Paradise Lost

There seems to be an ineluctable component of the human psyche that compels us to pursue Nirvana, the ultimate state of human well-being. In the past most major religions had mapped out a way to get there by spiritual paths. Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism had their own formulae about how to access Heaven, […]

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Trump’s Dilemma with Iran

Donald Trump’s postulated six week war against Iran has been dramatically inconclusive. Despite the USA’s military might and Israel’s formidable defence capability, a convincing defeat of Iran seems illusory. No doubt the USA and Israel have severely curtailed Iran’s military capability. And few of us would believe that is a bad thing, But they have […]

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Negotiating a Tumultuous World

We live in an ever-changing world where uncertainty seems to be increasing. We have major conflicts playing out in Ukraine and the Middle East. Western countries are facing cultural stress largely due to the burgeoning rates of migration of Muslims from the Middle East and North Africa. Our culture is also challenged by the left […]

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Our Undue Expectations of Happiness

Malcolm Fraser was a pretty uninspiring Prime Minister. Most of us remember him for two things. Firstly he was once discovered wandering around in the foyer of a hotel in the USA in his underpants! Secondly, and somewhat more profound, he once proclaimed that, “Life wasn’t meant to be easy.” Whether he was aware of […]

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The Eye of the Beholder


I have on a number of occasions referred to the following quote by Anais Nin: “We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.” It is such an insightful observation about how our minds shape our perception of the world. It suggests poignantly that there is no reality other than what […]

June 16, 2012

The Vision of Petrarch


The Italian scholar and poet, Francesca Petrarcha (1304-1374) was known in English as Petrarch. He was a contemporary and friend of Dante and Boccacio. He popularized the works of the Roman poet Cicero. Some of his own poems were later put to music by Franz Liszt. Petrarch is sometimes given the credit for instituting the […]

June 9, 2012

To Strive, to Seek, to Find, and Not to Yield


When I sit down to write my weekly blog essay I often feel a little uncomfortable. I write about disparate things of which I have little knowledge and I suspect I am indulged by a readership who on many occasions is more well-versed in the subject matter than I am. As I get older I […]

June 3, 2012

Does a Gorilla Have a Soul?


During a discussion with one of my friends recently, he related how he had seen a journal (at the airport I think) advertising an article on its front cover titled something to the effect “Does a Gorilla Have a Soul?” This is an intriguing question. It may of course be unanswerable. (Remember my reference in […]

May 26, 2012

Life is but a Dream


Many of you would remember the nursery rhyme round we used to sing in our school choirs. “Row, row, row your boat, Gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream.” There are many interpretations of this little verse. It has more depth than we ever imagined when we were merely […]

May 20, 2012

Seeing Things Differently


In my little blog essays I have often talked about world-views. My rusted-on readers would know by now that a “world-view” is essentially a filter through which we view the world. Anais Nin’s famous quote, “We don’t see things they way they are; we see things the way we are,” alludes to this truth. The […]

May 12, 2012

Working Mothers


Australia’s aging population is putting some strains on both our society and our economy. Many of our older workers are leaving the workforce resulting in a diminished tax base and a higher demand for health and welfare services. One of the strategies that both sides of politics is employing is to offer more inducements to […]

May 6, 2012

I and Me.


In his fabulous little book “Awareness” the Jesuit teacher Anthony de Mello differentiated the subjective self and the self as object by referring to them as “I” and “me” respectively. Not being able to make this differentiation causes us no end of troubles. The issue of dualism and its resolution has been a problem for […]

April 28, 2012

Working Australia


I have been a bit busy this week and haven’t been able to spend much time on a blog essay for you. But I thought I might discuss a few issues that relate to the world of work and where it is going. My good friend Charles Brass runs the Future of Work Foundation. We […]

April 21, 2012

Considerators, Dogmatics and Fanatics


I remember reading a quotation from someone eminent many years ago (my aging brain can’t quite grasp at this moment who) to the effect that it is a sign of psychological maturity to be able to hold two conflicting ideas in the mind at the same time. I know, myself, many times in my life […]

April 14, 2012