The Russian Myth of the Strong Hand

Mike6 Comments

In a recent program on a Russian TV station, high-school teenagers were asked whether they think that a totalitarian regime is good or bad.  Two boys spoke their mind. They said that “it is mostly good, because it brings order and structure into society, and enables progress. If people are not ruled, are not forced to work, nothing gets done”. Subtle nods and facial expressions of the other kids in the class revealed a general support for the view expressed by these two boys. Continue reading “The Russian Myth of the Strong Hand”

On The Humanness Of Criminals

Mike5 Comments

Last Saturday me and a bunch of friends went hiking. We were met by a hot weather, small current of water, slippery rocks and lots of arid vegetation – in other words, a typical Israeli landscape. After a five hour walk, and a short trip by a car, hungry and tired we arrived at a beer brewery in Katzrin. As we were waiting for our beer tastings, an interesting conversation began to develop. Continue reading “On The Humanness Of Criminals”

Book Giveaway Contest: Delivering Happiness

Mike19 Comments

Being a “prominent blogger”, I have recently received two copies of Delivering Happiness, a business book written by Tony Hsieh, Zappos.com CEO, which was recently acquired by Amazon for $1B. I was asked by the author’s team to write a honest review of the book, and I am going to. But meanwhile, since I don’t really need two copies, I thought that it would be a good opportunity to set up my first ever giveaway contest 🙂 Continue reading “Book Giveaway Contest: Delivering Happiness”

The Spiral of Personal Beliefs

The Spiral of Personal Beliefs

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Have you noticed how personal believes and values change over time? My attitude to life today differs from that ten years ago. Formation and evolution of beliefs differ from one individual to another, as they are affected by temperament and cultural environment. But it seams that there are also certain universal traits in work here.

Looking back at how my own beliefs have changed over time, I am tempted to think that this is more than just my personal journey. Continue reading “The Spiral of Personal Beliefs”

Sisyphus struggle

The Transforming Power of Struggle

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I grew up as a somewhat reserved, but generally happy child. My parents have enabled me to develop empathy through their love and warmth, conscience through their personal example. School was adequately challenging, but never too difficult. The choice of university was natural due to our residence in Haifa, the choice of faculty obvious due to the comfortable employment prospects it offered in the future. Being fortunate to never experience any serious hardships, I have lived along a straight path of obvious choices and easy answers. Continue reading “The Transforming Power of Struggle”

What Avatar Can Teach Us About Humanity?

Mike5 Comments

Having seen Avatar recently, I was struck not only by it’s visual virtuosity , but even more so by what is says about humanity’s moral thinking of these days.

Avatar wasn’t made to promote a social message – Cameron isn’t known for his political activism. He is a gifted movie director with a narrow interest in his trade, and Avatar is Cameron’s exercise in imagination and mastery. What strikes me about the movie is that it’s underlying message is not so much promoted by a liberal agenda, as it reflects the state of our current moral thinking in the West. Continue reading “What Avatar Can Teach Us About Humanity?”

Can We Express Empathy in 160 Chars?

Mike4 Comments

We live in a fast age. Fast computers, fast cars, fast food, short videos, micro blogging. And the same goes to they way we communicate online: we chat,  tweet, sms, comment, like, share. As long as it has immediate gratification, momentary feedback and fast propagation, we love it. And these are great tools, without a doubt. Never before we had access to so much information and opinions, connectivity to people so far away. But there is something we are losing in this race. We gain in scope but lose in depth, achieve reach but miss out intimacy, gain in novelty but lose in permanence. One of the things I especially miss in our online experience is the ability to have a real and meaningful conversation. Continue reading “Can We Express Empathy in 160 Chars?”

The Significance of Meaning

The Significance of Meaning

Mike4 Comments

People differ in what they strive for in their lives. Some gravitate towards financial security and stability, and work hard to build up their wealth . Others are drawn by achievement and challenge. Many look to fill their lives with pleasure and excitement while few search for their true self. We are usually content to pursue whatever we are predisposed to by our temperament and character. But sooner or later there comes a time in almost every man’s life when one question takes over our mind. The question of meaning. Continue reading “The Significance of Meaning”