Welcome to my project for personal intellectual growth and re-invigoration. A few years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to take a sabbatical after years of hard work in Corporate America.

I wanted to explore all the things I never had time for in the 9 to 5 world. I traveled, studied deeply and broadly, and wrote. The act of writing forces coherence and clarity.

A Platform for Intellectual Growth

Sharing written work and inviting feedback validates your thinking and uncovers gaps you might’ve missed.  Seems like a lot of people are only interested in virtue signaling: saying whatever they feel is expected or feels good rather than telling the truth. Maybe they feel threatened by other people’s opinions. I get it. It feels uncomfortable for me too. Understanding is a heavy burden. But, As Ayn Rand knew, “you can avoid reality but not the consequences of reality.”

In humility, I admit I don’t know enough, but with courage, I seek to understand. So, I’m deeply grateful to those who challenge my ideas because it gives me a chance to grow. Growth results from suffering. Remember Algebra 1, your first crush, plus hormone-driven teen anxiety all at the same time? I bet you grew a lot after that.

In the end, only good things will happen when someone critiques your ideas.  On the one hand, you may demonstrate how your ideas are correct, which will make you even more confident in your theories. Or, you can find out where you’ve made a mistake and improve your mental model of the world.

As C.S. Lewis said:

If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth, only . . . wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair.

I think the events of 2020 show we live in historic times and humanity faces unique challenges. However, our capacity to make sense of the world and deal with these challenges is diminishing.  Much depends on good men and women engaging in intellectually honest discussions, sharing ideas, and challenging each other’s thinking to understand the true nature of our increasingly complex world.

This blog is a collection of my essays exploring culture and wisdom from a rationalist perspective. Wisdom is the harmonious intersection of education and experience. I really hope you’ll share your thoughts in the comments section.

Truth Grows from Axiomatic Thinking

One must assume the existence of Objective Truth. I think this is the case because everything just falls apart without first principles or axioms which form the basis for rational thought. Plus, I think discussing things like “but, can we really trust the input of our five senses?” with Skeptics is just silly. This infographic summarizes Munchausen’s Trilemma, which substantiates the validity of belief in axiomatic objective truths.

Here’re some of my favorite essays:

• In Pursuit of Happiness: A Happiness Essay
• Commentary on Civilization and Its Discontents
• The Post Truth​ Era

Currently, I’m working on a series on Artificial Intelligence and Cognition. You can read it by clicking here.