Regarding mattering, yes, there's a book for that – new in 2026. • LA Times > "10 page-turners for a new year" by Bethanne Patrick, freelance critic and author of the memoir "Life B." (1-1-2026) Mattering – The Secret to […]

Screen-time … a complicated reality. Is it like, "Screens, you're hooked on them, but you can't hack it without them?" The fault may not be in our wishes, but in wishing on the wrong stars: Setting our sights – wishing […]

In the context of seeking success & happiness, here's another perspective on friction, as an inevitable aspect of life. In this case, a perfectionist mindset vs. "getting real" about: * Flaws – you're continually "bugged" because not everything (or every […]

The pursuit of happiness [two p's in that word, eh] … the pursuit of property … and the intersection of those aspirations. Dissonant dreams. An expectation that "each generation does better than the one before." The feeling of ownership. Equity. […]

Living in the uneasy place, an uncomfortable space [1] – the challenge of relying on reasoned choice rather than impulsive alignment or disengagement. This year's news cycles reminded me to beware of the illusion of majority consensus. That the loud […]

How do you measure a country's happiness? If there's a general sense (among pollsters and policymakers), does it vary around the world? This article discusses 4 key factors. Are these factors aspirational? And in each case, I wonder whether it's […]

11-14-2025 There's the commons – shared community space – and what we have in common. What binds us together. But how deep do those bonds go? What is taken for granted (tacit)? What is left unexplored in daily routines and […]

11-16-2025 Evidently, even the bond between telepaths might not be adequate joining, a deep enough togetherness. The theme of individualism versus collectivism involving, in particular, a hive mind reminded me of a story I'd read long ago, decades ago. It's […]

I read this AI research article recently. Its drift fits my narrative re symbiosis – "a collective [and cooperative] human intelligence sort of thing." • Harvard News > "Artificial intelligence may not be artificial" by Liz Mineo, Harvard Staff Writer […]

Does career / work success automatically ensure happiness? Do pay increases have large and long-lasting effects on job satisfaction? This article (video) explains that: "To get actual happiness from work, you need to seek two things, and really two things […]