King Jr. John and I were recently in Claremont for his 60th reunion at Pomona College. By the time people reach their 60th reunion, seems like they’ve lost a lot of the need to impress and readily reveal their challenges, their passions, their concerns, their foibles, and in the process... a lot of wisdom.

Why empathy, not intimidation, keeps the crown “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”— John Dalberg-Acton “It is much safer to be feared than loved,” wrote Niccolò Machiavelli in The Prince . Nearly five centuries later, Robert Greene revived the same spirit in The 48 Laws of Power : Crush your enemy totally. Conceal your intentions. Keep others in suspended terror. It’s dramatic. It feels strong. It sells. But science tells a very different story.

Life comes from physical survival; but the good life comes from what we care about. Rollo May Last night John and I caught up on the news...