Why Humanism? A Compassionate and Reality-Based Approach to Living Well

In a world filled with complexity, challenges, and uncertainties, the quest for meaning and fulfillment is a universal pursuit. Amidst the myriad philosophies and ideologies that shape human thought, one perspective stands out for its profound relevance and timeless wisdom: Humanism.

At its core, Humanism is not just a philosophy; it is a way of life—an applied study of what it means to be a good human being and to live well. Rooted in the distilled knowledge of humanity, Humanism offers a compelling framework for navigating the complexities of existence with clarity, compassion, and purpose.

Embracing Reality-Based Principles

Central to Humanism is the recognition and acceptance of reality as it is—an acknowledgment that our perceptions, beliefs, and actions must be grounded in objective truths. In a world often fraught with misinformation and ideological divides, the commitment to reality-based principles serves as a guiding light, illuminating pathways to understanding, growth, and progress.

By embracing reality-based thinking, Humanism empowers individuals to confront challenges with courage and resilience, fostering a deeper appreciation for the complexities of the human experience. Rather than succumbing to wishful thinking or denial, Humanism encourages us to confront difficult truths head-on, catalyzing personal and collective transformation.

Cultivating Compassion-Based Ethics

Beyond its commitment to reality-based principles, Humanism places a profound emphasis on compassion—a recognition of our interconnectedness and shared humanity. In a world characterized by diversity and difference, compassion serves as a unifying force, bridging divides and fostering empathy, understanding, and solidarity.

Through compassion-based ethics, Humanism challenges us to extend kindness and empathy to all beings, nurturing relationships built on mutual respect and dignity. By prioritizing the well-being of others alongside our own, Humanism invites us to cultivate a more inclusive and equitable world—one defined by empathy, justice, and compassion.

The Power of Integration

What sets Humanism apart is its unique ability to integrate reality-based thinking with compassion-based ethics, forging a holistic approach to navigating life's complexities. By synthesizing these foundational principles, Humanism offers a powerful strategy for addressing difficulties, confronting adversity, and fostering genuine human flourishing.

In a world characterized by rapid change and uncertainty, the wisdom of Humanism provides a beacon of hope—a reminder that by embracing reality and compassion, we can navigate life's challenges with grace, integrity, and resilience.

Conclusion

In the journey of life, the pursuit of meaning and fulfillment remains paramount. As we navigate the complexities of existence, Humanism offers a guiding philosophy—one rooted in reality, infused with compassion, and committed to the pursuit of human flourishing.

By embracing the principles of Humanism, we affirm our shared humanity, cultivate empathy and understanding, and chart a course towards a more just, compassionate, and inclusive world.

So why Humanism? Because in its essence, Humanism represents the distilled wisdom of humanity—a timeless invitation to live authentically, love deeply, and make a positive impact on the world around us.

Learn More:

If you want to learn more - I have free and paid courses and resources at my website - Humanist Learning Systems: 

Video Courses: https://humanistlearning.com/category/lifeskills/philosophy/ 

Recommended books: https://humanistlearning.com/category/shop/humanism101/

What is Humanism?

 When people start learning about Humanism, they have a lot of questions. Often, those questions have to do with making sense of all the various related terms they come across. This primer will help you make sense of all the various terms, how they differ and provide you with links to resources to help you learn more.

Define Humanism:

Humanism is a philosophy that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively, and generally prefers critical thinking and evidence over acceptance of dogma or superstition. It is a worldview that is based on the idea that humans have the potential for good and that we can create meaning and purpose for our lives.

Humanism can be seen as a non-religious response to the human condition, focusing on human potential and accomplishments rather than on divine intervention or supernatural phenomena. It is often associated with a secular, non-theistic approach to life, though not all humanists are atheists or agnostics.

Define Humanistic

The term humanistic refers to any idea, approach, or method that emphasizes human values, dignity, and potential. It can be applied to a wide range of fields, including education, psychology, and art.

In psychology, humanistic approaches emphasize the importance of personal growth, self-actualization, and subjective experience. This approach emphasizes the idea that each person has the capacity for personal growth and self-improvement, and that these goals can be achieved through self-reflection, personal development, and self-awareness.

In education, humanistic approaches emphasize the importance of the individual student, focusing on their needs, interests, and abilities. This approach emphasizes the idea that each student is unique, and that education should be tailored to the individual rather than to standardized curricula or testing.

Define Humanist

A humanist is a person who subscribes to the philosophy of humanism, which emphasizes the value and agency of human beings. Humanists generally believe in the potential of humans to create meaning and purpose for their lives without relying on supernatural or divine intervention. Humanists may be atheists, agnostics, or believers in a particular religion.

Define Secular Humanism

Secular humanism is a specific type of humanism that emphasizes reason, ethics, and human welfare. It is a worldview that is based on the idea that we can create a fulfilling life and just society through human reason and compassion, without relying on religious or supernatural beliefs. Secular humanism values critical thinking, science, and evidence-based decision-making, and emphasizes the importance of ethics and social justice.

Secular humanism can be seen as a response to the challenges of modern society, including the need for a more rational and compassionate approach to social and political issues. It is often associated with the belief that people should be free to live their lives according to their own values, as long as they do not harm others.

In Other words:

• Humanism is the philosophy
• Humanistic is the application of the philosophy
• A Humanist is a person who practices the philosophy
• Secular Humanism is a form of Humanism that emphasizes reason and reality based approaches. 

Learning More:

Learn more about the values of Humanism here: https://humanistlearning.com/whatishumanism/

My Favorite Books and Videos Explaining Humanism: https://humanistlearning.com/category/shop/humanism101/

Free 45 Minute Video Serious - an Introduction to Humanism: https://humanistlearning.com/an-introduction-to-humanism/

Free 20 Minute Video: What Does It Mean to Be a Humanist: https://humanistlearning.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-humanist/

And - if you are really motivated - a 6 hour video course on The Humanist Approach to Happiness: Living Made Simpler (This one can be rented for $15) - https://humanistlearning.com/livingmadesimpler1/

What does it mean to be a Humanist?

 A few weeks back I gave a talk to a local stoic group. They asked me to explain Humanism to their stoic group. I must have done well because they asked if I could lecture to them every week.  ummm, no. But, I was glad they found what I had to say helpful.

So, for my audience, a quick lesson on stoicism. Stoicism is a philosophy. They defined philosophy as a kind of practice or exercise (askêsis) in the expertise concerning what is beneficial. In this way, it's similar to Humanism, which can be thought of as the applied study of what it means to be a good human being. So it's no wonder that they found learning about the Humanist approach to philosophy so engaging. Here is more if you are interested in learning more: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/stoicism/ 

The talk I gave them was this one, but modified slightly to be open for Q&A. In it, I take the definition of Humanism from the American Humanist Association and break out each segment to explain why each element of the definition is included to create a holistic philosophy of life.   Hope you enjoy. 

We need to do better at explicitly promoting Humanism!

I was chatting with a friend the other day. It was lovely to be out at a coffee shop (outside) discussing all manner of things. Haven't done that in ages. 

 The topic turned to - faith journeys and journeys away from faith, which I've never experienced. I grew up in a non-religious household. I'm 3rd generation freethinker on both sides of my family.  But my friend, comes out of Mormonism! 

I mentioned that people who lose their faith eventually find their way to Humanism, after exploring all sorts of believe systems.  She lit up. And she was angry.  She said, I just described her and when she finally found Humanism she was furious!!!  This philosophy was here the entire time and we were keeping it a secret!?!!? She struggled. And people with the answers on how to live life well and happily and ethically existed, but weren't sharing their knowledge!! And she had to figure it out on her own! She was mad.  

And she has a right to be.  We Humanists, have kind of cracked the secret to life, the universe and everything. And instead of shouting it to the mountaintops. We don't.  We gather together in little groups and in those groups, we talk about everything BUT the Humanist philosophy. 

I think for those of us who are Humanists, it's understood. But it's also important to understand that we owe the seekers of the world our presence.  They WANT to find us. But - we don't promote or advertise.  We don't explain to people why our way is better. We don't market ourselves.

Part of it is, for me, it's my personal philosophy. I'm totally ok with people approaching life differently. As the great sage John Lennon once said, whatever gets you through the night, it's all right. Who am I to judge.   But this - hands off approach to other people's beliefs, is hurting people who want to find us.  Because instead of finding Humanism, they find an endless variety of snake oil salesmen selling them on the latest fad belief.  

My request, to those of you who are Humanist - be open about it. Allow people to find you and to find Humanism.    You don't have to proselytize, but we should at LEAST be witnessing for the Humanist approach to - life, the universe and everything. 

Learn More About Humanism

I have online courses - some of which are FREE! - https://humanistlearning.com/category/lifeskills/philosophy/

There are also lots of books about Humanism - https://humanistlearning.com/category/shop/humanism101/

What you dwell on you dwell in

 One of my friends is a regular church goer. She came home from church the other day and shared the topic of that week's sermon with me.

What you dwell on you dwell in

I love this as a quote. As a Humanist, I can relate.  What you dwell on you dwell in. 

One of the reasons I choose positivity is not because I have some sick need to be positive. It's more that I am aware that what I choose, impacts my mental health.

Much like the social media algorithms. I have a great social media feed. Facebook for instance is always feeding me interesting music and dances. Why? Because I interact with posts that focus on music, movies and dance.  What I focus on, is what I get.

If I focused on things that made me outraged, I would be fed things that would make me outraged. There is nothing wrong with outrage. I get outraged all the time.  It's just that - I would rather NOT be outraged. I am aware that outrage can be manufactured and IS manufactured and I would rather reserve my outrage for things that truly warrant it - like Human Rights abuses.

I've had this approach my whole life. I remember when I was a teen and some of my friends had gotten into punk and they had gotten really angry. I sat down one time to listen to the music and it was really angry. I could see why they had become angry.  I do understand righteous anger.  There is a place for that. But if I have a choice, and I do, why would I choose to be angry?

What you dwell on you dwell in. 

And yes, I understand saying that is a form of priviledged. But this is about balance in your life.  I have been a social activist my entire life. I have attended protests and been an organizer for as long as I have memories of these things. I am, at heart, a political animal. I just choose to engage with love and joy in my heart. I refuse to allow the hate and injustice in the world to make me bitter and angry.

Finding and looking for joy is an activist skill. One of my favorite quotes is from Camus - Return to Tipasa.

"For violence and hatred dry up the heart itself; the long fight for justice exhausts the love that nevertheless gave birth to it. In the clamor in which we live, love is impossible and justice does not suffice ... But in order to keep justice from shriveling up ... one must keep intact in oneself a freshness, a cool wellspring of joy, love the day that escapes injustice, and return to combat having won that light." 

After all, what are we fight for, if not to help people find happiness. That is our right as humans. Fight for your happiness, by finding happiness. 

For those that have mental health issues, take it seriously. There is help for you. Happiness is a state that is easier for some just based on biology. But certainly, you can aim to suffer slightly less. And that is worth it. 

Truisms

Outrage over outrage is wasted outrage

We must be intolerant of intolerance. 

What skills specifically do we need to learn to marginalize those who would marginalize.

Man does not show his greatness by being at one extreme or the other, but by touching both at once. 

In Flatland, you are the square

True knowledge is understanding that YOU are the square in Flatland.  And that the Sphere was ALSO, the square.

If you have not read this book, you absolutely should. It's a short fable designed to help us expand our thinking and be humble at the same time. https://amzn.to/3soTKmS

The book came up in a discussion between Julia Galef and Jonathon Haidt during the Rationally Speaking podcast. http://rationallyspeakingpodcast.org/show/episode-252-understanding-moral-disagreements-jonathan-haidt.html

Transcript here: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/468275/28405589/1613677458480/rs252transcript.pdf

The conversation was actually about understanding different people's moral framework. Haidt talks about our moral sense and uses the metaphor of taste buds. There are basic flavors we can all taste and all tastes are actually a combination of those core tastes. 

He argues it is the same with morality. There are core evolutionary responses we have and all our moral depths and dimensions is actually the blending of these cores. It is why we can feel happy and sad at the same time.  The movie Inside Out does a great job of explaining this. 

Anyhoo, back to Flatland. For those who have not read it, it's about a 2 dimensional square that encounters a 3 dimensional sphere. The 2 dimensional square cannot comprehend the sphere as he has no ability to experience 3 dimensions. The book is about the square learning about 3 dimensions and coming to terms with learning about what he didn't know before. (and yes, the square is gendered male - hence the pronoun use).

The square begins to understand that a 1 dimensional behind can't experience him as 2 dimensions either because all it will experience a square as it passes through a line is as a point.  The square experiences the sphere as a circle that changes sizes as it passes through the 2 d plane.  And yes, this book is mathematically geeky.

We are the square. We all don't know what we don't know and how we experience others is our impression of them on us, not the reality of them. 

Where the true knowledge comes in is when the square starts asking the sphere about 4 d space and 5 d space. And the sphere refuses to consider it. The sphere experiences and has knowledge of 3 dimensions. It cannot comprehend a fourth. 

But the square, now that is knows about the 3rd dimension and accepts it as reality, can now imagine a 4th and 5th to the nth degree.

Thus, the sphere, becomes like the square when we first encounter him. 

We are all simultaneously aware and unaware. Knowing this allows us to be humble, and open to learn. 

How can humanism affect people's lives?

Humanism is a personal philosophy of life that without supernaturalism affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity.

I can only speak to the benefits I personally received from practicing this philosophy.

1. I feel connected all the time. I am biologically related to all life on earth and chemically related to the universe.
2. Additionally - I view all of humanity as my brothers and sisters and related family. Everyone I meet, I am inclined to like - because I view them as part of my family. The result is I am at ease with people I meet and I don’t live in fear of other people. I just enjoy their company - whoever they are and for whatever length of time I am in their presence. The level of contentedness and connectedness this gives me is - really comforting.
3. I feel satisfied and like I am a success in life, because - most of the time, I live up to my values and ideals and because I feel so connected to people and the universe - I just - feel stupid happy contented bliss - most of the time, even when things aren’t going well. And no - I don’t take drugs - this just appears to be an after effect of feeling so connected.
4. I think my problem solving is improved. By rejection supernaturalism entirely - I can focus on finding practical solutions to my problems. I also don’t spend any time waiting on supernatural interventions. If something is wrong, I need to fix it - because - if I don’t, who else will?
5. I don’t experience interpersonal problems in the same way as other people do - I don’t think. Because I view people as family members, I approach disagreements - not as conflicts, but as disagreements that can be rationally resolved. And because I am not in fight/flight mode with people I disagree with - I just - don’t get into conflicts with people.
6. When people are in conflict with me - I almost never notice it. It’s just not a lens I view interactions through anymore. So - when people are in conflict with me - they end up having a 1 sided fight, because - I don’t fight them. And when I finally do realize that they were trying to get me to fight them - I laugh. Because it’s silly to fight over nothing. And it’s almost always over nothing.

My conclusion is - Humanism helps me to lead a happy fulfilling life that aspires to the greater good of humanity. The effect it has had on my life is extremely positive. So positive, I do believe it is a superior way of living.

If you want to learn more about Humanist life skills and approach - consider taking my living made simpler course: https://humanistlearning.com/livingmadesimpler1/

Or get my book: The Humanist Approach to Happiness - https://humanistlearning.com/the-humanist-approach-to-happiness-book/

Practicing Humanism When You Are Angry

Being a good person is sometimes very hard. Especially when mad. The point of morality though, is to do the right thing, even when under stress.

This is why I describe Humanism as a practice. Yes. It’s a philosophy. But it’s also a moral framework through which I make decisions. This framework is only useful – if I actually use it.

Most of the time, that is easy. But sometimes it isn’t. Like when I get mad. It’s very hard to see the humanity in people who scare me and make me mad. Because let’s be clear – we get mad when we get scared.

Knowing this about myself and about everyone really, helps me to step back from my anger and think about the fear that is driving it so that I can think more rationally and therefore compassionately about the situation I find myself in.

Sure, I could blame the people scaring me. Or … I can remind myself to put my Humanism into practice and practice what I preach.   Sometimes this is easier to do than others.  But it is always eventually doable if I keep reminding myself that I should act in accordance with my values.

Do I do this perfectly? Oh heck no. No one does. This leaves all of us open to being called a hypocrite. And we all are. Every one of us. The next time you go all holier than thou on someone and you are ready to call them a hypocrite. Don’t. Look in the mirror first.  In order to claim the moral high ground, you must first be moral.  And that means, stepping back from your anger, reminding yourself of your values and making a conscious decision to use your values in deciding how best to respond to the situation that is scaring you and making you angry. The goal is to not kill your values with the very hands you use to defend them.  It’s a challenge to be sure, but taking on that challenge is what it means to be a moral person.

To learn more about how to more effectively live by your values – take my course – Living Made Simpler.

https://humanistlearning.com/livingmadesimpler1/

Self Reflection

Is self reflection a starting point for getting unstuck? Can we get where we're going without self reflection .. maybe by luck and instinct? Why do we resist self reflection in so many ways?

I teach an approach that combines philosophy and science, specifically Humanist philosophy.
Self-reflection is hugely important. It helps us define who we want to be – ideally -  and how we want to get there and more importantly WHY!

I tell people to start by thinking explicitly about what they value most. Getting your ethics straight gives you a foundation to ask yourself important questions when stuck.  Without that basis, it’s hard to even begin to know where to start.

A good way to do this is to read a philosophy book or a book about values. (Like this one) Reading about someone else’s values kicks starts your thinking. Do I agree with this? If not why not? What is it I value?  A lot of what I do (in my books and my programs) is designed to cause this sort of self reflection. The goal is not to have you agree with me. The goal is to have you think about what it is you value.

Once you have that in place, you can start considering whether what you are doing now is helping you to realize and live by your values on a day to day basis.  I like to take stock every six months. Like spring and winter cleaning. Are my values still working for me?  Is the path I am on still the right path.

Like anything self-reflection is a practice. 

Oh – when it comes to thinking techniques, I encourage people to think of three. One of the ways we get stuck is in false dichotomies. We can’t see our way clear because we feel like we have two options, both of which suck.  So think of a third. Once you can do that, you can think of a 4th or  a 5th. That usually is enough to get the creative juices flowing and it’s a simple thing to remember. Think of three.

To learn more check out my online course - Living Made Simpler
Or read my book: The Humanist Approach to Happiness

Balance: Everything Requires It

A man does not show his greatness by being at one extremity, but rather by touching both at once." ~ Blaise Pascal

 
I have several quotes I use to remind myself of philosophic truths to help me navigate difficult situations. This is one of them. It’s a reminder to me to see balance. Whenever I find myself drifting into a rigid ideology, or I find myself arguing with someone thinking I am right and they are wrong, I think of this quote. It’s a reminder to myself that we both can be right. The opposite of a great truth is often another great truth.

Holding one truth to the exclusion of other truths doesn’t help us solve our problems or win friends and influence others. Seeking a balance between extremes – both of which are true, is a good way to try and navigate life. That way you are taking advantage of all that is good and hopefully avoiding the pitfalls that come with being at an extreme.

Here are some opposites that are both good but that need to be balanced to achieve success.

Skepticism/Optimism

Skepticism is good. It keeps you honest and keeps you from making mistakes. But taken to an extreme and all things become equal and relative and it is impossible to make decisions because skepticism devolves into nihilism. Which isn’t good.

Optimism is also a good quality – in moderation. Taken to an extreme and you get unrealistic wishful thinking that not only doesn’t help you solve your problems, the lack of realistic thinking makes it nearly impossible to solve problems.

Balancing skepticism with optimism helps you be both skeptical and optimistic at the same time. Helping you to avoid nihilism and flights of fantasy to tread a more realistic path to your goals.

                Responsibility to self and to others

Responsibility is a good thing. It gives our lives meaning and purpose.  Too much responsibility and we become overwhelmed and break down.   If we only think of ourselves, we are selfish. If we only think of others, we are self-less, but not in a good way.

In order to thrive we need to balance self-care with care for others.  If we don’t care for ourselves, we cannot care for others. Balance is needed.

                Capitalism/Socialism

I am like aspects of both capitalism and socialism.  Capitalism is a pretty decent system for allowing individuals to work on what they think is important. Laissez faire capitalism is exploitative and cruel.

Socialism in moderation is also good. It helps us think of our impact on others and to collaborate for the public good. Socialism taken to an extreme, where only the community good matters, as with capitalism, also becomes exploitative and cruel. 

 The problem in both cases (extreme capitalism and extreme socialism) is that care and concern for individuals gets lost in the ideology when taken to extreme. This is unfortunate because in their moderate versions, they are both systems designed to promote the welfare of the individual!

Balance helps us remember in our pursuit of happiness (capitalism) that other people matter too  (socialism). Finding the middle ground helps us get the benefits of both systems without devolving into exploitation of the individual to advance a “greater good”

                Autonomy/Social Responsibility

This last one also requires balance. We are all autonomous individuals, but no one is or should be an island. Humans in isolation go crazy. We are tribal animals and need our tribe to feel secure. Which is why we need community.

But just as care of others (social responsibility) is a good thing, too much means the loss of the individual or the subsuming of the individual to the greater good of the community.

When we seek balance between our need for autonomy and the need to be socially responsible we realize that by helping the community thrive, we help ourselves thrive – as individuals. It’s not either or, we only really thrive when we do both – in balance.

Conclusion:

When you find yourself struggling along some dimension in your life, or in your work, the problem is probably caused  by you valuing one ideal over it’s opposite ideal and if you remind yourself to balance those competing ideals, you will probably get a better result.

Try it and let me know how it goes.

My son: On Humanism

I like to think my son is brilliant.  Here is a statement of philosophy he came up with the other day.

“There is no god – only the good inside of us.
There is no devil – only the bad inside of us.
There is no war – only really big arguments.
There is no evil – just misled people.”

To say I’m proud is an understatement.   But it’s not just my kid who has been thinking deep thoughts. And it’s not just Humanists who think deep thoughts. My friend sent me a statement his daughter made. They are Christians, but clearly share a humanistic mindset. She says.

“There is no justice in the laws of nature … no term for fairness in the equations of motion.
The universe is neither good nor evil, it simply cannot care.
The stars don’t care. Or the sun. or the sky.
But they don’t have to. We care.
There IS LIGHT in the world and it is US!
That is the beauty of sentient thought.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Your perception is flawed.

Before you get upset, you might want to consider that you might have misunderstood the situation.

I have been reading a book I grabbed from my father’s house. It’s called Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar (http://amzn.to/2cp3wnx)

The book is a way to teach philosophy using jokes to explain the concepts. If you want to learn about philosophy and don’t want to read an academic book – this is a great way to grasp basic concepts.

I obviously teach a Humanist approach to solving problems, meaning my philosophic approach is to be compassionate, ethical, and rational when trying to solve problems.

A large number of our problems are interpersonal, meaning they involve other people. We don’t like what they did or said. We are right and they are wrong. The problem is that our thinking is biased. We only know what we experience and how we personally experience interactions. We won’t know how the other person does. And their experience might be quite different than ours.

One of the jokes in the book is this:

A man is worried that his wife is losing her hearing, so he consults a doctor. The doctor suggests that he try a simple at home test on her: Stand behind her and ask her a question, first from twenty feet, next from ten feet, and finally right behind her.
So the man goes home and sees his wife in the kitchen facing the stove. He says from the door, “What’s for dinner tonight?”
No answer.
Ten feet behind her, he repeats, “What’s for dinner tonight?”
Still no answer.
Finally, right behind her he says, “What’s for dinner tonight?”
And his wife turns around and says, “For the third time – chicken!”

Don’t assume you know what the other person is experiencing. When you are tempted to get mad and upset and righteously angry. Pause, step back from your moral opining and consider whether or not you are the one at fault!

At the very least – try to approach these problems with compassion so that if it turns out that you were being the idiot – you don’t compound the problem by being an angry idiot.

Saving Time

You can’t save time, you can only spend it. How can you make sure you spend your time wisely?

In honor of the time change yesterday, I thought I would dedicate this post to the concept of time. Specifically, saving time.  Most of us have too much to do and not enough time to do it in.  Having a time turner would be nice, but it wouldn’t solve our problem. We would just be spending even more time and be even more exhausted.

My favorite quote on this topic is from the Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff:

“The main problem with this great obsession for saving time is very simple: you can't save time. You can only spend it. But you can spend it wisely or foolishly.”

I have always found this quote helpful. Instead of thinking of ways to save time, I need to focus on how to use my time wisely and effectively.  Why, because trying to save time rarely works. It usually results in a lot of wasted time that could have been better spent.

My son is 7 and is learning how to write. Well, how to write legibly so that others can understand what he has written.  He is capable of writing beautifully when he slows down enough to focus on writing properly.

Most of the time though he just rushes through his work to get it done quickly so he can move on to something else that is more interesting to him.  The problem is that by rushing, he actually takes more time to do the task. Why? Because he makes so many mistakes and his work is so messy, we end up erasing the entire thing and making him start again.

The lesson he needs to learn is counter intuitive. By slowing down and taking the time to do it right, he actually spends less time on the task than if he rushes through it.  He also does better work. Slow and steady gets the job done.

My aunt agrees: http://humanisthappiness.blogspot.com/2012/07/slow-down-you-move-too-fast.html

Do you have a tendency to rush things? How do you remind yourself to slow down?

Materialism vs. Spiritualism

I was interviewed on Vortex Sarasota a while back (embedded video below). It was a great conversation and I really like the host George Lewis. It was one of the funner interviews I’ve done. 

At one point George asks me about spiritualism. And, I don’t understand what he is asking me. I do my best to translate his question into something that makes sense for me and fail.  Even though we agree on a lot of things, there is a basic disconnect in our world views.  I am a natural materialist, he is a supernatural spiritualist. 

For me there is only the natural world that consists of matter and energy. If something happens, it is quantifiable in this world. I have the same feelings of awe and wonder as anyone else. I have feelings of intuition. But for me, these feelings are a result of biochemical processes occurring in my brain.  That doesn’t make them any less special or any less amazing.  It doesn’t make me feel any less connected to the universe. It is just that I don’t view these things as anything other than a material natural process.

I think what trips people up is the choice of words. People associate the natural materialist world view with capitalistic materialism which refers to the gratuitous consumption of material, which is, for good reason, associated with greed. So they don’t understand how a natural materialist worldview can help people lead such satisfying emotionally fulfilling lives.

Grounding your view of the world as a natural materialist as opposed to a supernatural spiritualist simply means  that you accept the world as it is as opposed to hoping that there is something more there. It is a liberating, amazing and inspiring way to view who you are in the universe.  On the one hand, you are nothing more than matter and energy combined. On the other, you are you!  Matter combined, against all odds and against its tendency towards entropy to create you!  If that doesn’t make you feel special, nothing will.

PS – I am a board member for the Spiritual Naturalist Society – check them out at: http://spiritualnaturalistsociety.org/

Death isn’t Depressing

Well, ok, yes it is. But only in context.  When someone we love and care about dies. It saddens us. We will no longer be able to spend time or talk to our friend. We experience that loss as grief. However, when we think about our own death, it doesn’t necessarily have to depress us. It all depends on how you approach it. 

At some point, all of us will die, unless we experience a singularity that allows us to live forever. I’m not holding my breath on that.  I’d like to life for a few hundred years, but that isn’t realistic at this time.  And being a humanist, I am nothing, if not realistic.

So, I accept that at some point I will die and miss out on everything that will occur after my death.  And yeah, that is a little depressing.  But here is how the average Humanist turns that around.

Knowing that we are eventually going to die makes life precious to us. We have a finite amount of time to live. It would be a shame to waste it. This is why a huge part of what it is to be a Humanist is to live life to the fullest. This is a choice we make and yes, it means we are living life intentionally too. Because you can’t live life fully unless you live it intentionally.

So don’t think about death as a depressing thing. Instead, use the knowledge of death to spur you to embrace life fully.

Image: "Two Sad Girls At A Grave" by Stuart Miles http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

The Whats and Whys of Humanism

The British Humanist Association put out a great introductory video about Humanism. It reminds me a lot of the one the AHA put out in the 1970s starring Isaac Asimov. This one stars Tim Minchin, Richard Dawkins, AC Grayling and others.   It's a lovely little video that explains why Humanists have chosen Humanism very nicely.  Enjoy

What is Humanism?

Came across this video on the web yesterday.It was made in the late 60's early 70s. It stars Isaac Asmiov and it is all about the philosophy of Humanism.It is basically one giant FAQ about the philosophy. In fact, I would say it is the video form of my Handy Humanism Handbook (which you can get free here), except that it is way cooler because - it stars Isaac Asimov for goodness sakes.

Here is what is really cool.Nothing has changed.The answers to these questions haven't changed. I like this so much it is the first time I've ever wanted anything to go viral. So, watch and please share with others.