Professional work requires a high level of specialized knowledge and training, is governed by a set of standards and ethics, and typically provides a service to others. A profession is often constituted as a community or institution that enforces technical standards and its ethics. An institution also transmits knowledge allowing experimentation and innovation without the need to reinvent the wheel.
Institutions remind professionals of the values the institution represents. Four elements make this possible, allowing the institution to sustain its function as a form of practica memory : its objectives, its values, its method of transmitting learnings, and its canon.
“Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work” by Matthew B. Crawford:
This book explores the author’s journey from a white-collar job to working with his hands and reflects on the intrinsic value and fulfillment that comes from skilled manual labor.
“Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” by Robert M. Pirsig:
Combining philosophy and a cross-country motorcycle journey, this book delves into the idea of “quality” in work and life, emphasizing the importance of mindfulness and care in one’s pursuits.
Although controversial, this novel tells the story of an individualistic architect who values his work as an expression of his own integrity. It explores the connection between passion, individualism, and the pursuit of excellence in one’s profession.
“Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World” by Cal Newport:
Newport discusses the value of deep, concentrated work in a world filled with distractions. The book emphasizes how dedicating focused time and effort to meaningful work can lead to both professional success and personal fulfillment.
Pressfield’s book is a concise guide to overcoming resistance and doing the work necessary to achieve your goals. It highlights the satisfaction that comes from pushing through challenges and completing meaningful tasks.
“My Life in France” by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme:
This memoir of renowned chef Julia Child showcases the joy and fulfillment she found in her culinary work. It underscores the idea that passion for one’s craft can lead to a life well-lived.
“Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” by Daniel H. Pink:
Pink explores the science of motivation and argues that autonomy, mastery, and purpose are key factors that lead to satisfaction and fulfillment in our work.
While not explicitly about work, this collection of personal writings by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius contains philosophical reflections on finding purpose and meaning in life, which can be applied to one’s approach to work.
Ask yourself today, not on your deathbed with tubes and needles sticking into the body.It’s never too late to be the person you could have been.
The exercise is called a pre-mortem.
They chose this song for a reason 30 years ago for our high school graduation. It still makes me a little emotional when I hear it. It’s called “Fill the World With Love.”
In the morning of my life I shall look to the sunrise. At a moment in my life when the world is new. And the blessing I shall ask is that God will grant me, To be brave and strong and true, And to fill the world with love my whole life through.
(Chorus) And to fill the world with love And to fill the world with love And to fill the world with love my whole life through
In the noontime of my life I shall look to the sunshine, At a moment in my life when the sky is blue. And the blessing I shall ask shall remain unchanging. To be brave and strong and true, And to fill the world with love my whole life through
(Chorus)
In the evening of my life I shall look to the sunset, At a moment in my life when the night is due. And the question I shall ask only I can answer. Was I brave and strong and true? Did I fill the world with love my whole life through?
If I will not have been brave and strong and true, why? Among the answers will be this: I quit too soon.
But when is it too soon?
I like to think of learning as pruning. Branches that are unhealthy, are in the wrong place, or bear no fruit are cut off so that resources go into other branches that will bear good fruit. If a plant could cry it might every time a branch is pruned. It might cry not just from the pain from the loss of future possibilities. We understand. But a really good reason for a plant to cry is when its healthy branches are cut off.
That’s quitting.
That said, we are not often in the best position to see which of our branches are best pruned. Still, certain symptoms would become clear at some point even to our uncounselled eyes. Some people see where their lives should focus on, by observing their talents, opportunities, roles they are in a good position to fill in society whether they like it or not.
“Know yourself, know the enemy,” says Sun Tzu in the Art of War.
Thus having seen the healthy branches, to prune them just because of a temporary parasite infestation, or because of storm damage, or maybe because they got bored, is the kind of quitting we should lament.
There’s another kind of quitting that’s probably worse because of self-deception. We call it sour grapes. We want something, realize that we don’t have the talent to pursue it, and so we show contempt for it.
The philosopher Alan Watts (1915-1973) wrote in the essay Good Intentions:
“There is no wisdom in scorning riches simply because one is unable to obtain them, nor in despising the pleasures of the senses because one has not the means of fulfilling them. If the desire for these things exists, and if that desire is thwarted by circumstance, to add self-deception to frustration is to exchange a lesser hell for a greater. No hell is worse than that in which one lives without knowing it.
For the desire which is scorned for no other reason than that it cannot be satisfied is the greatest of man’s enemies. One may pretend that it does not exist, that one has surrendered it, but one must sincerely answer the question, “If I could satisfy that desire, would I?” If that is not answered, to make a show of giving up the world, to take up the ascetic life not of desire but of necessity and to pride oneself upon it, that is to hide one’s face from the enemy and so become doubly vulnerable.”
Just admit one’s incompetence, then calmly move on.
A pre-mortem presupposes you know where the good branches are, and that you are set upon a future where those branches more alive and fruitful than they are now. A pre-mortem will also anticipate that certain branches will have to be cut or nipped in the bud, because you can foresee the dangers they present to the healthy branches.
To thank its fun and faithful purple warriors, my home gym Anytime Fitness UP Town Center held its Christmas party last December 15, 2023. If Ma’m Garen, the manager, had not told me about it in the morning, I would not have gone. I’ve never attended an AF part of any kind. I said “Yes. See you at 6 pm.” It was more than just good. Here’s the context.
December 15, 2023, in Quezon City wasn’t exactly a pleasant day: it was rainy, and most of all, the Christmas traffic was at its worst, this being payday. I worked out at AF UPTC in the morning to advance my power lift day since the next day, the 16th, I had some other event to attend.
I also had an errand to run, but I had been waiting most of the day for the details. When they did arrive at 3 pm I debated whether to run it — it wasn’t far, and I had a motorbike. But I had no idea of the traffic situation. I decided to take it as far as I can until it became very clear that I wouldn’t be able to get back by 7 pm to the AF party (parties don’t start on time).
The traffic was fine for a while, until I was really close to my goal. And then it became hellish. A parking lot 3 km long. I turned back towards AF UPTC. I was very tired, my left had in particular from pressing the clutch so often.
I arrived shortly before 6 pm; the party hadn’t started. A pre-party powerlifting event was going on, and I came just in time to watch Coach Ully dead lift 180 kg to wild applause. I decided to first have some Yogorino yoghurt smoothies at the neighboring Papermoon cafe.
On returning to AF, I chatted with some coaches and clients. I finally got to talk with a certain elderly lady, Ma’m Mabel, businesswoman. She and her husband work out every morning, and so I would see them on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I worked out. The couple inspired everyone: they were regular, consistent, and they did everything together.
I also met Aaron L., a corporate executive in the energy industry, mid 30’s. Turns out we had mutual friends. Turned out he was one of the first clients of this branch when it opened in 2016. I too was a 2016’er and I’ve seen him around. But, this was the first time I got to chat with him, or to interact socially with any client or coach for that matter.
The party saved an otherwise awful day. Quite a crowd. One guy had dead lifted 210 kg, beating Coach Ully. This group of ladies looked like coeds, and they’re in their 50’s and 60’s. This group of young people, I told Aaron, I think they’re from the University of the Philippines, it’s the UP vibe, I said. We approached them; they confirmed they were young professionals, and yes, most of them were from UP, like Aaron and myself. Coach Ully was in awe when he learned I was a professor. But in AF, we said, everyone’s the same — and he lifted 180, I told him that was awesome. He introduced us to his girlfriend, a member in a competitor gym. She’s not likely to quit, either Coach or the gym.
I congratulated Coach Ully and Ma’m Garen for having pulled off a very successful party. Although more people than expected showed up, there was more than enough food for all. The kimchi rice was excellent.
When I go to AF now, I greet people I actually know!
Which is why I like AF, aside from the fact that your FOB key allows you access to any AF branch ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. I’ve been to AF’s in different cities, including Bangkok, Thailand, and Reading, UK. I’m known in some branches, including one that opened its doors for me during the pandemic when it was technically illegal to do so (not like anyone was really enforcing the tiring rules).
AF has a family vibe. I sometimes watch these videos taken in American gyms, where scantily clad women work out and accuse men of sexual harassment when the poor guys are just there to, at worst, assist them in obvious need. Gym rats help each other! So far, AF UPTC and other branches I know have had no trouble in this sector. In my experience, I’ve never interacted with anyone, male or female, except in a courteous and polite manner, and they likewise. And if they don’t need help, I ignore them and they ignore me. But this doesn’t mean we’re not watching out for each other.
We simply respect each others’ workout routine. It’s just being professional. And focused.
By the way, my other AF gym in Cubao obviously had a party shortly before this. I entered the gym to find the evidence still there. Looked like they had more fun than the UPTC crowd.
I went to the gym yesterday. As with all Saturdays, I go to the Anytime Fitness branch closest to my house, the Red Hotel in Cubao, Quezon City. Saturday is power lifts day.
Another client and one of the coaches were working out on the dumbbells. One of them then called out from across the room to ask what shoes I was wearing, whether it was the Nike Romaleos. I answered “Yes.” The then continued to work as did I.
During one of their breaks, the coach approached me and introduced himself as Coach Raph. He asked whether I competed. I said that back in 2016 or 17 I had psyched myself up for a powerlifting competition in the masters category. But a day before the enlistment, on checking the rules, I found that a singlet was required. I didn’t know where to get one, and finally decided to call off my plans. I never entertained the idea of competing since.
Coach Raph asked how old I was. I said “54”. He was impressed. He had been observing my lifts these past weekends. Although I said that at my age I was just interested in maintaining my strength, he thought that I was still going for personal records, or PR’s.
Well, I said, maybe I was. For several months now I have been benching 90 kg, doing 3 sets of 3 reps (3×3) at that weight. Then last week I decided to add 2.5 kg for a 2×2. My strategy was to increase weights up by 2.5-kg increments until they became comfortable, and then use that as my new 3×3. Coach Raph agreed this was a good strategy, although he commented that there’s usually enough punch left to attempt a new PR, and encouraged me to dare more. He then went back to the client.
As I was entering my last set doing 3 rep max (3RM) of 130 kg, I thought about what the coach said. Last week I had already done 1×1 at 140 kg; that’s my PR before the pandemic and a weight I never attempted since 2020. But I decided to go for 150 kg for a 1×1. I felt a little scared. But, I told myself, it’s just one rep. It’s a deadlift, I could drop the bar anytime. And I could claim it as an achievement before the end of 2023.
So, after my last rep for the 3×3, I added the 20 kilos. I rewrapped my knees, put on my belt, and lifted. The bar began to rise from the floor. Very, very slowly it rose. Up and up it went without pause or hesitation. Until I got to full extension. I did it! Lifetime PR, 150 kg.
All of a sudden, my “impossible” dream of 160 kg for the deadlift has become more realistic. If that’s doable, then so are my targets for bench press, squat, and snatch before I’m 60.
As I was exiting the gym I went to Coach Raph and told him “I thought about what you said, and went for a new PR.”
“How did it go?”, he asked?
I said, “[expletive] The bar just kept going up!”
Coach Raph was BEAMING with pride as any teacher would at his student’s achievements!
We exchanged pleasantries. Coach Raph said that this was actually his last day, and that he was moving to New Zealand to accompany his mom. Well, that was excellent timing. I gave him the name of a contact. And then with another coach they asked if they could take a photo of me doing the shoulder presses with dumbbells for the gym’s Instagram. Last time I checked (60 sec ago) the photos weren’t up yet (https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/109333993750327/anytime-fitness-red-hotel-cubao/).
With photoshoot over, we said our Merry Christmas, I wished Coach Raph a safe trip, I picked up my gear and my riding helmet and left. I felt very, very satisfied that day.
At my age, I’m lifting more weight than at any time in my life. Due to my knees not being anymore what they were, however, I will be more careful with the squats and the clean-and-press. But there’s still a lot I can do with the snatch and the bench press — and for the others, if I dare.
Thanks to Coach Raph and the wonderful coaches of Anytime Fitness Red Hotel Cubao!
Most people think of adventure as fun. But founding the Church wasn’t fun. Adventure is an activity that transforms us by taking us out of our comfort zone. An adventure is NECESSARILY uncomfortable. It CAN be fun, but the best adventures are often awful.
But a life of adventure will increase your self-respect. You will also have more respect for your team, respecting their skills and their characters. You’ll learn so many things and make so many exploits some of which will go down as legends.
Ordinary life offer us lots of opportunities for adventure: moving to another city or country, meeting all kinds of people. God is inviting us to be uncomfortable for the rest of our years. Make life comfortable for your family, but for yourself and yout team, do something that scares you, every effing day. Imagine what family life will be like when everyone has a story to tell.
The opportunities to go beyond your comfort zones, physical, intellectual, emotional, or spiritual, are everywhere. You just have to be available. A few other ingredients improve the experience: have a team, a location, a mission, and constraints. These I illustrate with the following story.
One Saturday morning I received a phone call that I would never forget. A friend; he said he was just arrested and was now in jail. Could I help him, please! There was no one else around. I called up a lawyer friend. We went to the Quiapo jail in Manila. We had to get him out TODAY. Or else, he would be there the whole weekend.
We accomplished our mission. I got back home, as if nothing happened. I’m willing to do it again if needed.
What adventures might you try this year? Visit the poor in a gangster infested slum. Visit a cancer ward for indigents. Start a foundation. Say YES to every invitation to give a talk. Do this during tax season and you’ll see your time management, stress management and communication skills make a quantum leap forward. Enroll in a PhD program. Pull out of a PhD program. Seek a coaching certification. Be even more brutally sincere in Confession. Unusual excursions.
How about legal adventures? Start an institute, an online business, invest. Ask someone for P50 million. Just don’t go to jail.
You WILL be afraid. As a friend of mine said yesterday, accept your insecurities. Put your security in God! Adventures turn out fine just because of good will, faith, and obedience. Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum, Be it done to me according to your word, and the Word was made flesh, and so began the most awesome adventure the world has ever seen.
You’ll make mistakes. Relax! It’s the groove that counts, not the pitch; there are no wrong notes, just tunes that bewitch. So, you’re in a conference and you have no time to do the norms. Chillax. Assuming you have any hair left, don’t pull your hair out just because you don’t have time to pray. I found a church in Malaysia once, joined mass, very beautiful, then realized it was Anglican. (Looking back, I think it must have been a Catholic mass of the Anglican rite; back then I didn’t know this existed.) As a reward for that mistake, that same night me and my friends we hit a bar — this is Malaysia so the bars are clean. Did karaoke, also clean, then street food, maybe clean. Next morning I found the Catholic church.
If one of the likely outcomes of your adventure is unacceptable to you, don’t attempt it. Do something safe but scary. Get used to it, up the level gradually.
And what if you do fail? Well, the experience was worth it, you’d still have a story to tell. Like that friend of mine who tossed a T-shirt to Pope Francis and got briefly detained by the police. Besides, it’s better to regret something you DID than something you did NOT do.
Think of the Cross.
But do be reasonable. For example, should you quit your job in order to work in another region for apostolic reasons? Movements like this are well thought out — the ASSUMPTION is, everyone, the directors, the person concerned, is sincerely determined to do God’s will. If I cannot make that assumption, I wouldn’t even make the invitation. Or, I have to verify.
I will also verify that there are no contracts and obligations involved that might affect the legitimate interests of third parties.
We all differ in risk aversion, experience, and personality. Just try. Asking someone to give a talk shouldn’t be like engaging in a collective bargaining agreement. When you keep saying NO, at some point people just won’t ask anymore.
What happens now? You wouldn’t have any more headaches? That can’t be good. You see, one path to happiness is having problems to solve. Deny a person the chance to be inconvenienced for a good cause and you deny him happiness.
Availability can be challenging. But, we’re smart — ok, sometimes peculiar, but smart — and have the grace and the means provided by God to meet the challenge. Let me give cite three multiple choice problems and see whether you can find the smart answer. We’re just simplifying things; in reality, every option will be more complex.
Problem 1. You were granted a leave of 3 weeks. Then a day before your retreat, your boss calls you to his office. Could you defer your mag-leave? Because if you go on leave nobody will be around to meet our principal from Taiwan. We can talk about your new leave at a later time. What do you do? A) Agree immediately. B) Insist that’s it’s not possible. And C) Agree to give up the leave, but ONLY AFTER getting something in exchange. Smart answer is C) Pull out of the retreat, but only after your boss makes your new leave official. As a bonus, offer to facilitate the travel arrangements of the principal. Why is this the smart choice? It’s a power move. Your boss is in your power right now. Take advantage of it. Remember, your boss is also one you’re trying to do apostolate with. Earn his respect by showing you know how to use power, too. Besides, Mr. Kwok Pong Wang will be a useful ally in your quest for absolute power.
But seriously. Power is being able to get things done. Apostolate, if nothing else, is an exercise of power. “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” (Mt 10: 16)
Problem 2. A friend of yours signed up for the retreat. Payments have been made. At the last minute he calls you insisting that he can only go if you convince his wife. What do you do? A) Convince the wife. B) Spend the next hour convincing him. And C) Tell him “Don’t bother”. It’s risky, but Letter c) is the smart move. Teach people to think by making them think. Throw the decision back at them, they usually deliver.
But sometimes, people just can’t think. A priest once went to the train station to bring back a nun who had left the convent. She was so overcome by her emotions that she was in no position to make ANY big decision. She needed a jolt that was unmistakably intense. And it worked.
That said, if a friend of yours is about to make a big decision but is very emotional, do three things. One, pray. Two, show affection. And three, ask him questions that require him to answer with numbers. What time were you planning to leave? How many hours is the flight? How much would the ticket cost if you rescheduled to a month from now? Thinking about numbers shuts down emotion, then you can chat calmly. Listen like you’ve never listened to anyone else in your life, because you can’t solve the underlying issues with math.
Problem 3. A friend says he can’t turn in his monthly church contribution because he has to go to work early and has to buy breakfast and this consumes his budget. On further inquiry, you learn he has breakfast at MacDonald’s. What do you tell him? A) Don’t break fast at MacDonalds; make your own sandwiches. B) Increase your income. C) Look into his eyes for 3 seconds; then move to the next topic. Smart answer: C). The most effective help you can give may be to shut up.
What if it was a husband that had a problem? The idea is for the wife to make him understand. You did not turn in your salary because you had no choice??? No, you did not turn it in because you chose not to. You’re keeping a secret bank account because everyone else has it? No, you’re keeping the account because you want to. You refuse to give a talk in a recollection because giving talks in the past stressed you out so much you got sick… You don’t want to give a talk because you don’t want to.
Sincerity is not just about telling the truth. It’s about claiming ownership over one’s choices. Ownership is related to the male instinct to conquer. Ownership has everything to do with power, while lack of ownership has everything to do with impotence.
Sincerity! The lack of it is the opening move to a lifetime of miseries! Among married couples, it’s the beginning of infidelity. Few things are more uncomfortable than brutal sincerity, few adventures are as transformative.
Even the most sincere hearts will be taxed sometimes. Pray, be sincere. Admit you don’t have a clue.
And let’s not forget we’re on the team of our friends. For many married couples, everyday is almost an adventure. You definitely can contribute as part of their team, and God is always with you.
To conclude.
We’re tougher than we give ourselves credit for. You know how tough you are? Wherever you are is where you willed to be. You may not like it, you may not admit it. You might tell yourself, I hate my job, yet I want the security. Because you want security, you’re still in that job. If you want to be a better son of God, make the moves, and God will help you get there. That’s the power of the will that St. Augustine says is perfect, except when it is divided, and the power of grace. If God brings you to it, He’ll bring you through it.
So, if you don’t like what you’re doing now, just want something else. Will that bring peace? That depends on what you’re looking for. On WHO you’re looking for.
We know who: Jesus Christ. Want to be with Him, to speak with him. Love Him like our Father did, and find in Him that faithful Friend you most need on your team, in your family, as you dive into your adventures.
Believe (I cited this in Purpose, Part 1 of 2) reminds me of a song by Juliet Ivy that I think serves as an antidote to Believe’s depressing lyrics. Part of the song goes:
Cause we’re all gonna die Decompose into daffodils and dandelions The bees will use our flowers for whatever they like Make the honey that our grandkids will put inside Their morning tea It’s the thing of life.
David French, soldier, writing in the New York Times, wrote: an overwhelming amount of evidence — from suicide, to drug overdoses, to education achievement gaps — indicates that millions of men are in crisis. While many men demand respect, what they need is purpose, and the quest for respect can sometimes undermine the sense of purpose that will help make them whole.
Men need to do things for others: for spouses, for children, for family and friends, colleagues, and nation.
Veterans’ groups are supremely aware of this need for fellowship and purpose. A friend of his told him, “I’m not even 30, and I’ve already done the most significant thing I’ll ever do.”
While his despair was genuine, he was quite wrong. That friend is a father and entrepreneur, forging his own path and leaving a new legacy. French rediscovered his purpose in his family and in defending civil liberties in courtrooms across America.
These examples highlight what the website Art of Manliness (artofmanliness.com) says are the most distinctively masculine roles of a man: to protect, to provide, and to procreate. They show how important it is for a man to have PURPOSE in order to fill whole. Without purpose, and with nothing to protect, provide, and not able to procreate, a man is emasculated. Such a man needs something to believe.
These past few days have made clear that our purpose is to become another Christ in the middle of the world. Like the Good Shepherd, to protect the Church; to provide spiritual and physical nourishment through works of mercy and our professions; and to procreate, by winning new friends for Christ.
How might we have fallen short this year?
First of all, we didn’t fall short by failing. You got fired. No, that’s not falling short. We only fall short through sadness. Not the sadness saints referred to as “love-sorrow“, the engine of conversion. I’m talking of that cruelty of indifference, when love is lost.
The pain of having no purpose is poignantly expressed in the song Believe by The Bravery. Not having something to believe sooner or later leads to boredom, then to despair, and ends with some physical or spiritual event that’s suicidal in its finality.
The faces all around me They don’t smile, they just crack Waiting for our ship to come But our ship’s not coming back We do our time like pennies in a jar But what are we saving for? What are we saving for?
I am hiding from some beast But the beast was always here Watching without eyes Because the beast is just my fear That I am just nothing That’s just what I’ve become What am I waiting for? It’s already done
So give me something to believe ‘Cause I am living just to breathe And I need something more To keep on breathing for So give me something to believe
“The faces all around me, they don’t smile, they just crack.” Sad people constantly criticize others. Thoughts turn to whispers, murmurs to rants — why was this jar of alabaster not sold for 300 denarii and the money given to the poor? Sad people distract themselves by things that don’t matter: addictions, obsessions, worries and anxieties, guilt.
And activism. We’re sometimes shocked to hear that someone so apparently active had left the world in despair.
How does one get out of this sadness?
Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard (1858-1935) in Soul of the Apostolate says:
If God calls me to apply my activity not only to my own sanctification, but also to good works, I must establish this firm conviction before everything else in my mind: Jesus has got to be, and wishes to be, the life of these works.
Prayer. Penance. The sacraments. Sincerity in Sacramental Confession.
And the human means. Get enough rest, good food, and exercise. One friend complained his prayers and apostolate were taking a toll on his heart. His spiritual director asked him: How many hours of sleep do you get? 3 hours. The director suggested 7. The man obeyed. The next time they met he was back in shape. Get a professional mentor or therapist if advised.
What are other causes of sadness?
Mental or physical illness? St. Augustine (354-430) was victim to bouts of extreme anger and depression; he wrote to battle his demons. St Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” may have been a blinding eye infection. He eventually required a secretary. St Margaret of Castello (1287-1320) was born blind, with severe scoliosis; her right leg was an inch and a half shorter than her left, and her left arm was malformed. She never grew beyond 4 feet tall. Yet she nursed the sick, consoled the dying and visited prisoners. When she died in 1320 at 33 the whole town of Castello attended her funeral.
Lack of talent? St. Agatha Kim A-gi (1787-1839) couldn’t memorize anything, not even the Hail Mary. In 1839 when forced to renounce her faith she said: “I only know Jesus and Mary“, before being beheaded just outside Seoul. St. Joseph Cupertino (1603-1663) spent most of his childhood staring blankly with his mouth open and was called “The Gaper“. He may have been mentally retarded and autistic. But, he became a priest, and won many to the faith with his holiness, implacable friendliness, lightheartedness and absolute humility.
Union with God was their secret. Also, the support of their families.
A common cause of sadness is comparing oneself to others and then questioning one’s way of life. Why do I have to go to Mass?
Fair enough. So, let’s answer that question! Go ahead. Why do you have to go to mass? Don’t settle for a Grade V answer like, “I go to mass because I’m Catholic.” No. Put INSTEAD OF. “Why do I go to mass INSTEAD OF going to the mall at this time on Sundays“?
Freedom! Cry those who don’t know what freedome really is. The way they say it it’s as if they had a million plays to choose from. The world’s my playground, baby.
But does having many options make us more free? Well, check out the god of multiple choice, the Internet. The internet has made it possible for men and women to have multiple partners, teens to have multiple personalities, and everyone to have multiple truths. They should be happy, no?
But, an article from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs writes: “Young adults who use social media the most are significantly more likely to show signs of depression. More time spent on social media decreases perceived emotional support, increases fear of missing out (FOMO), and lowers self-esteem. Excessive social media use also results in more superficial relationships.”
FOMO, that’s the killer.
Why? Having many options exaggerates your expectations. That’s why so many end up disappointed. They’re never satisfied, then it’s too late. Many young women today amass body counts like baseball cards, until they hit the wall. When a woman hits her 40’s not even her plunging neck line can save her plunging options.
So why am I in this retreat INSTEAD OF zip lining? Why am I a married INSTEAD OF living in with some cheesy chick? Why am I praying in this oratory INSTEAD OF watching Youtube in my room?
Our Yes to the Christian life meant No to a million other lives. But with constraint comes clarity and consistency. The soul acquires a wonderful facility and astonishing rapidity in carrying out the duties of an apostle, said Dom Chautard.
I ride a motorbike, a Honda Rebel 500 cc. It’s big, slower to accelerate than the 125 and 155 cc’s that irritate all of us. Sometimes, no, often, when they overtake me and weave where I cannot go, I feel incensed. I wanna humiliate them, I wanna put them in their place. But then, I think: by choosing a Rebel, I chose to live my best life at 80-120 kph, INSTEAD of 40-60 kph like these scooters. Yours is the traffic, mine the expressway.
What about “Why do I have cancer INSTEAD of being well?” Ask God. I don’t know what he’ll say, or NOT say, but you can be sure it will be good.
Just as bad is comparing yourself to yourself. Why am I not a good yet? Our Lord said: “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” St. Paul says how: “I live, now not I, but Christ lives in me.” Comparing yourself to yourself is laughable. Comparing yourself to God is impossible. BUT, if Jesus fills our soul then Jesus Himself gives glory to His Father through us. To be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect means to be alter Christus, ipse Christus.
We really only have two options in this life: myself, or Jesus. Choose Him, and He’ll bring focus and intensity to your life.
Our purpose in life is a lens that focuses our poor talents onto a spot so hot we get to do the impossible. Thanks to God, not to us. But we’re that lens, right, and God is the sunlight. We don’t get to party all day all night. But we get to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, instruct the uninstructed. We get to live adventures that matter.
The driving force behind the idea that faith is not an adequate explanation for reality is rooted in the idea that the only truth is what can be measured — observed, quantified.
The problem, of course, is obvious: that idea, in itself, is a belief. It is an article of “faith”. It is also called “physicalist reductionism”.
Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas deny that matter with its properties and forces are an adequate explanation of the world. They argue that all the material things of nature are shot through with form; where there is form there is a manifestation of mind – a mind irreducible to one thing or all of them, yet permeating them all and suffusing them with form and working power.
The forms of the things of nature are a manifestation of the mind of God, and matter is formed according to his wisdom, and his wisdom is formulated in the principles and laws of nature.
A material thing is matter organized or configured in some way, where the organization or configuration is dynamic rather than static. That is, the organization of the matter includes causal relations among the material components of the thing as well as such static features as shape and spatial location. This dynamic configuration or organization is what Aquinas calls ‘form’ and what a modern mind might call ‘design’. A thing has the properties it has, including its causal powers, in virtue of having its specific configuration, structure, or design. The thing’s operations and functions derive from its form.
Destroy the form, violate the design, and that material thing is “damaged”, “dysfunctional”, “dead”.
Physicalist reductionism claims that physics explains everything, specifically physics. Does it?
If physicalist reductionism were true, then one science is completely reducible to another. One important challenge to this idea comes from biology: the observation of emergent properties.
Emergent properties, a concept pervasive in various scientific disciplines and not just biology, refer to phenomena that arise in complex systems but cannot be deduced solely from the understanding of their individual components. While emergent properties provide a rich source of inquiry in fields like biology, sociology, and economics, their presence poses a unique challenge within the realm of physics.
Physics, with its reductionist approach, seeks to understand the universe by dissecting it into its fundamental constituents and describing their interactions through mathematical laws. However, emergent properties defy this reductionist paradigm, showcasing that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. The challenge for physics lies in elucidating these emergent phenomena from the microscopic constituents it traditionally studies.
One example of emergent properties is consciousness in neuroscience. The human brain, composed of billions of neurons, exhibits consciousness—an emergent property that cannot be directly explained by understanding individual neurons. The gap in our understanding of how microscopic neural activities give rise to subjective experiences highlights the complexities that emergent properties introduce.
Just how this happens was the subject of a bet between neuroscientist Christof Koch and philosopher David Chalmers. In a 1994 conference Toward a Scientific Basis for Consciousness, Koch asserted that consciousness was scientifically tractable. For example, it can be explained by electrical oscillations that are perceived. Chalmers doubted that strictly physical process could account for WHY perceptions are accompanied by conscious sensations. In 1998 Koch bet Chalmers a case of fine wine that the mechanism by which the brain’s neurons produce consciousness would be discovered by 2023.
But identifying neural correlates of consciousness proved more complex than expected, with crucial aspects like self-awareness overlooked in studies. How brain processes create subjective conscious experience remains unsolved — and will remain that way for a very long time.
On June 25, 2023, during the 26th annual meeting of the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness (ASSC) at New York University, Chalmers was declared the winner. During the main event, Koch appeared on stage to present Chalmers with a case of fine wine.
This amusing yet significant wager between the two thinkers are described in the following articles:
It is challenging for physics to reconcile the macroscopic world with the microscopic laws that govern it. While physics excels at explaining fundamental particles and their interactions, the leap from quantum mechanics to classical mechanics and further to the macroscopic world, where emergent properties manifest may well prove impossible in many areas like neurophysiology. This transition is often described as the measurement problem or the quantum-to-classical transition problem.
Quantum mechanics, the bedrock of microscopic physics, operates with probabilities and uncertainties at its core. Yet, emergent properties, such as consciousness, seemingly defy this inherent quantum uncertainty. Bridging this gap requires a theoretical framework that harmonizes the microscopic and macroscopic realms, a task that remains elusive.
While physics has excelled in understanding the fundamental constituents of the universe, the emergence of complex properties and the elusiveness of reconciling the apparent contradictions between the microscopic and macroscopic realms remain. The pursuit of a unified theory that encompasses both micro and macro scales remains one of the most intriguing and elusive quests in the realm of scientific inquiry. At this point the sciences cannot be reduced to physics.
Some might say such a reduction could be done in principle. But this is circular. It seems reductionism is more of a fantasy. Scientists recognize their science has limited tools and doubt we can reduce it all to one science.
Some argue that there is no better method than measurement. In philosophy, intuitions are evidence. Therefore, by their argument, conclusions arrived at by intuition are not valid — yet the idea that truth is only what can be measured is itself an intuition.
What we actually do in daily life is we reflect on experience, and this reflection leads to truths. We intuit that we are free, have a purpose, can know the truth; the search for God is not pointless. We intuit our inherent dignity, that life is worth living, love is real, and consciousness too. If reductionism is true all this is false, all these are illusions of folk psychology or past.
They say let’s just accept God doesn’t exist, we’re no different from machines, love is just a chemical, relationships are just conveniences. Evidence clashes with philosophical intuitions.
But again, it is NOT science that makes these claims, but are implications of a specific philosophy, which clashes with intuitive evidence. We see that physicalist reductionism is FOR the destruction of human beings; its conclusions make us depressed. Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl (1905-1997), author of Man’s Search for Meaning, attributed mental disease to the propagation of physical reductionism and predicted its prevalence will increase. Many disorders come from an existential void and have become widespread today.
Intuition, philosophy, open us to the idea that we have souls, that our form was made for something. That something is for love, and truth and God. The reasonable thing, therefore, is to reject physicalist reductionism as a false and empty philosophy.
True wisdom is more than science and way more than physics.
In my last blog I talked about the difference between perception and perspective. I implied that perspective could give one an advantage in life, not just because it provides more useful information upon which to base one’s beliefs and behaviors, but also because it is more rare than the skill of perception.
In this blog I will be more practical. It will address the question: how do I improve my perspective?
Most people walk around living in their own perceptive haze, looking out into the world and taking only the information they can see, feel, hear, taste and touch. In contrast, the one who lives with perspective sees, feels, hears, tastes and touches the world as others do. This gives the person of perspective an information advantage. What is the advantage useful for? The person acting from perspective can predict what other people will do.
If you are a leader, a salesman, or anyone whose job depends upon persuading or influencing others, then to be good at your job you will need to discern what moves people to do what they do. Perspective is what allows you to do that. Perspective is not the same as empathy (understanding what others feel) or sympathy (feeling what others feel), which are judgments you make out of feeling. Perspective considers empathy and sympathy as part of a broader range of observations that also include behavior — actions, speech, what people do and say. If you can discern motivations you are able to pull levers, and that is your influence.
Although there may be no step-by-step program on how to learn this skill, a number of methods from military intelligence may help one to better transition from perception to perspective. Military intelligence is about discerning motives and logistics, and from that, deducing tactics and strategies. Intelligence is interested in accurate assessments, strategic planning, and effective decision-making. You are interested in these as well.
How do you do that?
Integrate data from various sources. Combine observations of what people say and do and under what circumstances. Observe their environment, the interactions they have with others, their favored places, and how they react.
Use a Red Team, i.e., people in your own circle whose job is to challenge your assumptions, facts, sources and reasoning. Members of the Red Team may also simulate emotional reactions. Some of them might act rude, especially when they point out shocking vulnerabilities. But they’re your friends, you get the picture.
Develop cultural intelligence and try to understand the cultural nuances of that influence the perspectives and actions of various actors who are the object of your analysis.
For more complex perspectives, you can engage your circle to visualize scenarios that explore a range of potential outcomes. This allows you to expand your perspectives even more, and devise strategies that are adaptable to diverse situations.
A cultural perspective also aims to understand the social and political dynamics that influence decisions. Religion, family or clan histories, and level of education have great effects on how people perceive grievances and motivations.
Foster collaboration and information-sharing among different people. You will want to have a wide network that will also include people who do not think at all like you. You will be consuming media that represent a spectrum of positions.
It is an advantage to have a grasp of human psychology. You should be able to identify incentives, and to understand how different people perceive information and messaging. This cannot be overstressed: people really differ in the way they PROCESS information, such that given exactly the same data, different people will reach different conclusions. The flip side is that people who belong in the same group tend to think so similarly that their “perspective” more closely resembles group perception, also called groupthink. Knowing these nuances also helps you craft effective communication strategies and counter adversarial narratives.
Learn ethics and incorporate that in your decision and action plans. Ethical actions are also considerate actions even as they try to be as objective as possible. Emotions can be formidable barriers to proper decision making, so much so that surgeons often refuse to operate on their relatives.
Always be learning. Update yourself about evolving political, geographical, cultural, and economic landscapes. Stay informed about technology. Be cautious also about how technology, e.g., social media, affects the way people think and how they see themselves and others. Consider how ideas can become fixed in the minds of people who are especially living in perceptive haze, i.e., those who refuse to see the world in any other way than their own.
Learn also to incorporate risk analysis in your thinking. People who are excited about their findings are the most blind to the potential difficulties and weak points, and so risk analysis is an important part of scenario planning. Note that risks often come from subjective fears and anxieties. In other words, we cannot assume that people will always act rationally. The beauty here is that people’s biases tend to fall within a few classes of cognitive errors. Daniel Kahneman describes these cognitive biases in his popular book Thinking, Fast and Slow.
“Our comforting conviction that the world makes sense rests on a secure foundation: our almost unlimited ability to ignore our ignorance.”
Daniel Kahneman (1934- )
The ability to transcend basic perception and gain a deeper understanding of perspectives is essential for accurate risk assessments, effective planning, and successful operations. These strategies ensure that you can navigate complex and dynamic social landscapes with a nuanced understanding of diverse perspectives.
Last weekend, I had lunch with a group of military officers and their aides. Across the table from me sat a Major from the special forces and a Colonel formerly from intelligence. At one point, I asked them whether it was true that in battle, a soldier is not really that nervous, and that the knees shake afterwards.
“Not true,” they said. “One is nervous and anxious especially before an encounter. When the enemy fires first, we are stunned — we hang — for about 5 seconds. But the moment we return fire, anxiety disappears, and it’s back to doing our job. The real manoeuvres actually happen after the first shots are fired.”
“And,” they added, “victory often belongs to the one who fires first.”
I refer to this little exchange to introduce an important skill: knowing the difference between perception and perspective. Put that way, before an encounter, the soldier perceives the battlefield to be a dangerous place where he must kill or be killed. After he returns fire, he sees the battlefield as an area for manoeuvering, for positioning himself to best hit the enemy.
Andrew Bustamante, inspirational speaker and former CIA agent, was asked what is the top professional skill to learn, and he said immediately that it was this one.
Recognizing the subtle differences between them is vital for fostering effective communication, empathetic connections, and a more nuanced grasp of reality. This impacts the way we respond to facts and feelings, and therefore, may have implications in personal development and well being.
Perception is the process by which we answer “What does this sensory information mean to me?” How does the world make sense to me as a result? Perception is “to live like the star on one’s own movie.” It is our natural way of being, the default option. Perception is susceptible to biases, cultural influences, and individual experiences.
Perspective is the ability to perceive oneself from another’s position. It is to “watch your life according to another’s point of view.” The soldier no longer thinks, “He’s trying to kill me“, but rather “Where is he shooting me fromand why from there?” In contrast to perception, it is not as natural and may require some training.
So now I get it. In the first 5 seconds after being shot at, a soldier perceives the enemy is trying to kill him. Perhaps those few seconds are filled with self doubt, fear, anger. All coming together, the man is stunned — perfectly natural. A soldier experiencing this for the first time, or who may have underlying psychological or emotional issues could hang for much longer than 5 seconds. A trained soldier would still experience these reactions. But returning fire overcomes these reactions. From this point, he sees how the enemy sees, thinks how the enemy thinks, sees his position the way the enemy sees it, and USES THIS KNOWLEDGE TO HIS ADVANTAGE regardless of any initial thoughts and fears he might have had.
On the other hand, coldness can turn to cold blood, explaining atrocities committed after a victory. The victor perceives the enemy as pure evil to be destroyed, without the perspective of their humanity.
I once advised a student that one of the most dangerous things especially for a sensitive soul is to be alone with his or her thoughts. It appears to me that perspective benefits from being more social, though it may also be accompanied by coldness and calculation even among close friends. Cold and calculating is good even among mates during battle.
Perception and perspective work together. It’s just harder to train perspective.
Understanding the distinction fosters effective communication. For example, you’re told that you’re too fat. You might perceive this in a positive light — you used to be malnourished. Or, you might in a negative light. Other people might just not care.
Is it because they have perspective? Maybe. If people told me I was fat, being a powerlifter, I would consider this advantageous — the heavier you are, the more weight you can lift. Or I’ll take it as a useless comment.
Dissociate my feelings from the facts allows me to use information to my advantage, the same data that would be catastrophic to me without practice.
I admit it is never easy to receive criticism. It is, in fact, a fear I must overcome when submitting articles to journals. When the reviews come, I perceive them to be attacks on my competence. I feel down, angry, why did I enter into this stupid profession? But, within a short while, I see these comments as constructive, and the pain turns to gratitude. I might conclude that the comments are not valid, but on the whole I end up appreciating all of them.
It may be more difficult to read these reviews for a number of reasons. When one has worked A LOT on a project, one naturally gets emotionally attached and thus more resistant to negative comments. When one has received many brutal comments in the past, one anticipates comments as evil and might not even submit the paper. The dread feelings are very real, but being real does not mean they are valid. Many people have quit their careers even before they got started, just because of the fear of failure and criticism.
Another reason for anxiety is when the reviewers are people I know and whom I do not like. Still, the perspective of an enemy is sometimes much more accurate than that of a friend. An enemy has nothing to prove. He is less inclined to sugarcoat his perspective and does not care about hurting your pride or your feelings and .
According to Bustamante, many people live their whole lives perceiving, without taking the trouble to learn perspective. I suspect many anxieties today, from the effect the Israel-Hamas conflict has on ordinary Tik Tokers to the anxieties passport bros inspire in women, are symptoms of a failure of perspective. Karens are ALL PERCEPTION. On the other hand, coldness and calculation can also lead to atrocities — Genghis Khan was notorious for using overwhelming violence as a weapon through sheer force of fear, and it worked. But he also had high level of perception. Perhaps recalling his own defeats and his role in them, he said:
“An action committed in anger is an action doomed to failure.”
It may well be useless to know the distinction between perception and perspective if one has not acquired wisdom especially from the study of history, ethics, and philosophy. It is, of course, just as useless without knowing how to execute.
jaylazzo 
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