Individualism has long been a part of our American culture. Alexis de Tocqueville in his nineteenth century classic study, Democracy in America, explained how it manifests itself. He writes: “Individualism is a calm and considered feeling which disposes each citizen to isolate himself from the mass of his fellows and withdraw into the circle of … Read more
Throughout history, two sides, two economic outlooks, two lifestyles have long opposed each other as if engaged in constant combat. On the one side, there is the rule of money with a set of secular values, which include quantity, function, efficiency, and utility. This rule tends to reduce everything to terms of self-interest, matter, and … Read more
Although it may seem that we are more connected than ever on social media, the actual civic involvement of Americans has fallen drastically. It is something that cannot be reduced to some local, ethnic or income-related cause. Rather it affects everyone and is leading to social unrest, polarization and lack of civility. Sociologist Robert Putnam … Read more
One of the effects of today’s hurried pace of life is that time itself loses meaning. Inside our rushed schedules, we experience the double sensation of having no time to do anything and doing nothing with our time. Without using time to reflect upon and interpret experiences, even the most organized life can become a … Read more
The New Year is the time to make resolutions. The problem is that many people dismiss such resolutions as good intentions that are almost made to be broken. In the rush of things, no one has time to keep them. I disagree with such conclusions. My book, Return to Order: From a Frenzied Economy to … Read more
I am a victim of micro-aggression. I only found out now after watching the campus activists who have been disrupting studies this past semester. They claim their learning experiences are plagued with systemic bias and attitudes that they call “micro-aggressions.” A micro-aggression is any word, act or presupposition, slight though it might be, that offends … Read more
In his book, Shadow Work: The Unpaid, Unseen Jobs that Fill Your Day, author Craig Lambert claims that so many consumers have assumed the work normally done by those who once worked for producers and retailers. For example, many Americans use self-service technologies and thus perform the service jobs of the supermarket cashier, ticket counter … Read more
When speaking of imbalance in our economy, many are quick to lay the blame upon capitalism as a system since we have long gloried in being the capitalist nation par excellence. One must reject such an evaluation. In its purely popular sense understood by most Americans, capitalism is a market system of production and consumption … Read more
The issues now being debated in the 2016 elections are framed as if the country revolved around a great big cookie jar. The benefits and promises candidates offer are like cookies that must be substantial, instantly gratifying and abundant. Is Technology Ruining Your Life? Take A Quick Quiz To Find Out By Clicking Here. All … Read more
There is a social media app popular on campuses nationwide called Yik-Yak. The way it works is that short Twitter-like messages (yaks) can be posted anonymously within a short-radius area. The best yaks are then voted up or down a list by those within a given place. All these short messages, however, disappear into oblivion … Read more
