I asked my wife, “Do you know how much of our DNA we share with chimpanzees?” She shrugged and guessed, “Maybe 50%?” I smiled and said, “Guess again—it’s shockingly high.” “80%?” she tried again. The truth is far higher. Geneticists estimate we share up to 98.7% of our DNA with chimps. That leaves just 1.3% of our DNA that makes us distinctly human. But what does that 1.3% truly give us? Besides less hair and the ability to walk upright, it’s this small difference that sparks our ability to [...]

Parents today face a critical challenge: how to raise independent, ethical adults in a world of competing extremes. On one side are helicopter parents, hovering over their children, managing every detail to ensure success but unintentionally stifling their growth. On the other side, some parents embrace the idea of their children’s moral superiority and total autonomy, giving them the reins but leaving them without the necessary guidance to develop responsibility and resilience. Both approaches fail to strike the balance children need. The key lies in understanding how to provide [...]

The Power of Not-Negative Thinking 1. Introduction “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.” — Henry David Thoreau’s observation highlights the internal struggle many face, where negative thoughts quietly dominate the mind. This quiet desperation affects not just individuals, but society as a whole, manifesting in rising anxiety, depression, and feelings of isolation. The constant battle with negativity breeds escapism, anger, and self-absorption, further disconnecting us from others and contributing to social ills. Escaping this pattern requires more than simply positive thinking. While positivity plays an important role in cultivating [...]

The other day, I saw an ad for a college-level course on Nietzsche, taught by Jordan Peterson. Having recently read Beyond Good and Evil and Thus Spoke Zarathustra, I was curious about his interpretation. I’ve also read Peterson’s Twelve Rules for Life, a highly accessible book I’d recommend for its practical advice. However, my reaction to Nietzsche was entirely different—I wouldn’t advise anyone to study him beyond a cursory level without a solid grounding in psychological theories. While undeniably brilliant, Nietzsche strikes me as bitter and flawed, a thinker wrestling [...]