Michael S Bell

Tipping the Scale for Good over Evil

michaelbellyo — Sun, 02 May 2010 17:58:52 +0000

University of Toronto Professor of Psychology Jordan Peterson discusses the nature of evil and its distinction from tragedy in a lecture presented at the 2008 Conference on Personal Meaning.

A few weeks ago I listened to the podcast version of a lecture from University of Toronto Professor of Psychology Jordan Peterson on TVO’s Big Ideas series.

Based on the opening of this talk, I didn’t think I was going to like it (it’s pretty intense right from the start), yet as it progressed, I found it more and more intriguing. As an academician, Professor Peterson has devoted his career to the study of evil, which he notes is distinctly separate from tragedy. He is a great speaker and he weaves in a wide range of content throughout the lecture to end with a very specific message–that each person has an obligation to build their character on a foundation of truth, not deception. He illustrates with examples of how single individuals have had great impact for good in the world. But he also talks about the dangers of relying on belief as a proxy for truth.

Like I said, it’s pretty intense . . . and yet, his message is also powerful and articulately delivered. He speaks about how great the human spirit can be when a person is willing to take on the obligation to develop a truly integrated personal character based on rigorous inquiry.

The lecture is 40+ minutes long, so it’s a bit of a commitment even just to check it out. But the first time I listened to it, I had a classic “NPR driveway moment.” I had arrived home but didn’t want to get out of the car because I had to hear what he was saying.

How to Remember Just About Anything

michaelbellyo — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:21:19 +0000

Here’s a memory hack I discovered a couple years ago. Whenever you think of something that you’ll need to remember, take a moment to visualize yourself in that future situation, doing or remembering that thing at that time. For example, if it’s a rainy day and you’re driving with your headlights on, picture yourself arriving at your destination and turning them off. If there’s something you want to take into the office tomorrow, picture yourself leaving in the morning with that specific item in hand.

This method works really well for me–I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been on the verge of blissfully forgetting something when I find myself in the situation that I previously visualized and the memory just sort of drops into my mind right when I need it.

I wouldn’t recommend this as a substitute for pen and paper, but if something important comes to you while you’re on the go and you’re afraid you’ll otherwise forget, give it a try.

Whatever You Are, Be a Good One

michaelbellyo — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 05:03:26 +0000

There are infinite paths in life and we each make our choices, whether deliberately or by default. So this blog will chronicle my efforts to choose well.

As Abraham Lincoln said, “Whatever you are, be a good one.”