Author Archives: JR Stanley

I am unclear why two things we love, eating and entertainment, have become so linked. Sit down to eat a snack or a meal by yourself and most people find themselves checking their phone, reading a newspaper, or watching TV. I am certainly no exception. But, as research and personal experience both demonstrate, our brainsContinue reading “A focus on food”

The best is yet to come. A cheery proclamation about the future or a silent hope for things to come. Whether on greeting cards, in graduation caps, or lyrics in a song, the statement expresses the sentiment that warmer, sunnier things are on the horizon. But what about when the best is behind us? WhenContinue reading “When the best has come… and gone”

There have been several mentions in popular media and news outlets referring to the actions of several current people being on the wrong side of history. They might be right. They could also be wrong. It is important to remember that history will judge the actions of today based on the values of tomorrow. ItContinue reading “On the wrong side of history”

Polarization and extremism in the political spectrum. There seems to be the popular notion that the ‘other’ side of the aisle, the other side of the political spectrum is the problem, the most dangerous thing to progress and the current state of affairs. However this seems patently incorrect. Extremism, on either side of the spectrum,Continue reading “Nuts on both sides”

Do you need an audience? Is perfection, is excellence the goal because your best is the only thing that will satisfy you or is excellence relative to those around you. The people we consider great have very little in common with one another. The one thing that all of them have is an internal compass,Continue reading “An Internal Standard”

What else are we to do? Regardless of what I am doing, I find it helpful to ask, “what else would I be doing if I were not doing ___________.” There is a big lag between the big picture questions that we ask and the day to day activities which occupy the vast majority ofContinue reading “What else would I be doing?”

The most compelling thing about most stories, whether that be movies, TV series, books, even video games or comics, is that there is a gradual progression that happens within the main character. Stories of fiction and nonfiction both compel us with this transformation.  Throughout the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling we see Harry beginContinue reading “A Dynamic Character”

Life is hard. Sometimes we make it harder than it needs to be. Actually, often we make it harder than it needs to be. In daily life this can be for a handful of reasons including: The sense of the importance of each tasks becomes inflated. Simple tasks like picking up groceries can become stressfulContinue reading “Hard for the sake of being hard”

Marx is often quoted as saying “Religion is the opiate of the masses.” More accurately and articulately he said: “Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of peopleContinue reading “Pursuing happiness”

Make your own compass, find your own north star. Two books, read in combination, make this poignant point. In Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis, Martin Arrowsmith, a medical student who becomes a physician and a scientist struggles between the pursuit of scientific rigor, treatment of suffering patients, and the expectations of society around him. In AtlasContinue reading “Make your own compass, find your own north star.”