Wisdom for Life

Protests and Policing

In this twelfth episode of the Wisdom for Life radio show, hosts Dan Hayes and Greg Sadler discuss the recent nationwide protests over police misconduct and aggression towards African-American citizens, and the variety of police responses to these.  They look at the assessment that we are witnessing and taking part in an important historical event, during which a genuinely popular movement starts a course towards reform of policing in America.  They also focus the discussion on the ethical dimensions of protest and policing.

In the course of the discussion, they examine the difference between negative and positive peace, the types of injustices that have resulted from racism and the application of police force, whether one can remain “on the fence”, the uses made of Martin Luther King as a symbol and as a thinker, and why excessive police responses to protest are likely to be counter-productive in the long run.

They end the show by discussing how listeners might get involved in activism focused on these matters, whether they are able to do so physically or by other means.

 

Show Music is by Scott Tarulli

Technology and the Good Life

 In this eleventh episode of the Wisdom for Life radio show, hosts Dan Hayes and Greg Sadler examine what role contemporary technology – particularly mobile technology, the internet, social media, and AI/robotics – can play in “the good life”.

 

They discuss several ideas drawn from philosophers such as Aristotle, Gabriel Marcel, Martin Heidegger, and Michel Foucault as well as from speculative fiction authors such as Iain Banks, Isaac Asimov, and William Gibson, that bear upon the technology that we use everyday.  What are the dangers, temptations, and problems brought about by our technology, and how can we employ philosophical insights and practices to use what’s good in technology without getting sucked into what’s bad about it?

They end the show by discussing whether apps on one’s phone are compatible with genuine philosophical practices or not, and suggest ways that “technologies of the self” drawn from virtue ethics and wisdom traditions, and external technologies can support each other within the scope of intentional living.

 

Show Music is by Scott Tarulli

 

Is Lying Ever Good?

In this tenth episode of the Wisdom for Life radio show, hosts Dan Hayes and Greg Sadler examine a common matter in everyday life – lying. What is a lie, and what counts as “lying”?  Can lying ever be something good, right, required, or even just all right?

They discuss different ways we can classify and understand lies, including the distinction between white, black, and blue lies.  Moral theories help us to understand and evaluate the rightness or wrongness of lies – and why they are right or wrong, good or bad – and they examine lying through the rigorous deontological lens of Immanuel Kant, and the more forgiving utilitarian lens of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill.

 

They also examine a common issue that frequently arises.  What about people who embellish stories?  Are they lying?  And is that embellishment morally bad, or is it something that contributes to enjoyable communication

They end the show by introducing a very helpful philosophical practice designed to help people develop an understanding of what kinds of lies or deception they engage in, and why they do it, so they can make better choices about these matters 

 

Show Music is by Scott Tarulli

Circles of Care and Concern

In this ninth episode of the Wisdom for Life radio show, hosts Dan Hayes and Greg Sadler examine a common image of concentric circles used to understand relationships with other people towards whom we might have affection, care, or moral obligations.  The smallest circle is that of close friends and family, while the largest extends to all humanity, and potentially beyond.

 

They discuss how differing philosophical and wisdom traditions, including Stoicism, Buddhism, and Utilitarianism have used this image, and developed practices designed to help us develop attitudes of justice and benevolence towards other beyond the circles we most typically focus upon.

 

They also examine a common issue that arises when considering circles of community – to what extent should a person focus on their nation or political community as the most important?  Should their focus instead be on all people, or on people closer to them?

 

They end the show by introducing a very helpful philosophical practice derived from several schools of Buddhism, Metta or “loving-kindness” meditation, which employs the conception of circles.

 

Show Music is by Scott Tarulli

Balancing Autonomy and Connection

In this eighth episode of the Wisdom for Life radio show, hosts Dan Hayes and Greg Sadler discuss one main challenge to personal development within relationships.  How does one balance one’s own autonomy – and respect for the autonomy of others – with the desire for genuine connection within the framework of relationships.  It might appear that the two of these are at odds with each other, and within come types of relationships, they typically are, to the detriment of both partners.  Using resources from practical philosophy, Dan and Greg discuss guidelines for cultivating and respecting autonomy while maintaining and deepening relationships.

 

They also examine a representative question about a problematic relationship in which one partner does not respect the other’s autonomy.

They end the show by introducing a very helpful philosophical practice centered on effectively communicating what one needs from one’s partner.

 

Show Music is by Scott Tarulli

The Stockdale Paradox

In this seventh episode of the Wisdom for Life radio show, hosts Dan Hayes and Greg Sadler discuss what has come to be called the “Stockdale Paradox”, named after Admiral James Stockdale’s application of Stoic philosophy while confined and tortured as a POW during the Vietnam War.  Stockdale noted that the prisoners who survived the difficult conditions combined realism about their challenging situation with faith that they could come through it.  This was then formulated and popularized as a paradox by Jim Collins in his book of management theory, Good to Great.  

 

They discuss Stockdale’s advice and how it can be applied in everyday life, why people find it paradoxical, and how hope could be a rational response.  They also bring in useful insights from psychologist Victor Frankl, existentialist Gabriel Marcel, and pragmatist William James.

They also examine a seeming challenge to Stockdale’s point of view, framed by Chuck Chakrapani:  “My observation has been that true optimists ignore it if their predictions don’t pan out. They seem to revise their predictions to suit their optimism”.  Dan and Greg discuss why undue and reality-denying optimism doesn’t work in the long run.

They end the show by introducing a very helpful philosophical practice, “WOOP” (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan)

Show Music is by Scott Tarulli

What Is Resiliency?

In this sixth episode of the Wisdom for Life radio show, hosts Dan Hayes and Greg Sadler use insights from philosophy to discuss what resiliency is, why it is important to develop it, why it is good for us and others, and how we can approach it.  Bringing in ideas and approaches from Stoic philosophy and contemporary psychology and leadership, they flesh out this concept.

They also examine a common question:  What should you do when people you’re connected with haven’t developed resiliency?  Should you try to shield them from difficulties and challenges, try to help them develop resiliency, or cut them loose?

They end the show by revisiting a useful philosophical practice, “Negative Visualization” and they provide examples and applications of that practice.

Show Music is by Scott Tarulli

What Makes Relationships Good

In this fifth episode of the Wisdom for Life radio show, hosts Dan Hayes and Greg Sadler use insights from philosophy to discuss features of good and bad relationships, including friendships, romantic relationships, collaborative partnerships, and familial relationships.  How much should we demand or expect from those we are in relationships with?  Drawing upon ideas from Aristotle, Epictetus, Seneca, Cicero, Rilke, and other philosophers they explore what makes relationships good or bad, and what partners can and should expect from one another.

They also examine a case of a problematic relationship, marked by conflicts over differences in wages and earnings between the partners, and they discuss some of the more general features of these sorts of situations, and how partners can avoid those sorts of conflicts and tensions.

They end the show by introducing a very helpful philosophical practice, “Speaking Without Judging” (drawn from Epictetus’ book, the Enchiridion) and they provide examples and applications of that practice.

Show Music is by Scott Tarulli

Setting and Maintaining Boundaries

In this fourth episode of the Wisdom for Life radio show, hosts Dan Hayes and Greg Sadler use insights from philosophy to discuss why setting and maintaining boundaries is important, in personal relationships, in the workplace, and with neighbors.  Drawing upon ideas from Aristotle, Epictetus, Seneca, Cicero, and other philosophers they explain how to set boundaries, why boundaries are important, and common misconceptions people often have about them.

They also address some issues arising in the present, dealing with not just psychological or relationship boundaries, but physical ones, bearing on social distancing, isolation, and quarantine.

They end the show by introducing a very helpful philosophical practice, “Practicing Virtue Here and Now” (drawn from Epictetus’ book, the Enchiridion) and they provide examples and applications of that practice.

Show Music is by Scott Tarulli

 

Defining What's Good and What's Bad

In this third episode of the Wisdom for Life radio show, hosts Dan Hayes and Greg Sadler use insights from philosophy to discuss what is genuinely good as opposed to merely appearing to be good, and what is genuinely bad as opposed to merely appearing to be bad. They also discuss how to prioritize between the better and the less good, the worse and the less bad, and common reasons people get mixed up about these matters.

they also discuss several rival conceptions of what is good, bad, and indifferent, particularly those developed my Stoic and Aristotelian philosophy.

They answer a contributed question “after being quarantined, has anyone discovered they have actually been an introvert this whole time?” and dialogue about what introverts and extroverts find good or bad.

They end the show by introducing a very helpful philosophical practice, “dealing with appearances or impressions through pause and examination”, found in several different philosophical traditions, and provide examples and applications of that practice.