There has been a trend in industry towards maximizing profits over the past few decades. I view it as a change from a spirit of collaboration and a spirit of competition. Will you work with others to achieve greater things, or will you choose to help yourself at the expense of others? I believe those who choose competition over collaboration fail to understand how much they depend on others around them as workers, suppliers or customers. [Read More]

I’ve been struggling with an interesting social phenomenon lately that is as predictable as it is harmful. In my opinion, it boils down to a misunderstanding of the Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. — The Golden Rule Humans have some needs which are natural and universal. We need food, water, shelter, and clothing. When one of these is needed, assistance for achieving those needs are fairly universal, putting aside the effects of Pride. [Read More]

I’ve been spending a lot of time over the past few years trying to determine what is wrong, and what we should do about it. Buddha and a Chipmunk That statement is intentionally vague. I think all of us would agree that our current society is currently broken. Most people I speak to are sure they understand why and how it is broken, and what we should do about it. Given that most people disagree in implementation if not the problem itself, I just keep digging. [Read More]

Over the last year a number of family, work and world problems coincided in a way that woke me up from the routine and comfort of my life. It stirred in me a need to overcome my complacency and try to achieve greater things in life. Looking back on my interactions with friends, family and coworkers during that time, I’m amazed at my privilege. I’ve had spent my whole life learning to solve complex problems without investing any on self-development or soft skills. [Read More]

Scale brings efficiency. Those efficiencies can allow further growth, or can be used to reduce costs. Or they can be spent on executives. Or be handed to shareholders directly through dividends or indirectly through stock buybacks. Each of these choices can be viewed through a number of lenses. CEOs of publicly traded companies (companies that trade on the stock market) have a legal obligation to protect shareholder value. As humans, we have a responsibility to our communities, but that is a moral judgement, not a law. [Read More]

Until last year, I worked within the corporate part of the tech industry. My specialty was solving large complex problems through analysis, learning, strategic action and hard work. Since leaving, I’ve mostly been focused on two things: How to turn skilled work into money without committing the majority of my life to bureaucracy and tedium. How the hell did we get here as a society? I focused on number 2 first because I was scared for the future my daughters will inherit. [Read More]

Why we’ll never win the war on terror Teenagers in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria have grown up with an unending conflict with the United States. They have have friends and family members killed by US actions. In the cases of Iraq and Afghanistan, they have never not known occupying forces on the ground. Some US based private contractors have committed atrocities in their country, and have seen no justice carried out. [Read More]

I want both the Hindus and Mussalmans to cultivate the cool courage to die without killing. But if one has not that courage, I want him to cultivate the art of killing and being killed rather than, in a cowardly manner, flee from danger. For the latter, in spite of his flight, does commit mental himsa. He flees because he has not the courage to be killed in the act of killing. [Read More]

I’m going to lay out the type of person I see in Trump. Ugh. Business Trump got his start in Real Estate working for his father while in college. He graduated in 1968, and was President of the company by 1971. Clearly a leg up based upon family wealth, not hard work. He claimed to be first in his class, but many of his classmates don’t even remember him: Trump flaunts Wharton degree, but his college years remain a mystery [Read More]

More and more of the disagreement I’ve had with people recently has been caused by my inability to express how I believe the world could work. I have been trying to understand what form of government would work best in this extremely unique time in history. While it is important to help protect the rights of people within the system we own now, I think more resources need to be placed on really figuring out what makes sense in this modern age. [Read More]