SPRINGBOARDS and WALKING STICKS

Posts

Trump's War On Facts—Is America Moving Towards Dictatorship?

This New York Times article by Peter Baker examines President Trump's systematic approach to suppressing unfavourable information and promoting his preferred narrative, particularly regarding employment statistics and government data. The article begins with an old Washington principle: while officials are entitled to their opinions, they are not entitled to their own facts. However, Baker argues that Trump has consistently violated this norm throughout his presidency, citing his tendency to attack intelligence reports that contradict his views, dispute cost estimates for his policies, and even delete mentions of inconvenient truths from government websites. The central incident discussed occurred when Trump fired a Labour Department official responsible for compiling employment statistics, apparently because recent jobs reports showed economic performance that contradicted his claims of success. Trump dismissed these numbers as "phony" and declared the data was "hi...

Returning to the Feminine: A Path Beyond Aggression

In the theatre of human existence, we have long celebrated the aggressive, the conquering, and the dominant. Society has painted masculinity in bold strokes of conflict and control, crowning those who fight and defeat as heroes worthy of privilege and power. Yet beneath this constructed narrative lies a deeper truth that challenges our most fundamental assumptions about human nature. Bobby Jose Capuchin challenged me into the following line of thinking. Science tells us what ancient wisdom has long whispered: we all begin our journey in the feminine form. For seven weeks in the womb, every human embryo follows the same path, undifferentiated and unified. Only then does the divergence occur, as hormones and genetics guide some toward what we label masculine traits, what remains of the early feminine form in men are his nipples. This biological reality suggests that aggression is not our natural state but rather an overlay, a secondary development that obscures our original nature. ...

Jesus Sends Seventy-Two To Meet And Get Transformed

For a person of faith, ‘God comes, ever comes’ is a constant experience; logically, it also means that God goes, ever goes to the other. We read in Romans, “God came to save us when we were still sinners.” At another point of time in history we were the other to whom God came. Throughout his earthly journey, Jesus demonstrated a radical commitment to crossing boundaries, meeting others. This wasn't merely a strategy for spreading his message—it was a fundamental aspect of his vision for humanity. He didn't establish a comfortable base and wait for people to come to him. Instead, he was constantly moving—crossing territorial boundaries, cultural divides, and social barriers. He didn't try to change people from a distance through arguments or condemnation. He shared meals with tax collectors, conversed with Samaritan women, touched lepers, and welcomed children. Each encounter was an act of radical hospitality that said, you matter and your story matters. Jesus didn't k...

Jesus Does The Inevitable

The shores of the Gadarenes witnessed something unprecedented that day. Two men, so possessed and tormented by demons that they had become legends of terror in their community, encountered the Son of God ( Matthew 8: 28-34) . What happened next reveals profound truths about God’s intervention in our lives. The situation was not ordinary. These weren't ordinary troubled individuals. Matthew describes them as "so violent that no one could pass that way." The parallel accounts in Mark and Luke focus on the demoniac whose condition was so severe that chains couldn't hold him, and he lived among the tombs, crying out and cutting himself; and seemingly beyond all hope of restoration. This mirrors countless situations we face today. Consider the stories that seem impossible: the addict who has been through rehabilitation programs multiple times, the marriage that appears irreparably broken, the chronic illness that has defeated every treatment, or the financial situation th...

Containing Paradoxes

We crave simplicity, don't we? We want things to be neatly categorised, definitively good or bad, right or wrong. But the truth is, life rarely conforms to such clean lines. Life is inherently paradoxical. It’s a tapestry woven with threads of opposing colours, and its true beauty only emerges when we learn to appreciate the entire, sometimes contradictory, design. Containing paradoxes is maturity. What does it mean to contain a paradox? It doesn't mean ignoring the contradictions or pretending they don't exist. It means holding two seemingly opposing truths simultaneously, without feeling the need to discard one or the other. It means accepting that complexity is the norm, not the exception. Life truly is full of paradoxes. Consider our experiences with people. We often know a lot of "bad" things about others – their flaws, their mistakes, their less admirable traits. Perhaps we've been hurt by them, disappointed by them, or seen them at their worst. And it...

Being An Adult

Life is a journey we all embark upon, often without a map, and sometimes without even realising we’ve truly begun. I would not be wrong if I say that being an adult is the goal of one’s life. We often define adulthood by chronological age, by legal milestones, or by external markers like careers and families. But I propose that true adulthood is something far deeper, far more profound than ticking off a list of societal expectations. It's a state of being, a mindset, and a powerful embrace of self. At its core, being an adult is to be autonomous. It is to stand on your own two feet, not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It is the ability to make conscious choices, to navigate the complexities of life, and to chart your own course with a sense of purpose and responsibility. This autonomy is not about isolation; it's about agency. It's about knowing who you are, what you value, and making decisions that align with your authentic self. Adulthood, in...

Love

When we are driven by measurable outcomes, loving is challenging. We often say, "I love you because you're kind," or "I love you because you make me laugh," or "I love you because you support me." These are beautiful sentiments, aren't they? They speak to qualities we appreciate, to comfort we find, to needs that are met. But what if I told you that the deepest, most authentic love lies beyond these reasons? What if true love is not about the "because," but about the "just is"? Love goes beyond likes and dislikes. If I do not know why I love you, that is real love; if I know why I love you, it is business, it has a payoff, could be money, emotional support, etc. If there is a payoff, it is not true love, it is business. This isn't to diminish the joy and value we find in relationships where our needs are met. Kindness, laughter, support – these are wonderful things. But if our love is contingent upon these payoffs, if it...

Affection and Abuse: A Critical Examination of Boundaries and Vulnerability

There is a very thin line between affection and abuse, therefore one can abuse another in a relationship in the guise of affection, and it happens more easily with children. To understand the purported thin line, it is crucial to first establish clear conceptual definitions for both affection and abuse. Affection , in healthy interpersonal relationships, is characterised by genuine care, warmth, fondness, and positive regard for another individual. Its expression is typically nurturing, supportive, and intended to foster emotional well-being, connection, and security. Key attributes of healthy affection include: Reciprocity: It is often mutual and flows freely between individuals. Respect for Autonomy: Affection does not seek to control or diminish the other person's individuality or choices. Empathy: It involves an understanding of and responsiveness to the other's emotional states. Non-coercive: It is given freely and does not carry manipulative conditions or expectations. B...

Overcoming Contact Bias

In spite of the advancement in communication and connectivity, it's paradoxical how often we remain isolated within our own echo chambers, surrounded primarily by those who mirror our experiences and beliefs. This phenomenon is often rooted in what is termed "contact bias"—the inability to relate to others due to a lack of sustained personal contact. This bias, whether born of missed opportunities or outright unwillingness, allows prejudices to flourish unchecked and false assumptions to go unchallenged. Understanding and actively combating contact bias is not merely a social nicety; it is a vital step towards personal growth, societal harmony, and a richer, more empathetic existence. Contact bias manifests in numerous facets of life; from the initial fear of a Protestant child towards a Catholic family in a small town to the chasm between the rich and the poor; it is often not that the rich hate the poor, it’s that the rich don’t even know the poor. Political polarisati...

The Nature of Knowledge

In our digital age, where vast repositories of information are accessible at the touch of a screen, we must carefully examine what we mean when we speak of knowledge. Is knowledge merely the accumulation of facts and data, or does it represent something deeper—a transformation that occurs when information encounters experience? The distinction between information that we can recite and knowledge that changes us lies at the heart of meaningful learning and genuine wisdom. Knowledge begins its journey through our senses, serving as gateways between the external world and our internal understanding. Every sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell carries potential information that our brains must process, interpret, and categorise. This sensory input forms the raw material from which knowledge is constructed, but the mere reception of information does not automatically constitute knowledge. Our brains function as sophisticated processing centres, taking the constant stream of sensory dat...

Otto Scharmer's Four Levels of Listening

In our hyper-connected world, where information flows constantly and conversations happen at breakneck speed, the art of listening has become both more crucial and more challenging than ever. Otto Scharmer's framework of four levels of listening offers a profound lens through which we can understand not just how we hear, but how the quality of our listening shapes the very nature of our interactions and the possibilities that emerge from them. This progression from downloading to generative listening represents a journey from closed, confirmatory reception to open, creative collaboration—it is a journey from confirmation to creation. Downloading The first level of listening, downloading, represents our most basic and unfortunately most common form of auditory engagement. In this mode, we become selective filters, unconsciously seeking information that confirms our existing beliefs, assumptions, and expectations while filtering out anything that might challenge our established worl...

Harnessing Emotional Energy for Constructive Action

In a world that often prizes rationality and emotional restraint, we frequently overlook one of humanity's most powerful resources: our emotions. Far from being obstacles to overcome or weaknesses to suppress, emotions serve as fundamental drivers of human action and achievement. The notion that we should "be emotional" challenges conventional wisdom and invites us to reconsider how we understand and utilise our emotional experiences as sources of energy and motivation. Emotions are not merely fleeting feelings or inconvenient interruptions to logical thinking—they are powerful energy systems that mobilise us toward action. Every emotion, whether positive or negative, carries within it a charge that can propel us forward, motivate change, and drive performance. This emotional energy represents one of our most abundant and renewable resources, yet it remains largely untapped by many individuals and organisations. When we examine high-achieving individuals across various f...

Tuckman's Team Building Model

Every team, group, or community has a unique journey from formation to dissolution, characterised by distinct phases of growth, challenge, and achievement. Bruce Tuckman's model of team development, first introduced in 1965 and later refined in the 1970s, remains one of the most influential frameworks for understanding how teams evolve and what leaders can do to support their development at each stage. Tuckman's model identifies five consecutive stages that teams typically experience: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning (originally called Mourning). Each stage presents unique challenges and opportunities, requiring different leadership approaches and interventions to help teams reach their full potential. 1. Forming: Building the Foundation The Forming stage represents the initial phase when a group of individuals comes together with the intention of becoming a team. During this critical period, team members are still getting acquainted with one another whil...