Constructing an Ethical Framework: Embracing Humanism for a Simpler Life

 In our quest for personal growth and fulfillment, we often find ourselves seeking an ethical framework to guide our decisions and actions. The journey towards constructing such a framework can be challenging, but fear not, for there is a philosophy that resonates with countless individuals around the world—Humanism.

In this blog post, we will explore the principles of Humanism as a powerful ethical foundation and introduce you to an online course called "Living Made Simpler," which offers invaluable guidance in aligning your life with Humanistic values.

Understanding the Search for an Ethical Framework:

Many people embark on a search for an ethical framework to navigate the complexities of life. We yearn for a set of principles that can guide us through moral dilemmas, personal growth, and meaningful relationships. While various options exist, one philosophy has emerged as a beacon of hope for those seeking a comprehensive ethical worldview—Humanism.

The Essence of Humanism:

At its core, Humanism is the applied study of what it means to be a good human being. It places value on human reason, ethics, and compassion, emphasizing the potential for growth and flourishing in each individual. Humanism seeks to cultivate a worldview that embraces compassion, critical thinking, responsibility in service of human flourishing. It promotes the idea that humans have the capacity to create meaning and purpose in life by embracing reason and acting with kindness and fairness towards others.

Why Humanism Resonates:

Humanism resonates with individuals from diverse backgrounds because it offers a framework that celebrates the inherent worth and dignity of all people. It encourages us to prioritize empathy, social justice, and the pursuit of knowledge, aligning our actions with values that promote human welfare and the betterment of society. By embracing Humanism, we can find clarity and direction in our ethical decision-making processes.

Introducing "Living Made Simpler" Online Course:

To help you navigate the path towards constructing an ethical framework rooted in Humanism, I've created the "Living Made Simpler" online course. This comprehensive course, offered by Humanist Learning Systems, provides practical tools and insights to apply Humanistic principles to your everyday life.

It was originally created as a 6 week program. it is comprised of 6 video lessons. and covers a wide range of topics, including:

• Understanding the foundations of Humanism and its ethical implications.
• Developing critical thinking skills to navigate ethical dilemmas effectively.
• Cultivating empathy and compassion in personal relationships and interactions.
• Applying Humanistic principles to social justice and ethical activism.
• Creating a life that aligns with your values and promotes personal growth and fulfillment.

"Living Made Simpler" offers a transformative learning experience. Whether you are new to Humanism or seeking to deepen your understanding of its ethical framework, this course provides invaluable guidance and practical tools to incorporate Humanistic principles into your daily life.

Constructing an ethical framework for yourself is a significant step towards personal growth and leading a more fulfilling life. By embracing Humanism and its principles, you can establish a robust foundation that promotes reason, empathy, and social justice. Through the "Living Made Simpler" online course, you have the opportunity to deepen your understanding of Humanism and apply its ethical framework to every aspect of your life. Take this empowering journey, embrace Humanistic values, and experience the transformative impact it can have on your life and the lives of those around you.

Enroll Now

To enroll in the "Living Made Simpler" course and embark on a journey towards constructing an ethical framework rooted in Humanism, visit the official website:  https://humanistlearning.com/livingmadesimpler1/. 

Love and Responsibility

The key to taking a humanistic approach is to learn how to love ourselves so that we can love others. 

Love helps us embrace our responsibilities – to ourselves and others. It helps us find the strength to do the hard work required to create positive change in our own lives and the world around us. 

Finally – love makes us demand real science-based solutions to our problems and reject the false promises of charlatans. 

Is it hard to be a humanist?  Not really. Once you start practicing love, you will find that you gain clarity in all aspects of your life. The hardest part, is getting started.

Don't worry, I have a bunch of free video lessons to get you started: https://humanistlearning.com/category/free-2/

And also a life skills course: http://humanistlearning.info/livingmadesimpler1/

And a book: https://humanistlearning.com/the-humanist-approach-to-happiness-book/ that has been translated into several languages. 

Planning for Personal Success - a humanist way.

As the new year approaches, you may be thinking about your New Year's Resolutions. Let me help you plan for your personal success, as a humanist.

Learn how to stay focused and not give up when you hit a roadblock on your road to success! This book discusses how Humanists approach the important business of living a life that is fully realized and understanding what success really means. It is designed to help you think more explicitly about how to live your values fully, using critical thinking to improve your odds of success and to remove the fears that overwhelm you. Topics covered include: The World Doesn’t Revolve Around you – a reality based approach. Life Isn’t Fair: Keep at it Anyway – overcoming obstacles. Your Actions Have Consequences: Choose Wisely – putting critical thinking to work. It’s Not all About You – improving your interpersonal relationships. Finding Happiness – what really matters & how you define success.

Available As:

• Book and E Book: https://amzn.to/2TNCKpH
• Audiobook
• DVD: https://amzn.to/2Efdq6
• Online Course: https://humanistlearning.com/planforpersonalsuccess/

Humanism is a great social equalizer

I have the same dignity and worth as everyone else... and so do you!

My Humanism – for me – eliminates power differentials. 

Using Humanism  I don’t need to be afraid – all humans are – human – we are all equal.  When you internalize that – the idea that some people are higher up or intimidating - just doesn’t happen – they are human. Just like me.

And yes - I do have an online course to teach you - not only what Humanism is - but how to live your Humanist values fully so you can experience the benefits Humanist thought provides in your daily life.

https://humanistlearning.com/livingmadesimpler1/

Try to love people - every day

One of my LinkedIn friends asked what I thought was a very profound question the other day. What are you doing that nobody else is doing?

This was a marketing question - he said "In order to set yourself apart, you have to be memorable and remarkable. What do you do on a daily basis that truly makes you stand out?" 

He then added the hashtags - #fulfillment #meaning #purpose #journeytocloudnine #happiness
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6631509485858889728/

I didn't hesitate to answer: I teach people how to make bullying and harassment stop using science and compassion. And I love this question.  The thing I try to do every day - is love. Myself, my family and my friends and the people I come in contact with.  I try to make people feel loved.  My grandma told me when I was young - that I was put on this earth to love people - and that is what I've tried to do ever since.

And then I realized - all this time I've been burying my lede.  I have been telling people what I can do for them - but not WHY I teach what I teach.

Everything I do and teach is grounded in love and is done out of love and is about promoting love.

• Stopping bullying, it is about love. 
• Humanistic management? It’s about love.  
• Teaching people humanistic philosophy – it’s about love. 

Everything – is about love. It’s my core motivation for everything.

I feel like I’ve had an epiphany. So watch my website - I am literally going to go through all my marketing materials – and make the concept of love – front and center. 

https://humanistlearning.com/

Why Humanism Matters in Politics

I promote Humanism for a reason.

The Atlantic had a great article about how the secularization of the electorate is impacting politics.  If you are unfamiliar with the term, let me translate. More and more people lack religion. Because our beliefs impact our politics, larger groups of people who don’t believe in gods will necessarily impact politics.

The problem, for all my atheist friends who are adamant that promoting atheism will produce humanistic approaches to politics, that doesn’t appear to happen.  Here is the article. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/04/breaking-faith/517785/

The gist of the article is this. If someone was conservative before losing their faith they are conservative after losing their faith. If they were angry before losing their faith, they are angry afterward. If they were liberal before, they are liberal afterward. Switching to atheism doesn’t change one’s political temperament.

Which is why Humanism is so important and why Humanism needs to be promoted!  If we are going to create a more just world, converting people to atheism isn’t going to accomplish that. Encouraging people to adopt a more humanistic attitude will!

For the readers of my blog who are engaged in atheist activism or who use the term atheism when what you really mean is Humanism, please ask yourself why. Why do you promote atheism. If it is because you think atheism will help people become more humanistic, realize it doesn’t work.  If you want peoplet o be more humanistic, you need to talk to them about and promote Humanism.

If you want to learn more - get the Handy Humanism Handbook: https://humanistlearning.com/jen-hancocks-handy-humanism-handbook/

Dealing with Death

Humanism helps us cope with death

One of the big fears people of faith seem to have is how they will cope with loss and death without the promise of an afterlife.  We non-religious do just fine. Not only fine, but most of us are convinced the non-religious and specifically humanistic approach to dealing with death is superior.  Here’s why.

Acceptance:

The grief process is all about acceptance. We fight it, we try to hide from it. We bargain, we deny and eventually we accept death.  Humanists, just accept death. We don’t go through all the rigmarole.  Or rather we do, but we take a short cut. As soon as our brains try to deny reality – we tell our brains – sorry – you need to accept this. The grief process is shorter for us and we view that as a good thing.  Grief sucks. It feels horrible.  We are ok with feeling bad. After all, how else would you feel when something bad happens. But there is no reason to wallow unnecessarily. Getting on with life is a good thing and accepting death helps us to do that – sooner rather than later.

Elimination of Fear

I don’t fear death. I don’t want to die but I understand that at some point I will. So I have no reason to fuss and worry about it in the meantime. All I can do is take care of myself and try to keep my body health and not take any unnecessary risks. After that – worry won’t improve my chances so why engage in it?  Not only that but I know I have a limited amount of time on earth. It would be silly to waste it worry about something that is, in the end, inevitable.

Living Life Fully

Speaking of inevitable, knowing I am going to die gives my life an immediacy to it. I have a limited amount of time on earth. Despite all my good intentions and exercising and eating right, I could still die tomorrow. Accepting that means I don’t spend time worry about it. Instead, I think – ok – how do I make the most of the time I have. There is nothing quite like knowing you are going to die to help you live life fully now. There is a saying, live like you are going to die tomorrow, plan as if you are going to live forever. That’s pretty much what life is like every day as a humanist.  And It’s a pretty awesome state of mind to be in.

Who knew that accepting death would provide so much happiness?  The Humanists do.

To learn more about coping with death as a Humanist - check out the book: The Humanist Approach to Grief and Grieving. http://humanistgrief.com/

If you need to help a child cope with death - check out this free video lesson: https://humanistlearning.com/how-to-talk-to-your-child-about-death/

Sexuality, Freedom and Choices

Question:
I've never been interested in sex and relationships. I didn't even think about sex until I was 21, I'm 23 now, but people and the beliefs of society have caused me to doubt my ways. Sexual stuff has always caused me grief. How can I go back to the time where I was happy and didn't think about it?

Answer:
It's hard to answer this question without understanding what the problem is. If you are asexual and wondering if there is something wrong with you - the answer is no - there isn't anything wrong. Different people have different libidos and for some people, sex is not a big deal at all and not something they seek out.

There is an old saying - 20% of the people are having 80% of the sex. Most of us aren't having sex and aren't obsessed with it.  We like it when it comes along but it's not an all-encompassing obsession as it seems to be for some people.

Critical Thinking and Humanism in Business

If you have a job, your job is to solve a problem. Solving problems effectively requires critical thinking skills.

All business are in the business of solving customers problems. People are hired to work for the company to help the company better solve these problems and to solve the problems that prevent the staff from solving the customer’s problems.

Eventually companies get big enough where they need to hire HR professionals to solve the problems that come with having people on payroll. Like how to pay people efficiently and make sure they get the benefits the company provides and to correct paychecks that have errors. HR also has to ensure that all paperwork is in compliance and that people are legally allowed to work for the company to preemptively ensure that legal problems aren’t created through ignorance of the law. Eventually companies get big enough that they also need to hire HR professionals dedicated to dealing with the problems of employee relations, which is a fancy way of saying, interpersonal problems that can cause legal liability for the company if not dealt with properly.

Since every aspect of a business is related to solving a problem, learning how to solve problems is an essential skill for any job. This is why critical thinking is so important.

A humanistic approach to business is a way of understanding the interrelated nature of the problems we are solving and the people for who and with whom we are working. We are never simply solving one problem. All the problems of the company are related. We don’t want to fix one problem and create another problem if we can avoid it.

Humanistic business management is a holistic way of viewing the business of business. Critical thinking is central to this approach because it is impossible to weigh all the various elements at play unless you know how to think clearly.

Critical thinking is useful precisely because it requires the challenging of assumptions. The question why – why are we doing things this way? What exactly are we trying to accomplish? What else and who else is impacted by this decision? By asking these questions we can see the big picture and how our piece of the puzzle relates to everything else that is going on within the company.

It is mind expanding. Like viewing the complexity of the cosmos within the inter-dependent web of employees that is your company.  I find this connected and yet holistic viewpoint inspiring and motivating.  And while it make seem like a lot to take in, by taking the time to think about how things work together, you actually are able to gain a clarity that helps focus on the problems that really matter.

Critical Thinking and Humanism in Business. It’s a powerful combination.

Humility from a Humanist perspective

For a Humanist, humility is an important part of our approach to happiness. And it has several different uses and dimensions.

Intellectual Humility

We are quick to admit we might be wrong and we are actually self-critical about our own judgements. We do this because we understand that to do and be good our moral reasoning has to be good. And if we make a mistake in our thinking, our moral reasoning will be as flawed as our thinking is. To us, it is better to correct your mistakes than to perpetuate them and we can only do that if we are willing to admit we were wrong.

Interpersonal Humility

We are incapable of really understanding what other people tell us. Everything we know and learn is learned through a distorted lens that is our perception. We make assumptions about other people’s motivations all the time and we are almost always wrong because we base those assumptions on how we are and how we feel and other people aren’t us.

Being interpersonally humble means acknowledging that other people are real and that they don’t have the same experiences as we do but that doesn’t make them any less valid. This particular form of humility helps us to improve our interpersonal relationships and have deeper more meaningful relationships because they aren’t built on our needs and wants, they are more collaborative. This is only possible when you don’t make it all about you all the time.

Interpersonal humility also helps us to be more persuasive with others because of pushing our ideas about what the other person is thinking down other people’s throats, we take the time to learn what it is they actually think and how they are morally motivated and we respond to that reality instead of our assumptions.

Aspirational Humility

Being aware of how insignificant we are on a universal scare also induces a really fabulous form of humility. To quote the Animaniacs – “it’s a great big universe and we’re all really puny.” Our life spans are nothing. We are only alive for a short period of time. Most of the universe existed without us and when we die the universe will continue without us. We aren’t important. At all. Whatever drama you have going on right now, ultimately doesn’t matter. At all. No one is going to remember what was so important to you in a year or 10 years or after you die. Heck, you won’t even be remembered except by some close friends and relatives and when they die, your descendants aren’t likely to remember or think of you. I mean think about it. Do you know who your great great great grandmother was – and what her humor was like and how her food tasted and what she was afraid of?  No. You don’t. Because you didn’t know her.

While a lot of people consider this knowledge of the ultimate futility of their existence to be depressing, for Humanists, it’s freeing. We don’t have to get all worked up about here and now problems and dramas. We can take a step back, remember how silly we are being for being worked up about nothing and then carry on with figuring out how best to fix the problem in the meantime.  It turns out that being able to emotionally distance yourself from your gut emotional reaction really helps you solve problems more effectively.

The other thing aspirational humility does is it reminds us that what is going on here and now matters. We don’t have all the time in the world. We have the limited time we are alive. And if we don’t do what needs to be done now, we aren’t doing it. As Phil Ochs once wrote, “I won’t live proud enough to die when I’m gone, so I guess I’ll have to do it while I’m here.”  Every moment is precious. This is the one life we get. We better not waste it.

It’s this last bit that makes the most difference. In the big scheme of things what we do doesn’t really matter. But it matters now and we can choose to live our lives in a way that benefits ourselves and others, or we can give in to despair and hedonism. Aspirational humility teaches us that the struggle to make things better and to make the world better is what matters. It’s what gives our lives meaning and purpose and striving to make the world a better place for ourselves and our fellow humans is what, ultimately brings us happiness.