Promote civility and give voice to minorities (third parties) without throwing away votes
Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) counts the ballot for the highest viable choice if the first choice on a ballot does not get the most votes. If your first choice cannot win, your second choice gets the vote and so on.
(1) no wasted votes
(2) no runoffs
(3) more official than popular polls, very influential

9 Counting votes -- RCV [6 Dec 2019]

Picnic location story; cheating tax collector story; sports brackets
--Sampling theory simplifies getting nuanced results
--Suggested counting formula

10 How to buy successfully [11 Dec 2019]

Argument against impulse buying; no buyer's remorse
--Honorable informative advertising; buy for intended use

11 How to evade discouragement [23 Dec 2019]

Musings: human role on life's stage; quality over quantity

12 Discover your happy [11 Feb 2020]

Short socializing examples threaded by the happy person
--Perceive the "happy world" -- contagious.

13 You create your own world [14 Feb 2020]

Create better world thoughtfully in unity, not unanimity
--"Puff talk" myths debunked.

14 Noah complex [18 Feb 2020]

No need to be separatist to avoid fighting; understand and uplift

15 Peak motivation [21 Feb 2020]

Hard-wired for cooperation, social value stronger than self-interest
--Geriatric suicide (not needed), struggling father, single mom examples of others ahead of self
--Strength from will, not resistance--power of empathy

16 So, what is needed? [24 Feb 2020]

Needed for better future, not for overindulgence or bossing others
--Restorative justice = reconstruction and healing

17 Being for (and aware of) others [28 Feb 2020]

Restraint rather than greed, need for sharing production and consumption

18 When better does not mean more [3 Mar 2020]

Measuring-increasing production model
--What to measure, realistic expectations, perceptions

19 Engulfed in beauty [5 Mar 2020]

Genuine healing environment, not gloss-over
--Useful statistics, beauty of the good

20 What is the big picture? [9 Mar 2020]

Beautiful world context: perspective, relationships, expectations
--All necessary to the big picture

21 The drumbeat of being needed [13 Mar 2020]

Need to be needed but not overbearing
--All within good measure, not for power

22 Rising above altruism [16 Mar 2020]

No separation "self" and "non-self" but self-control is good
--Not "altruism" but functional equality, not ranking

23 "9 to 5" ain't all bad [19 Mar 2020]

Excitement of solopreneurship, traditional job dignity
--Industry, commerce, self-expression, gratitude
--Fantasy or self-limiting extremes

24 See through a wooden fence [24 Mar 2020]

Seeing through the surface to the meaning that lies below
--Reasoning

25 Redemption through education [27 Mar 2020]

Prison rehabilitation rather than suffering
--Behavior replacement, redemption, recovery environment

26 Educate everybody? [31 Mar 2020]

Meeting social needs, no jealousy, include everything uplifting
--Sufficient and fair means free education or equal wealth resources

27 Humans' Needs = the F.I.S.H. [3 Apr 2020]

Hierarchy (urgency) of needs not money
Meaning = being useful to all, F.I.S.H.
Fundamental Ingredients Sustaining Humans

28 Worshipful attention from your children? [7 Apr 2020]

Leadership to respect or to forgive, set aside non-useful
--Lau-Tzu "We have done this ourselves"

29 Are your toes stepped on? [10 Apr 2020] (figurative)

Risks in spontaneous helping--no avoidance of all misunderstandings
--Gracious givers and receivers

30 Picture this [14 Apr 2020]

Meeting needs, not greed, 70% tax, peace around sufficiency
--Open to innovation, that which is not yet
--Importance of understanding, science, will

31 Should you resist? [17 Apr 2020]

Resisting bad ideas wastes strength; be for good, do not protest against bad
--Redirect, understand at the source, choose best approach

32 Where do you look? [21 Apr 2020]

Futility of negative sensationalism, let go of unhappiness
--Direct to productivity, appreciate progress (encouragement), PMA

33 We go where we look [24 Apr 2020]

Dwelling not on evil but on improvement; stopping smoking; analyzing what happened
--Dispense with concepts sin and guilt

34 I will get them [28 Apr 2020]

We get what we want; we become what we think. Similar to mind-body duality.
--Awareness=passive; Doing=active; mental=internal; physical=external

35 Martians or Covid19? [1 May 2019]

External threat brings people together. Collapse of familiar enables fresh start.
--Opportunity to do better on rebuild

36 Silo worlds [5 May 2020]

New thoughts: separate job & housing so you keep both, one system for each
--New views of property and distribution of consumption & production

37 Lose job -- keep house [8 May 2020]

Cooperation does not destroy individuality or incentive
--Creating and distributing can be balanced and maintained at macro level

38 The Ernstraudian Way [12 May 2020]

People enhance each other = jointly invent good outcomes instead of opposing

Begin where you are.
Face the light.
Proceed at your own pace.
Bring someone with you.

39 I want this result, but ... [15 May 2020]

Resolution of discomforts: examine, determine, weigh, refine; social mores that meet needs
--Don't try to change your spouse

40 Expect better? Always? [19 May 2020]

Expectation advantage: thinking it better; realistic is more likely to succeed
--Expectation of self and of others

41 Think first! [22 May 2020]

Patience and logic about what to expect; unity better than compelled simplification
--Long path, strength spread out over time

42 Resolution really means ... [23 May 2020]

More details of problem solving with patience: it is how we approach decisions
--Science does not dictate procedures; patient reasoning is necessary

43 Price of safety? [26 May 2020]

Lifespan is not infinitely flexible; occupy the stage and move on
--Cost-benefit analysis guides what to change and what to accept

44 Production for use [29 May 2020]

Ignorant pursuit of goals can devastate; positive attitudes have the most utility
--Thoughtful deliberation outperforms painful threats or force.

45 Sharing the pain [2 Jun 2020]

Alleviate pain by sharing it--keeping firm footing and using it to help.
--Only some burdens can be lifted. Grab the flag and run with it.

46 Difference is essential to meaning [5 Jun 2020]

Being identical prevents being individual. Value of uniqueness to the whole
--Thesis + antithesis resolves to synthesis.

47 Made-for-you (MFY) [9 Jun 2020]

"Business in a box" worked for someone else. You are different; now is different.
--Experience, including failures, leads to business skill.
--Chick needs to break the shell; understanding why is more important than obeying.

48 Go after the king [12 Jun 2020]

Chess goal = checkmate, not capturing pieces; clarity and focus bring us to a goal.
--Hypothetical measurements don't constitute success.
--Research lab, particle physics, and marketing review goals and act on them.

49 The real perspective on wealth [16 Jun 2020]

Material wealth is a flawed goal; customers buy improvement; humans' needs drive human effort.
--Private funds are better directed than public funds -- no gridlock.
--Grandstanding income disparity and platitudes do not help; society is a collaboration.

50 Dreaming failure [19 June 2020]

Mysterious dream allegory of life; awareness of others
--Sharing the light is part of the journey
--Dream succeeded in delivering a message; matching objects to metaphors

51 Duality in dreams [24 Jun 2020]

Three major life theories: reincarnation, resurrection, Ernstraudian -- states of awareness / elevation
--Others would have imparted their light to me if I were sensitive.
--who is teaching whom; patronizing or appreciating others?

52 Definition of God [26 Jun 2020]

Godhood is a future state; pondering settings of limitless growth; applicable to atheism, too
--Not fallen state; positive view sees the future Buddha in everyone; no terminal / ultimate state
--collective subconscious; man-made God or God-made man = viewpoints to ponder
--create own world and own heaven; individual progress through overlapping states

53 Let's talk [30 Jun 2020]

The blog is for discussion, tool of growth--we enrich each other
--Writing and action clarify understanding; try expressing what you do next
--no deadlines, avoid overwhelm; concentrate on the doing, happiness follows

54 Anti-Christ? [3 July 2020]

Bludgeoned by Bible as weapon allegory; divorce over crucifix; survival requires forbearance
The "good book" has burdened Western Civilization. Make something good of religious beliefs.
--Problems: Old Testament and Book of Mormon teach (1) depravity of fallen man (2) cleansing by slaughter (3) racism
--Antidotes: (1) Be reverent (respect all people); (2) be vigilant against negative mindset; (3) find positive replacement

55 Self stands in the way [7 Jul 2020]

Resolved battle with mother; do adults learn reconciliation?
--winning an argument or improving an outcome?
--examples from politics, business, engineering for de-emphasizing self

56 If not self, who? [10 Jul 2020]

Private parties are more effective than government to meet Humans' Needs universally
--Humanity requires that wealth be applied as necessary to maximize the common good.
--Good management is necessary to complex production and distribution.
--It is required of private parties to volunteer their means to address the common needs.

57 We achieve what we want [14 Jul 2020]

Lighten up; view some dogmas and simplistic examples
--demonstration, money, laws, autocracy, tax, disability, education, minimum wage, healthcare
--applying the lesson to healthcare
--accept health as the goal; discussion about getting there

58 Why try to be happy? [17 Jul 2020]

Happiness journey, not destination; indirect, like peripheral vision;
--largely determined by expectations
--links to more external references and nine previous blog articles
--likening to vigorous exercise: happiness is the desired byproduct of work

59 Let freedom ring [21 July 2020]

Ernstraudian way; uncomfortable differences; private more directly, effectively, and personally applied than government;
--grab the flag and run; desire to be needed, controlling element
--Private or public contains support and control, private wealth, relationships
--who is controlling whom; price of liberty is eternal vigilance

60 Achieve anything together? [24 Jul 2020]

Principle of fairness; social contract; stability; exceptions; faulty majority or inconvenient minority
--election goes wrong? rights, sincerity
--historical positions, puzzles to consider but not consider solved
--right not to be bound by decision? list of examples

61 You become what you eat [28 Jul 2020]

Independent of physical being; define eternal life
--what you eat becomes you; god made man--man made god
--A Poem about Generation -- homelessness, creation for utility, spiritual elements
--see opposite of home, creating life of food substances, learning prerequisites

62 Eternal Life [31 Jul 2020]

Identity is unique, before and after this visible world.
--key question of immortality -- one magic word
--Stories from immortals eating mortal food to atomic structure and vibrations
--best possible human experience you want to continue forever

63 Be sad yesterday [4 Aug 2020]

No happiness if no sadness (contrast); two kinds of sadness
--being sad we failed motivates not failing; tomorrow is better
--There is a human note, an allowed present sadness.
--Our happiness shares in the sadness of others.

64 Please disagree [7 Aug 2020]

Five steps: energy goes down in the middle; cooperation descends
--Benefits go down as cooperation goes down
--Examples that distinguish agreement from disagreement
--WHY disagree? strong metaphor

65 Is it a commandment? [11 Aug 2020]

Request v order; need commandments? Question God's intent?
--Nicer term "best way"; would we disobey God's suggestion?
--Slothful servant is commanded; discipline children, not handicap
--Internalize the why = voluntary commitment

66 Teach me! [14 Aug 2020]

Safe to disagree here; students' effect on teacher
--Handle difference with civility; 4 methods collect feedback

67 Teaching is not dispensing [18 Aug 2020]

LIFT convention by Mirasee, I studied the teacher -- teacher leads by doing
--It is about the students, not the teacher

68 Do we measure? [21 Aug 2020]

Go together; reader participation gives direction to our group
--About progress, not money; this is not about popularity of topics

69 Shoes to fill [25 Aug 2020]

WFMT Studs Terkel; WBEZ Jerome McDonnell; thought leaders were giants
--We are necessary to carry on the tradition; sharing is not bragging

70 They don't fit [28 Aug 2020]

Realistic: professor used real-world homework, not nicely fitted examples
--Science expands by investigating what does not fit;
--Forbearance; yesterday's absurdity might be tomorrow's truth.

71 Breaks my heart -- competition [1 Sep 2020]

Blending self with others is collaboration toward mutually beneficial goals
--Good competition builds all parties; selfish competition hurts progress
--All humans = one unitary organism; disappearance of go-it-alone

72 More Mind Games [4 Sep 2020]

Eternal existence, not just physical resurrection; analysis to unseen (energy/matter)
--Key is sentience; do not limit to present imagination
--Stimulate new thinking, make room for tolerance (civil discourse)

73 Intelligence over Obstacles [8 Sep 2020]

Others ahead of self is collective advancement, aggregation from local to cosmic.
--We spend energy retreating into introspection, reap new strength.
--Sometimes we forgive, cannot retreat; even crows can benefit other individuals.

74 Supply Pipe [11 Sep 2020]

View the world as the combination of production and consumption; view both globally
--F.I.S.H. & Millennium Development Goals; on macro level there is enough
--Direct resources to the fundamental needs -> quality of life; no throw-away people

75 Who will tie the bell? [15 Sep 2020]

Whose resources? Self as first contributor. Interbeing poem loosens self-other distinction
--Think "we" as the new social order; cooperation is winning; we use our resources
--Higher orders are attained when we do not put our own benefits first.

76 Do not protest; do! [18 Sep 2020]

We can produce enough for everyone to be well fed. That obligates us morally to do so.
--Self over others is inhumane -- job shortage harmfully undercuts wages
--The law does not supply happiness -- voluntary good deeds lead to happiness
--Sub-minimum-wage jobs disappear because we create better jobs.

77 Do not kill unbelievers [22 Sep 2020]

When unbelief is a good thing -- boasting is veneer over doubt -- neither true nor false
biblical content worthy of unbelief -- tolerate unbelievers -- welcome imagination
--Unbelievers must tolerate those who do not believe them.

78 Why are you not effective? [25 Sep 2020]

Starting a fight does not garner favors. You are effective when positive.
--Disagreeing by fighting is ineffective. Good political paths lead to an outcome.
--Losing the vote is occasion to accommodate and assist someone else's path.
--Replace impasse by finding agreement; success comes from "we believe."

79 How this is done [29 Sep 2020]

We get self out of the way and then apply everything we have to what everyone needs.
--"Losing" the election merely changes our route to positive results.
--Cooperation results from giving support, not from screaming "ignoramus."

80 The power is in you [2 Oct 2020]

Outlook, PMA empower us to realize what could be.
--Fighting does not make the country beautiful. We make it look good.
--Imperfection--do we find fault, or do we improve the object of attention?

81 Demographics and history [6 Oct 2020]

Discussing slave masters, foreign conquerors, exploited labor turned voter, demographic mobility
--American colonization and immigration into America -- human rights -- Switzerland, Russia
--American neighborhood and bongo drums -- micro level -- object of patriotism

82 Human reallocation [9 Oct 2020]

--Efficiency and engineering equip us to produce more and work less.
--Frugality and skills obsolescence also reduce the labor need.
--We adapt to change and redirect individual labor appropriately.

83 I'm only one, but [13 Oct 2020]

--Realize = aware + achieve; one ant is small but not discardable
--If the project appears too big, rejoice that you are aware.
--Therefore it takes all of us ("ants")
--Avoid one universal overall clearing house; we all see different aspects
--Many roads to Dr. King's mountaintop; our diversity covers the ground.

84 Is there evil? [16 Oct 2020]

--Light and sound are perceptions: what you make of it
--Evil world is not a creation; it disappears when light goes on.
--Buddhism suffering = "not highest state of being"
--Omit long list of ills in the world; Dr. Schweitzer and ice cream cone

85 Is it material? [20 Oct 2020]

--Materialism is not material to happiness. Satisfaction is reaching an expectation.
--Decide right goals; external circumstances. Mental states are material.
--Notre Dame, twin towers; personal relationships over physical objects
--Foundation: how we share our circumstances and efforts.

86 Nervous about being relaxed [23 Oct 2020]

To want the cure, you must have the problem. Vendors see to that!
--Health, Religion, Business -- in EACH of these, we have
--Promise (the good), Problem (the bad) and Program (my resolution)
--Three stories this time, the paradox = cure makes it worse

87 Gentle lesson [27 Oct 2020]

Telling each other what to do: accepted in the family and close social circles
--Overboard in Germany -> Hitler
--Overboard in America -> slavery, nuclear weapons, torture, capital punishment
We Germans and we Americans find redemption in facing the past and improving on it.
Here a favorite philosophy is preciously brought to us by Dennis the Menace!

88 Want to be a freshman again? [30 Oct 2020]

--Birth is a forgetting -- death is also; both are ascending to something new, not descending.
--No fall; Near-death experiences fit subject's expectations; parallel or sequential progress
--Why restart: no freshman experiences = no graduations
--Resurrected to a higher order -- long learning period like the one after birth.

89 What is the cost of progress? [3 Nov 2020]

Progress in moon exploration, interstate highway system, containerized shipping
Change disadvantages somebody. There is a price of progress.
Duty of those who benefit is to spread their advantage and alleviate that suffering.

90 Overcome self to share the world [6 Nov 2020]

We cherish uniqueness, expressing diversity. Teamwork accomplishes more.
Value is the gift you give; sufficiency; responsibility for distribution
Natural resources are not private property (including land)
Grab the flag: individual initiative; channel coming generations (spread your unselfishness)

91 How to be my other half [10 Nov 2020]

Only you alone? OK, meditation is good. However, worth arises through relationships.
Somebody else is the other half. Strange bedfellows.
Learn outgoing kindness to your other half.

92 Think about infinity like a child [13 Nov 2020]

At the edge of the universe, what is on the other side? We learn space, then time, then relativity.
Broken bottlenecks don't break reality, they lead us to learning more about reality.
Similarly, rising above conventional spiritual thinking takes us to the promised land.

93 How to be more than infinite [17 Nov 2020]

We stretched to infinity. Now we progress to a higher level--yes, there is something higher than infinity. The "no end" game itself is infinite.

94 Spiritual boost from raw Brussel sprouts [20 Nov 2020]

Enjoying Brussel sprouts raw is one reverent return to nature. Native American tradition developed that capacity over the centuries. We lose it when we are brainwashed with materialism. Good things satisfy; bad things intensify craving. Overindulgence messes up our social order.

95 The peaceable dignity of understanding [24 Nov 2020]

We humans respond to each other. You have great influence over how people respond to you. One word in article 95 opens world peace to you if you apply it right. The phrase "fight for" is obsolete because there is a better way to get what you want.

96 The precious dignity of people [27 Nov 2020]

Reliability is a satisfaction; human interaction is greater satisfaction; business is people.
Your ideal customer is you. The sharing of interest brings vendor and customer together.
Individuality matters; voluntary aspiration is stronger than assignment.
It matters to understand ourselves, other people, and our relationships.

97 Helpless, clever, enlightened -- which are you? [1 Dec 2020]

We are bound to familiar behavior patterns. Poor and rich alike have self-limiting beliefs which stand in the way of realizing their potentials.
Sometimes wealth facilitates being clueless, without street smarts.
Understanding removes barriers, opens communication, and meets Humans' Needs.

98 Why hold wealth for somebody else [4 Dec 2020]

Rising generation in regard to education, to wealth--no self-sufficiency
Prepare the way for others, the (macro) global family has adequate resources
What is above basic needs, you are holding for somebody else.

99 What is so good about heaven? [8 Dec 2020]

Do you want to go to the beautiful next stage of human progress? Not limited by any theology, what would you like next? My reward is not an abstract remote place. It is rather a condition I call joy.

Don't just long for relief from something unpleasant. Instead, increase what is pleasant. Too much rest is boring. Anticipation and realization keep us alive--forever!

100 Labor for heaven here and now [11 Dec 2020]

Let's walk over to the outskirts of heaven to sense the interface to that peaceful place. It is not unpunctuated rest; our work ethic as it smoothly transitions to an eternal state of growth. This article uses some teachings of W. Edwards Deming in a heaven-based allegory. Labor and management are on the same side of progress: namely, doing the best we can in all circumstances. We should not expect this heaven to appear instantaneously in this life or the next. It is worth our labor.

Beginning use of gender neutral pronouns:
ze (s/he); zem (her/him); zir (his/her); zirself

101 The new style for better education [15 Dec 2020]

Do you control your children? Do you feel manipulated by them? The learning relationship is bidirectional: each side teaches the other, learns from the other, learns how the other teaches and learns how the other learns. Effective teaching is enduring, including repeating, accumulating, spiraling, distributing, and passing of time. Education is the change that takes place in life, creating the better world.

102 Be the best version of yourself [18 Dec 2020]

This is a peculiarly Ernstraudian perspective on goal setting. Self-other blending leads to communal goals, especially the ones for a better world which we share with appropriate sensitivity. I suggest meeting Humans' Needs as the common starting point and allow generous room for individual variety. We simultaneously help and tolerate each other by balancing talents and balancing outcomes. This has nothing to do with money, and everything to do with who we are together.

103 Think abundantly to achieve your purpose [22 Dec 2020]

Do you think abundantly? Do you live abundantly? Do you give abundantly? As God does? As humanists do? What does all that mean? Value is enduring, not artificial scarcity that raises price. Egalitarian often refers to equal opportunity. Equal opportunity to grab enables the aggressive to dominate. Empathy is the approach that can meet all people's needs. The abundant mindset is not material wealth, it is willingness to cooperate.

104 When one size does not fit all [25 Dec 2020]

Some people invent solutions; some follow when shown; some deny the problem. Protestors extensively use the wrong tool because they have inadequate preparation and cannot teach the detailed path. Asserting is not educating. Everyone has a path through past, present, and future. The better goal is not to pass a law; it is to improve behavior because we believe in better. Helping the poor and needy requires unselfish collaboration at the personal level.

105 When to treat me like a cow [29 Dec 2020]

Can we treat employees at least as well as we treat cows? Farmers learn to keep their animals healthy. We are capable of making sure every laborer is cared for.

Rich and super-rich people generally mean to do well, but they are not adequately covering the above need. Since THEY are the ones with the resources, THEY have the responsibility to administer them effectively. We should be respectful of millionaires (support their efforts to do right), while they do well to respect the choices of us common folk, the beneficiaries--after all, we don't feed cows sawdust!

106 How to blend self with other [1 Jan 2021]

Are you ready for an upbeat, witty observation of happiness? Today's article is not scolding anyone for anything. It is celebrating our mutual existence and thanking you for joining me here. From a self-centered infant who tends to be a self-centered adult comes a sincere appreciation of you, the reader. My story encourages you to positive relationships within the human family, where you enjoy the oneness of the many.

107 Dispense (with) punishment [5 Jan 2021]

Growing the future includes laying the old behind when it holds us back. Today we replace a big negative roadblock with a happier, more productive mindset. The beacon points to better life based on good example and positive expectations.

108 Is the passage of time progress? [8 Jan 2021]

Mind games help us stretch our thinking--out of complacency and pat answers. Today we study time, space, and life forms above humans. The progress of the individual is different from the progress of the species and there is ever increasing complexity.

The article may be a bit poetic. At the end, we feel small enough to think that we do not know it all.

109 On the threshold of wealth [12 Jan 2021]

The country's pain is not a person. It is anger. The pain will endure as long as the anger. Attempting to get even and to override others is scripted discord. Triumph over the other expresses selfishness, not completeness. Every resetting of course provides some degree of fresh start. It was so beautifully expressed in George H. W. Bush's emphasis on the "kinder, gentler America." With a dramatic personnel change underway, we have the perfect moment to institute that more divine order. Our joy lies in being the new America where we sincerely care about the least of these (our neighbors).

110 How to enjoy Ernstraudian wealth [15 Jan 2021]

Continuing Tuesday's discussion, we look at constructive tolerant action. Pacifism is anything but passive; happiness is sharing. Love reaps peace in a better society. Putting others ahead of self is the blessing I aim to bring to my country's people. Parents who control their children make themselves unhappy. Apply that to government!

Until my persuasion prevails, it is my duty to live peacefully in a country that does not live up to my standards. It is not my place to overthrow the government of the country when it offends me. Let's get along peacefully with each other.

111 The hero who found beauty in us [19 Jan 2021]

New arrivals will find here what they found in their previous neighborhoods -- unless they expect to finding better. The worlds we find depend on what we seek. Dr. King would have us find the promised land by creating it from within. I never met him in person, but he is my friend.

We have the opportunity, not a burden, to find the good. The mountaintop provides positive perspective. When I hear this hero speak, my heart beats quicker and my eyes tear up. Enjoy today's tribute.

112 How to succeed by being nice [22 Jan 2021]

Happiness is not something that is forced upon us. We achieve it by expanding into our opportunities and improving our circumstances. The improving we do, not the attention we are given, is the foundation of our happiness.

The strength we radiate will attract, not compel, the better social order we seek. Our examples must persuade others that we are happy. Persuasion is only one aspect. The bigger principle is that we improve everything worthwhile by being nice.

113 How we improved the world by ourselves [26 Jan 2021]

Am I going to Hell? Some people think I am. Are they brainwashed? Relying stubbornly on political dirty tricks is a different kind of brainwashing. Journalists relax a little now that objective facts are admissible. Whether Hell exists is less urgent than whether my neighbor loves me. I influence the latter condition. Unhappy people are often pessimistic because they are upsetting themselves with the attitudes they practice. The world is not generally under my control. My worldview is. I will not bring unhappiness on myself.

114 If you are not happy, why? [29 Jan 2021]

Work and exercise build muscle. Is that the only reward? Might the exercise also be doing useful work? Quitting exercise causes atrophy. Fortunately, being unable to work does not mean doing nothing at all. We can substitute activities. Increased happiness of others is not a result of our happiness; it is the cause. Beauty and happiness attach to health--especially mental health. Therefore, let us increase happiness by giving it away. These stories show failure and success of the process.

115 What glory rises in me today? [2 Feb 2021]

When my perspective falters, poetry inspires and strengthens me. In this article, a David Whyte poem provides the ideal metaphor for the glory that rises with the day. We reflect on the inner core of Jane Addams and Dr. King, who radiate from the genuine foundation within. We become aware of what we think and say as evidence of what we are and the power within us. Instead of complaining, we creators are fully occupied with positive perspective that becomes our world. We direct our energy, with our attention, from what is wrong to what is right.

116 Super motivation: rolled oats are goat candy [5 Feb 2021]

Goats eagerly respond to rolled oats. Humans are inclined toward results they perceive as desirable and reachable, and they cooperate with enthusiasm to achieve them. Abundance depends on getting on a common track. Causes have effects. Associating available resources with desired outcomes promotes solutions. It matters how and where we ask the questions. Demonstration is ongoing and more constructive than admonition. Influencing is speaking to people's motivations. Successful leaders are appealing. Am I winning you over?

117 How do you know when you are happy? [6 Apr 2021]

If you choose unhappiness,
that means unhappiness makes you happy.
[proof: you choose it]

Now we introduce the garden-variety do-gooder who shouts, "these people are hungry!" Does that make you sad? Much to the contrary, it makes me happy that someone has caught the vision! Being oblivious to shortage is not happiness. It is merely ignorance.

Wake up, world, and be happy that somebody has cried out. That call to action is our only hope, and hope is my greatest happiness. Going forward, we set in motion all the positive feelings and energies that attend to the human condition. (1247 words)

118 If it isn't right, fix it [4 Jun 2021]

It takes keen insight to change only the proper things. Along with deciding what to change and how to change it, we must also ask who should change it. Decisions by individuals and small bodies have enormous repercussions, impacting personal and world peace. Anyone owns the problem who is aware of it, but it is all right to need help when we are overwhelmed. Nevertheless, we are never justified for using the magnitude argument as a reason for not caring. We must expand awareness to the community that can take action. We are all born to this responsibility and opportunity. (1236 words)

119 Inequality isn't right, fix it [8 Jun 2021]

Government is not taking assets from one party and dropping them on another. However, when the parties realize equality makes them all better off, they develop tools for working toward that condition. Then government is an agent for accomplishing the common will. We must think in results, not slogans. When we wish for enough food, we must not add "for me." A worthy desire says, "for everyone." Equal is not identical; happiness is idiosyncratic. Sensitive, aware people don't look at "I want." Instead, they describe society as "we have." Moral self-regulation concentrates on meeting "our needs" ahead of "my needs." (1082 words)

120 Heal people the only way [11 Jun 2021]

We recover from wrong things we do and go on making progress. We should dispense with the concepts of sin and guilt. Teachers regarded me with dignity and accepted me for the educated individual I was becoming. Religious emphasis on sin and guilt holds its captives in a negative outlook. Effective motivation is healthy realization of self. Society does well to organize work meaningfully. We love bullies; it is the love that heals them. Remedial work is by nature difficult. Consistently loving is the easy way to make the world better. We can afford to be nice to each other. (1289 words)

121 They cry for help [15 Jun 2021]

Prejudice and misunderstanding are terrible. Do they call for action? Deciding that comes after deeply understanding underlying deficiencies. Misbehavers are not sharing happiness; they are acting out their insecurities. Sadly, even the victims of the most serious misinformation act on the premise that their information is correct. They are empty barrels crying for better substance. Empathetic sharing of truth is non-confrontational healing balm. Merely contradicting is inadequate to achieve progress. Confident indirection minimizes conflict by substituting higher thoughts in place of aggressions. We do not overcome offenders. We help them to grow. PS: The most opinionated voice here is mine. (1270 words)

122 Did I contradict myself? [15 Jun 2021]

If all humans are equal, how do I know my "understanding" viewpoint is correct? What appears to an aggrieved party as ignorant prejudice appears to the bully as progress. If I force my largesse on the other party, then I am the bully. We tolerate and survive our differences as we explore improving our lives together. Time is the healer. We look to history to sort out consequences. The biblical eliminate-the-opposition solution (like limiting voting rights) is blatantly cheating. We do not say, "I told you so." We say, "Let me help you find improvements." (1179 words)

123 How keeping calm creates a clear benefit [2 Jul 2021]

Doctors could conceivably feel disgust at the medical conditions that are presented to them. Reprimanding bad behavior such as smoking is not the most constructive way to build a healing mindset. If I cannot have genuine, nonjudgmental love for the recovering party, I have no business being the doctor. Today we examine positions of superiority and inferiority. Once you perceive that the other party is in pain, you are in the role of the doctor. In practicing your healing art, you are the one who lives and deeply experiences happiness. Yours is the lasting clear benefit. (973 words)

124 How discourse reduces anger and makes us happier [6 Jul 2021]

Contentious political sloganizing symptomizes the small minds that revel in thoughtless provocation. Adults are often not clear that their social exchange is harmless pretend battle. The root conflict is usually difference in assumed definitions. Misdirected enthusiasts reduce issues to buzz words and then condition the public into mindless reactions to those words. Intelligence equips humans to evaluate objectives and methods. Working through the difficult questions leads to realizing that there are common goals. We condition ourselves with the kindness that honors the dignity of others. Our happiness increases as we become a civil society. (1157 words) 1 comment

125 What kind of chameleon do you want to be? [9 Jul 2021]

Humans referred to as chameleons are usually being called shifty and accused of being untrue to their principles. Today's article views adaptability to the environment as a virtue. We remain ideologically distinct and differentiable, but adaptation makes us effective as we learn from each other. Protest adds to the noise in the world, making peace harder to achieve. Any tone of unkindness is a barrier to positive life force. Open channels of communication enable improving the world with love, kindness, and caring. "Fitting in" beneficially spreads happiness. (1182 words)

126 Parent and child: beginning in joy or ending in disownment? [13 Jul 2021]

At the birth of offspring, parents are unselfishly prepared and determined to provide perfectly for every need of the newborn. Commitment is total and permanent. The idiosyncratic child is not a completely blank slate. The parties and their environment must steadily remain in balance. A myriad of things can go wrong. Parents, having experience, carry the initial responsibility. By analogy, the populace gives birth to democratic government. Both sides grow within their respective roles. Neither can die or disinherit the other. Our legacy is a country that has had a new birth of freedom. (1133 words)

127 Which do you experience first, success or happiness? [16 Jul 2021]

Brian Tracy, a leading motivator and trainer, observed that successful people had positive mental attitude. We identify the high road and identify with it. The mystery is why-the capacity to learn, which is hopefully universal. Happiness is internal, intuitively sensed. Being abrasive deprives you of audience. Leading people to happiness is making the positive viewpoint more attractive, being likeable, modeling self-assurance in an assuring way. Happiness comes first; it is the most powerful tool you have for achieving success. (1041 words)

128 The power of love that is stronger than name-calling [20 Jul 2021]

When others are name-calling, it is all right to expect them to be human just as you are. They, too, contain the potential for good. You would never badmouth anybody, but consider: do you ever say to yourself, "those people just don't understand"? There you go! You have just called them ignorant. The best thing you can do for your country is to recognize the emergence of negative emotion and turn the speech off. Love (sometimes called God) requires us to extricate ourselves from hate and radiate love from our hearts. That quiet power (soul force) is irresistible. (1224 words)

129 How name-calling helps by letting off steam [23 Jul 2021]

A label can be a coping mechanism, a comfort, whether rational or not. The threats can be mental, physical, or abstract. A neutralizing label seems to disarm the unknown. Relief is not objective, but rather subjective or apparent. Temporary belief in the label can have a calming effect, much as a placebo has, to allow understanding to develop over time. Damage follows from pejorative labels or labels that are not eventually set aside as reality prevails. (1081 words)

130 Sell all you have, and ... NO! [2 Jan 2022]

Wealth does not accomplish goals; people do. Instead of waiting for the sky to drop resources on them, successful people assemble and apply their own resources, the first of which is skill. Cooperation is the preferred process. An improved world is the desired outcome. This article presents three steps you can take to be effective.

Good government is cooperation toward a shared goal. Authoritarianism is excess government, and gridlock is absence of government. In our diverse society, voluntary cooperation moves us forward. Because we are diverse, there is a skill appropriate to every need, assuring that nobody is left out. (1004 words)

131 Theology of Humanism [1 Feb 2022]

Am I a preacher? Am I an atheist? My readers reside in and between both camps. I write to them all, trying to do so in their languages. My personal thought process combines more viewpoints than these. Existence is unitary; our descriptions vary. I write as a future god while I am writing as an atheist, recognizing that my value is not what I write but rather what you think after you read it. (360 words)

132 [ Gospel = Social ] Order [2 Feb 2022]

Today's article quotes scriptures about equality that contributed significantly to Ernstraudian philosophy, conflating spiritual and material quality of life. Heavenly benefits are available now to those who live the heavenly principles. The article goes on to liken the LDS doctrine of three degrees of glory to the three types of behavior we find on this earth: make things happen, watch things happen, wonder what happened. Theological and humanist expressions can be remarkably equivalent. (348 words)

133 The Ark of Noah - an allegory [9 Feb 2022]

The Old Testament exposes us to people's efforts to address society's problems. It is not a rigorous historical account of events. It is valuable for philosophical stimulation. Its negative viewpoint on the human condition is counterbalanced by deep discussions of enduring truths. The challenge is to recognize the meaning without bogging down in the painful details. The story of Noah's flood is today's example. Taken literally it is senseless carnage. As an allegory, it teaches the role of the nuclear family. (522 words)

134 Don't wait for a government order: do this now [6 May 2022]

Why is the Carter Center successful? Are you ready to apply your own initiative to making the world better? Here we think through applying your means to human needs. You are more empowered than you think. Taking these steps matches who you are with what needs to be done. You find your meaning. (376 words)

135 The godhood of real people [7 May 2022]

Sometimes freedom is reached by breaking barriers. This article identifies religious barriers, including the fallen-man perspective of the Bible, that hold back enlightenment. The epilogue traces one person's bombshell spiritual journey to freedom. (629 words)

136 Harmonious Ontology [20 May 2022]

When an atheist explained away God, a theologian responded, "I don't believe in that God, either." Humans have more than a shared planet in common. Typical conflicts are dissolved when people enlarge themselves to comprehend the bigger picture, enfolding each other. It is our privilege to increase happiness by respecting diverse viewpoints. Today's article lays a foundation for peace. (709 words)

137 From Coal to Dignity [27 May 2022]

If you care about social progress, human dignity, and kindness, I offer you a brief article that encourages humanity. Using today's news story about people and coal-fired electric generation, I take away a battle and create a common cause in which everybody is needed. Saving space here, please click through and read a proposal that urgently cuts our Gordian knot and elevates human dignity. (400 words)

138 Never say "get a job" [24 Nov 2022]

Joe was not a habitual criminal. He was a shoplifter who did not understand how else to support himself. "Get a job" was not an effective order because of his self-limiting beliefs and inability to compete against others. A social safety net was needed to turn him into an appreciated, productive citizen. This article helps you think about your safety net and the role you play in somebody else's. Remember, never say "it cannot be done." (1482 words)

139 Apologetics for humanism [12 Dec 2022]

Individuation is shaking off the mold that does not fit. Integrity is clear responsible thinking. Is organized religion an imposed mold? Is there freedom from religion? Is fear ever productive? Do scriptures create the very problem they claim to solve? (552 words)

140 Individuated, not apostate [6 Jan 2023]

Why am I here? Where am I going? People ask religion for answers. It might be wiser to reform the questions-particularly, "Am I of value to others?" Happiness is cultivating my relationships rather than my self-appreciation. My meaning emerges from those relationships. This article defends me from a high-demand religion that provides an uncommonly workable platform for me to use in helping others. I don't seek rest; I focus on being helpful forever. (1874 words)

141 Chicago mayoral race impressions [23 Feb 2023]

People in Chicago are responsible for the quality of life in Chicago. Dedicated leaders help in the process according to how well their constituents support their positive directions. Leadership skill focuses the good, but the people carry it out.

142 The beginning of faith - my miracle story [15 Mar 2023]

Some concepts are best delivered in religious language that conveys awe and reverence. My humanism encompasses them fully within my ever-expanding intellectual environment. This story is uplifting without proving divinity of the subject matter. Let us accept life without raising objections. In other words, you don't have to believe in anything to be moved by the human connections.

143 Are you sure? [27 May 2023]

"Are you sure?" is a useful question we ask of all our observations. Without an affirmative answer, acting on uncertainty is questionable. After an affirmative answer, acting on it is called integrity, living what we believe. Happiness includes putting our beliefs into practice. This article applies the principle to gender and sexuality. (407 words )

144 Maturing in the "faith" [24 Aug 2023]

Healing calls for discontinuing that which is unhealthy without creating a vacuum. Growth is replacing, not purging. This article expands upon previously identified religious issues and prepares for positive replacements to be presented in the following article. (1461 words )

145 Godhood = eternal progression [25 Aug 2023]

There are podcasts that criticize The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because it teaches eternal human progression through which one becomes able to create worlds. Ernstraud Philosophy posits that we begin creating while we are in the present human state, here and now. From this beginning, our expansion is infinite. (1840 words )

146 Open letter response to DCCC [29 Oct 2023]

Free flow of information is vital to market efficiency, especially in politics. Paid advertising is noise in the system. (138 words )

147 Survive savior complex! [24 Nov 2023]

We are mentally ill and immobilized if we expect our presence to solve every problem in the world. (276 words )

148 Do not OTHER others [18 Dec 2023]

Individual identity requires and therefore implies difference. What you do with that difference makes all the difference [#154]. This article clarifies melding self with other. (409 words )

149 Who am I really? [23 Dec 2023]

Present good exceeds mythical future heaven. If my unique self can manifest in a future state, I am already on the road to eternal progression. My nature is forever emerging as I choose how I develop it. (395 words )

150 What I KNOW experimentally [28 Dec 2023]

My reality necessarily reflects my perception and evaluation of my unique set of experiences. My authentic self is what I think, upon which I act. (664 words )

151 I can't do that [13 Jan 2024 2023]

Described with arch diction, a behavior trait belonging to the simplest social graces is analyzed and found to be an element of momentous cultural significance. What starts lightly becomes deadly serious. (1058 words )

152 Harmony surpasses unison [16 Feb 2024]

A humanist might recoil at the question "Do you want to be like God?" because of an understanding that being identical to one model might imply that people must be identical to each other, that is, be in unison. Personal belief must not destroy personal individuality. Instead, community requires being in harmony. (388 words )

153 Visioning anything [4 Mar 2024]

This article lays out inventing and updating an organization, movement, or process, as illustrated with a Quaker setting. One refines the questions before attempting the answers. The model must be adapted according to current objectives and subject matter. (908 words )

154 Cut me some slack [8 Mar 2024]

Should we pass a law that requires everybody to be happy? Here are reasons that idea cannot work. Difference is part of happiness. Utopia by commandment is an oxymoron. (635 words)

155 Creativity of existence [18 Mar 2024]

This article goes deep. If it appears to be gobbledygook, read it again. It contains an ontology that links godhood (power to create) with fundamental existence. (488 words)

156 Divine will? [20 Mar 2024]

Mortal experience consists of people and an environment with infinite options and unlimited possibilities. Positive mind techniques optimize the results of our human efforts to grow individually and in community. (406 words)

157 Turn out the lights? No! [27 Mar 2024]

Perpetuation of the group concerns both religious and secular institutions. This article expands Article 153 (using the same Quaker setting) to stimulate growth through invention. As we seek "truth," we tend to become stuck in it as if it were a place rather than a developing organism. (704 words)

158 Plato's cave revisited? disappeared? [31 Mar 2024]

Some restrictions are imposed by conditions beyond our control. Others are imposed by limitation of our perception. What we think matters even more than where we are. (675 words)

159 "Being" in time and space [5 Apr 2024]

Let's step away from deep mental homework and turn to deep philosophical recreation: poetry. Below is a call and answer that reveals meaning only if you let go of logic long enough to feel contemplation of the imponderable. As in a koan, terms of ontology or cosmology are collected without the customary connections of logical syntax. (283 words)

160 Celebrating our differences [20 May Apr 2024]

Doing the right thing for the right reason characterizes humanists and religious believers alike and blesses all of us. Rainbow colored candles all give the same light. (351 words)

Last article published in book is directly above. ^

Articles 161-169 appear on Medium.com. I am in process of moving them here into the blog.

Most recent article is directly above. ^

->Top

1 A polite correction [12 Jan 2019 / 15 Sep 2019]

2 The promised land: Mexico [9 Mar 2019]

3 Healthy happy lucky you [31 Oct 2019]

4 Cacophony [7 Nov 2019]

5 Wishy-washy [14 Nov 2019]

6 Let's be (positively) real [21 Nov 2019]

7 Single-party state? [29 Nov 2019]

8 Ranked Choice Voting (Instant Runoff) [3 Dec 2019]