Podcasts about philosopher george santayana

Philosopher George Santayana's words from a century ago still resonate today amidst a world plagued by political and civil conflict. ACLED founder Clionadh Raleigh, a leading expert in political violence, sheds light on the reality of global conflict, exploring its various forms and devastating consequences for civilians. Join us as we delve into the disappearance of the "peace dividend," challenge optimistic narratives of progress, and confront the harsh truths of our contemporary world. Listen in to gain insight into the nature and scope of violent global civil conflict.

Philosopher George Santayana is credited with saying, ​Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Is that what we're experiencing now? It sure seems like we're seeing many of the same economic conditions as the 1970s. We'll talk about that with Mark Biller today. Mark Biller is the executive editor at Sound Mind Investing. Mark recently wrote an article for the latest SMI newsletter called 1970s Redux? about the similarities between now and the 1970s. So what are they? Here's a short list: - Soaring energy prices. - Relentlessly rising inflation. - Slowing economic growth. - A stock market coming off a long period of impressive gains, led by a group of seemingly invincible growth giants. Big picture, the last significant pivot from a low-inflation environment to a higher-inflation environment was in the late-1960s. So it's pretty natural that as today's investors are dealing with this first inflationary surge in many years, they're turning back to that late-60s/early-70s period to study the similarities. And as they do that, they're finding there are a number of things in common. What does that mean for investing? The big thing that immediately jumps out to any stock market historian when you start talking about the 1960s and 70s is that the stock market basically flattened out for 16 years. The Dow Jones index was still at the same level in 1982 as it had been in 1966. Investors actually lost purchasing power over those years. Suffice it to say then, it wasn't a great time to be a stock investor. The main point of the article wasn't to say we're for sure entering another period like that 1966-1982 period. Maybe we are, maybe we aren't. The main point was actually to alert readers that these long pauses in the market aren't as uncommon as you'd think. There's a chart in the article that shows the performance of the stock market going all the way back to 1930. The chart shows that over the last 90 years, the market moved through several distinct bull, bear, and sideways periods, and each was quite prolonged at times. Between the really big bull market advances, like we had from 1982-2000, and again from 2009-2021, there were these uncomfortably long periods where the stock market just flattened out. That's not to say there weren't significant bull and bear markets within those flat periods. The 1966-1982 period we're talking about had four separate bull markets and five bear markets. But at the end of all that, 16 years went by with the market ending at roughly the same level it started. The same thing happened between 2000 and 2010 we had two major bear markets of minus-50% each, but the total return for the decade was roughly flat. What effect do those periods have on investors? These secular bear markets, as these lengthy flat periods are sometimes called, are a scary proposition for investors to consider. Most investors today believe in buy-and-hold investing using index funds. Obviously seeing periods where the market flatlines for a decade or more isn't great for that approach. But as we just talked about, the reality is we've had three of these long, flat plateaus in the last 90 years, so we have to at least consider the possibility we could run into another one IF we're transitioning from a low-inflation environment to a higher-inflation environment. Thankfully, accepting the fact that these secular bear markets do come along from time to time doesn't necessarily mean we have to worry about them. Mark Biller says we need to consider, or factor in these bear markets. But how exactly do we do that? Biller says there are two key questions that are going to heavily influence how a person views these market plateaus. The first question is how long is your investing time frame? A 40-year-old investor should react differently than a 60-year-old investor to the prospect of a decade of flat market returns. It's clearly more of a threat for a retiree or near-retiree due to their shorter investing time horizons. But a decade of sideways markets is exactly what a younger worker should be hoping for because it's a tremendous opportunity to load up on shares at reasonable prices before the next big secular bull market arrives and pushes stock prices higher again. And really, even for those about to retire, a decade of flat returns may not be quite as dire as it seems, given that most retirement time frames usually extend at least 20 years into the future. It's not the best for those already in retirement, but they've at least had the benefit of a long recent bull market to prop up their nest egg values. The second question for living through an extended bear market is this: Are you simply indexing and needing the whole market to move higher for you to be successful, or does your investing approach allow for you to potentially still do well if some parts of the market are rising while the overall market is flat? That's a more active management approach, which has fallen out of favor in recent years. But if we are returning to more of a 70s-like environment, it may be time to dust off some of the approaches that were successful during that period. One of the more interesting parallels of the recent market to the early-70s is the way investors in both periods fell in love with the famous growth stocks of the day. Everyone today knows the FAANG stocks - today's tech darlings like Apple, Amazon, Google, and so on. Well, in the late-60s and early-70s a similar thing happened with the growth darlings of that era. They called them the Nifty 50 and they were often referred to as one decision stocks because the only decision was to buy, as investors never sold these. But by the end of the 1970s, most of the Nifty 50 stocks had lost 50% or more of their value and investors had moved on to favoring other stocks. It's not a random coincidence that both of these periods set up this way. When interest rates are low and money is cheap, high-flying growth stocks tend to outperform. But as inflation rises, interest rates typically go up, which tends to favor old economy companies that make physical stuff. So, will the current market repeat the 1970s pattern? Nobody knows the answer to that question right now. Again, a big part of the answer will likely be determined by how persistent inflation is. There are smart people arguing both sides of that question, but the reality is nobody knows how the inflation story will play out over the next several years. But there are some interesting possibilities to consider here, including some areas of the market like commodities and energy stocks that investors have basically ignored for the past decade while everyone piled into tech stocks. And again, even if the next decade does resemble the 70s, it won't last forever. Eventually, the flat period will end and we'll get another secular, long-term bull market. Younger investors in particular should be excited about the opportunity to accumulate shares during the flat years anticipating that eventually a new bull market will push those share prices higher. It's so hard to get our eyes off the day-to-day gyrations of the market. But when we pull back and look at these longer market cycles, it emphasizes to us why it's worth trying to preserve our capital during bear markets like we've had this year. If we can figure out how to keep it carefully growing during any long plateau seasons we run into, it puts us in a great position to profit whenever the next secular bull market begins. If any listeners want to see the chart we've been discussing or learn more about how SMI is approaching these challenges, the article is called 1970's Redux and it's available to read at Sound Mind Investing. On today's program, Rob also answers listener questions: ● When does it make sense to refinance your mortgage? ● What's the best thing for a person turning 90 to do with an annuity? Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000 or email them to Questions@MoneyWise.org. Also, visit our website at MoneyWise.org where you can connect with a MoneyWise Coach, join the MoneyWise Community, and even download the free MoneyWise app. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

Philosopher George Santayana is credited with saying, ​Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Is that what we're experiencing now? It sure seems like we're seeing many of the same economic conditions as the 1970s. We'll talk about that with Mark Biller today. Mark Biller is the executive editor at Sound Mind Investing. Mark recently wrote an article for the latest SMI newsletter called 1970s Redux? about the similarities between now and the 1970s. So what are they? Here's a short list: - Soaring energy prices. - Relentlessly rising inflation. - Slowing economic growth. - A stock market coming off a long period of impressive gains, led by a group of seemingly invincible growth giants. Big picture, the last significant pivot from a low-inflation environment to a higher-inflation environment was in the late-1960s. So it's pretty natural that as today's investors are dealing with this first inflationary surge in many years, they're turning back to that late-60s/early-70s period to study the similarities. And as they do that, they're finding there are a number of things in common. What does that mean for investing? The big thing that immediately jumps out to any stock market historian when you start talking about the 1960s and 70s is that the stock market basically flattened out for 16 years. The Dow Jones index was still at the same level in 1982 as it had been in 1966. Investors actually lost purchasing power over those years. Suffice it to say then, it wasn't a great time to be a stock investor. The main point of the article wasn't to say we're for sure entering another period like that 1966-1982 period. Maybe we are, maybe we aren't. The main point was actually to alert readers that these long pauses in the market aren't as uncommon as you'd think. There's a chart in the article that shows the performance of the stock market going all the way back to 1930. The chart shows that over the last 90 years, the market moved through several distinct bull, bear, and sideways periods, and each was quite prolonged at times. Between the really big bull market advances, like we had from 1982-2000, and again from 2009-2021, there were these uncomfortably long periods where the stock market just flattened out. That's not to say there weren't significant bull and bear markets within those flat periods. The 1966-1982 period we're talking about had four separate bull markets and five bear markets. But at the end of all that, 16 years went by with the market ending at roughly the same level it started. The same thing happened between 2000 and 2010 we had two major bear markets of minus-50% each, but the total return for the decade was roughly flat. What effect do those periods have on investors? These secular bear markets, as these lengthy flat periods are sometimes called, are a scary proposition for investors to consider. Most investors today believe in buy-and-hold investing using index funds. Obviously seeing periods where the market flatlines for a decade or more isn't great for that approach. But as we just talked about, the reality is we've had three of these long, flat plateaus in the last 90 years, so we have to at least consider the possibility we could run into another one IF we're transitioning from a low-inflation environment to a higher-inflation environment. Thankfully, accepting the fact that these secular bear markets do come along from time to time doesn't necessarily mean we have to worry about them. Mark Biller says we need to consider, or factor in these bear markets. But how exactly do we do that? Biller says there are two key questions that are going to heavily influence how a person views these market plateaus. The first question is how long is your investing time frame? A 40-year-old investor should react differently than a 60-year-old investor to the prospect of a decade of flat market returns. It's clearly more of a threat for a retiree or near-retiree due to their shorter investing time horizons. But a decade of sideways markets is exactly what a younger worker should be hoping for because it's a tremendous opportunity to load up on shares at reasonable prices before the next big secular bull market arrives and pushes stock prices higher again. And really, even for those about to retire, a decade of flat returns may not be quite as dire as it seems, given that most retirement time frames usually extend at least 20 years into the future. It's not the best for those already in retirement, but they've at least had the benefit of a long recent bull market to prop up their nest egg values. The second question for living through an extended bear market is this: Are you simply indexing and needing the whole market to move higher for you to be successful, or does your investing approach allow for you to potentially still do well if some parts of the market are rising while the overall market is flat? That's a more active management approach, which has fallen out of favor in recent years. But if we are returning to more of a 70s-like environment, it may be time to dust off some of the approaches that were successful during that period. One of the more interesting parallels of the recent market to the early-70s is the way investors in both periods fell in love with the famous growth stocks of the day. Everyone today knows the FAANG stocks - today's tech darlings like Apple, Amazon, Google, and so on. Well, in the late-60s and early-70s a similar thing happened with the growth darlings of that era. They called them the Nifty 50 and they were often referred to as one decision stocks because the only decision was to buy, as investors never sold these. But by the end of the 1970s, most of the Nifty 50 stocks had lost 50% or more of their value and investors had moved on to favoring other stocks. It's not a random coincidence that both of these periods set up this way. When interest rates are low and money is cheap, high-flying growth stocks tend to outperform. But as inflation rises, interest rates typically go up, which tends to favor old economy companies that make physical stuff. So, will the current market repeat the 1970s pattern? Nobody knows the answer to that question right now. Again, a big part of the answer will likely be determined by how persistent inflation is. There are smart people arguing both sides of that question, but the reality is nobody knows how the inflation story will play out over the next several years. But there are some interesting possibilities to consider here, including some areas of the market like commodities and energy stocks that investors have basically ignored for the past decade while everyone piled into tech stocks. And again, even if the next decade does resemble the 70s, it won't last forever. Eventually, the flat period will end and we'll get another secular, long-term bull market. Younger investors in particular should be excited about the opportunity to accumulate shares during the flat years anticipating that eventually a new bull market will push those share prices higher. It's so hard to get our eyes off the day-to-day gyrations of the market. But when we pull back and look at these longer market cycles, it emphasizes to us why it's worth trying to preserve our capital during bear markets like we've had this year. If we can figure out how to keep it carefully growing during any long plateau seasons we run into, it puts us in a great position to profit whenever the next secular bull market begins. If any listeners want to see the chart we've been discussing or learn more about how SMI is approaching these challenges, the article is called 1970's Redux and it's available to read at Sound Mind Investing. On today's program, Rob also answers listener questions: ● When does it make sense to refinance your mortgage? ● What's the best thing for a person turning 90 to do with an annuity? Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000 or email them to Questions@MoneyWise.org. Also, visit our website at MoneyWise.org where you can connect with a MoneyWise Coach, join the MoneyWise Community, and even download the free MoneyWise app. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

Philosopher George Santayana is credited with saying, ​Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Is that what we're experiencing now? It sure seems like we're seeing many of the same economic conditions as the 1970s. We'll talk about that with Mark Biller today. Mark Biller is the executive editor at Sound Mind Investing. Mark recently wrote an article for the latest SMI newsletter called 1970s Redux? about the similarities between now and the 1970s. So what are they? Here's a short list: - Soaring energy prices. - Relentlessly rising inflation. - Slowing economic growth. - A stock market coming off a long period of impressive gains, led by a group of seemingly invincible growth giants. Big picture, the last significant pivot from a low-inflation environment to a higher-inflation environment was in the late-1960s. So it's pretty natural that as today's investors are dealing with this first inflationary surge in many years, they're turning back to that late-60s/early-70s period to study the similarities. And as they do that, they're finding there are a number of things in common. What does that mean for investing? The big thing that immediately jumps out to any stock market historian when you start talking about the 1960s and 70s is that the stock market basically flattened out for 16 years. The Dow Jones index was still at the same level in 1982 as it had been in 1966. Investors actually lost purchasing power over those years. Suffice it to say then, it wasn't a great time to be a stock investor. The main point of the article wasn't to say we're for sure entering another period like that 1966-1982 period. Maybe we are, maybe we aren't. The main point was actually to alert readers that these long pauses in the market aren't as uncommon as you'd think. There's a chart in the article that shows the performance of the stock market going all the way back to 1930. The chart shows that over the last 90 years, the market moved through several distinct bull, bear, and sideways periods, and each was quite prolonged at times. Between the really big bull market advances, like we had from 1982-2000, and again from 2009-2021, there were these uncomfortably long periods where the stock market just flattened out. That's not to say there weren't significant bull and bear markets within those flat periods. The 1966-1982 period we're talking about had four separate bull markets and five bear markets. But at the end of all that, 16 years went by with the market ending at roughly the same level it started. The same thing happened between 2000 and 2010 we had two major bear markets of minus-50% each, but the total return for the decade was roughly flat. What effect do those periods have on investors? These secular bear markets, as these lengthy flat periods are sometimes called, are a scary proposition for investors to consider. Most investors today believe in buy-and-hold investing using index funds. Obviously seeing periods where the market flatlines for a decade or more isn't great for that approach. But as we just talked about, the reality is we've had three of these long, flat plateaus in the last 90 years, so we have to at least consider the possibility we could run into another one IF we're transitioning from a low-inflation environment to a higher-inflation environment. Thankfully, accepting the fact that these secular bear markets do come along from time to time doesn't necessarily mean we have to worry about them. Mark Biller says we need to consider, or factor in these bear markets. But how exactly do we do that? Biller says there are two key questions that are going to heavily influence how a person views these market plateaus. The first question is how long is your investing time frame? A 40-year-old investor should react differently than a 60-year-old investor to the prospect of a decade of flat market returns. It's clearly more of a threat for a retiree or near-retiree due to their shorter investing time horizons. But a decade of sideways markets is exactly what a younger worker should be hoping for because it's a tremendous opportunity to load up on shares at reasonable prices before the next big secular bull market arrives and pushes stock prices higher again. And really, even for those about to retire, a decade of flat returns may not be quite as dire as it seems, given that most retirement time frames usually extend at least 20 years into the future. It's not the best for those already in retirement, but they've at least had the benefit of a long recent bull market to prop up their nest egg values. The second question for living through an extended bear market is this: Are you simply indexing and needing the whole market to move higher for you to be successful, or does your investing approach allow for you to potentially still do well if some parts of the market are rising while the overall market is flat? That's a more active management approach, which has fallen out of favor in recent years. But if we are returning to more of a 70s-like environment, it may be time to dust off some of the approaches that were successful during that period. One of the more interesting parallels of the recent market to the early-70s is the way investors in both periods fell in love with the famous growth stocks of the day. Everyone today knows the FAANG stocks - today's tech darlings like Apple, Amazon, Google, and so on. Well, in the late-60s and early-70s a similar thing happened with the growth darlings of that era. They called them the Nifty 50 and they were often referred to as one decision stocks because the only decision was to buy, as investors never sold these. But by the end of the 1970s, most of the Nifty 50 stocks had lost 50% or more of their value and investors had moved on to favoring other stocks. It's not a random coincidence that both of these periods set up this way. When interest rates are low and money is cheap, high-flying growth stocks tend to outperform. But as inflation rises, interest rates typically go up, which tends to favor old economy companies that make physical stuff. So, will the current market repeat the 1970s pattern? Nobody knows the answer to that question right now. Again, a big part of the answer will likely be determined by how persistent inflation is. There are smart people arguing both sides of that question, but the reality is nobody knows how the inflation story will play out over the next several years. But there are some interesting possibilities to consider here, including some areas of the market like commodities and energy stocks that investors have basically ignored for the past decade while everyone piled into tech stocks. And again, even if the next decade does resemble the 70s, it won't last forever. Eventually, the flat period will end and we'll get another secular, long-term bull market. Younger investors in particular should be excited about the opportunity to accumulate shares during the flat years anticipating that eventually a new bull market will push those share prices higher. It's so hard to get our eyes off the day-to-day gyrations of the market. But when we pull back and look at these longer market cycles, it emphasizes to us why it's worth trying to preserve our capital during bear markets like we've had this year. If we can figure out how to keep it carefully growing during any long plateau seasons we run into, it puts us in a great position to profit whenever the next secular bull market begins. If any listeners want to see the chart we've been discussing or learn more about how SMI is approaching these challenges, the article is called 1970's Redux and it's available to read at Sound Mind Investing. On today's program, Rob also answers listener questions: ● When does it make sense to refinance your mortgage? ● What's the best thing for a person turning 90 to do with an annuity? Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000 or email them to Questions@MoneyWise.org. Also, visit our website at MoneyWise.org where you can connect with a MoneyWise Coach, join the MoneyWise Community, and even download the free MoneyWise app. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1085/29

At 79, Joe Biden is the oldest president in American history. Concerns about his age top the list for why Democratic voters want the party to find an alternative for 2024.I don't think this reflects an “ageist” prejudice against those who have reached such withering heights so much as an understanding that people in their late 70s and 80s wither.I speak with some authority. I'm now a spritely 76 — lightyears younger than our president. I feel fit, I swing dance and salsa, and can do 20 pushups in a row. Yet I confess to a certain loss of, shall we say, fizz.  Joe Biden could easily make it until 86, when he'd conclude his second term. After all, it's now thought a bit disappointing if a person dies before 85. My mother passed at 86, my father two weeks before his 102nd birthday (so I'm hoping for the best, genetically speaking). Three score and ten is the number of years of life set out in the Bible. Modern technology and Big Pharma should add at least a decade and a half. Beyond this is an extra helping. “After 80, it's gravy,” my father used to say. Joe will be on the cusp of the gravy train. Where will it end? There's only one possibility, and that reality occurs to me with increasing frequency. I find myself reading the obituary pages with ever greater interest, curious about how long they lasted and what brought them down. I remember a New Yorker cartoon in which an older reader of the obituaries sees headlines that read only “Older Than Me” or “Younger Than Me.”Yet most of the time I forget my age. The other day, after lunch with some of my graduate students, I caught our reflection in a store window and for an instant wondered about the identity of the short old man in our midst.It's not death that's the worrying thing about a second Biden term. It's the dwindling capacities that go with aging. "Bodily decrepitude," said Yeats, "is wisdom." I have accumulated somewhat more of the former than the latter, but our president seems fairly spry (why do I feel I have to add “for someone his age?”). I still have my teeth, in contrast to my grandfather whom I vividly recall storing his choppers in a glass next to his bed, and have so far steered clear of heart attack or stroke (I pray I'm not tempting fate by my stating this fact). But I've lived through several kidney stones and a few unexplained fits of epilepsy in my late thirties. I've had both hips replaced. And my hearing is crap. Even with hearing aids, I have a hard time understanding someone talking to me in a noisy restaurant. You'd think that the sheer market power of 60 million boomers losing their hearing would be enough to generate at least one chain of quiet restaurants.When I get together with old friends, our first ritual is an “organ recital” — how's your back? knee? heart? hip? shoulder? eyesight? hearing? prostate? hemorrhoids? digestion? The recital can run (and ruin) an entire lunch. The question my friends and I jokingly (and brutishly) asked one other in college—"getting much?"—now refers not to sex but to sleep. I don't know anyone over 75 who sleeps through the night. When he was president, Bill Clinton prided himself on getting only about four hours. But he was in his forties then. (I also recall cabinet meetings where he dozed off.) How does Biden manage?My memory for names is horrible. (I once asked Ted Kennedy how he recalled names and he advised that if a man is over 50, just ask “how's the back?” and he'll think you know him.) I often can't remember where I put my wallet and keys or why I've entered a room. And certain proper nouns have disappeared altogether. Even when rediscovered, they have a diabolical way of disappearing again. Biden's secret service detail can worry about his wallet and he's got a teleprompter for wayward nouns, but I'm sure he's experiencing some diminution in the memory department. I have lost much of my enthusiasm for travel and feel, as did Philip Larkin, that I would like to visit China, but only on the condition that I could return home that night. Air Force One makes this possible under most circumstances. If not, it has a first-class bedroom and personal bathroom, so I don't expect Biden's trips are overly taxing. I'm told that after the age of 60, one loses half an inch of height every five years. This doesn't appear to be a problem for Biden but it presents a challenge for me, considering that at my zenith I didn't quite make it to five feet. If I live as long as my father did, I may vanish.Another diminution I've noticed is tact. A few days ago, I gave the finger to a driver who passed me recklessly. These days, giving the finger to a stranger is itself a reckless act. I'm also noticing I have less patience, perhaps because of an unconscious “use by” timer that's now clicking away. Increasingly I wonder why I'm wasting time with this or that buffoon. I'm less tolerant of long waiting lines, automated phone menus, and Republicans. Cicero claimed "older people who are reasonable, good-tempered, and gracious bear aging well. Those who are mean-spirited and irritable will be unhappy at every stage of their lives." Easy for Cicero to say. He was forced into exile and murdered at the age of 63, his decapitated head and right hand hung up in the Forum by order of the notoriously mean-spirited and irritable Marcus Antonius. How the hell does Biden maintain tact or patience when he has to deal with Mitch McConnell? Or Joe Manchin, for crying out loud? The style sections of the papers tell us that the 70s are the new 50s. Septuagenarians are supposed to be fit and alert, exercise like mad, have rip-roaring sex, and party until dawn. Rubbish. Inevitably, things begin falling apart. My aunt, who lived far into her nineties, told me “getting old isn't for sissies.” Toward the end she repeated that phrase every two to three minutes.Philosopher George Santayana claimed to prefer old age to all others. "Old age is, or may be as in my case, far happier than youth," he wrote. "I was never more entertained or less troubled than I am now." True for me too, in a way. Despite Trump, notwithstanding the seditiousness of the Republican Party, the ravages of climate change, near record inequality, a potential nuclear war, and a stubborn pandemic, I remain upbeat -- largely because I still spend most days with people in their twenties, whose fizz buoys my spirits. Maybe Biden does, too.But I'm feeling more and more out of it. I'm doing videos on TikTok and Snapchat, but when my students talk about Ariana Grande or Selena Gomez or Jared Leto, I don't have clue who they're talking about (and frankly don't care). And I find myself using words –- “hence,” “utmost,” “therefore,” “tony,” “brilliant” — that my younger colleagues find charmingly old-fashioned. If I refer to “Rose Marie Woods” or “Jackie Robinson” or “Ed Sullivan” or “Mary Jo Kopechne,” they're bewildered. The culture has flipped in so many ways. When I was seventeen, I could go into a drugstore and confidently ask for a package of Luckies and nervously whisper a request for condoms. Now it's precisely the reverse. (I stopped smoking long ago.)Santayana said the reason that old people have nothing but foreboding about the future is that they cannot imagine a world that's good without themselves in it. I don't share that view. To the contrary, I think my generation — including Bill and Hillary, George W., Trump, Newt Gingrich, Clarence Thomas, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and Biden – have fucked it up royally. The world will probably be better without us.Joe, please don't run. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Philosopher George Santayana said, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” But what happens when the remembered past is painful? The pains of yesterday have a way of claiming power today. Or as William Faulkner once said, “The past isn't dead. It's not even past.” Memory is a powerful thing; it is also a risky thing.  As Rev. Tom Are preaches in this sermon, sometimes we need to learn from the God who promises, “I will not remember your sins.” Our scripture readings are Isaiah 43:22-25 and selected portions of Genesis 44. Support the show

The Bible gives us a filter that can help us evaluate every decision we make in every arena of our lives – whether it's our finances, our relationships, our schedule, or our careers. It's the simple question, Is this wise?There are three ways we can approach this question that can help us make wise decisions.1.     In light of my past experience, what is the wise thing to do?Philosopher George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”  To put it another way, “Those who do not pay attention to what got them in trouble yesterday are liable to end up in the same trouble tomorrow.” 2.     In light of my current circumstances, what is the wise thing to do?Life is seasonal. What's wise in one season of life may be unwise in another. For example, parents of young children are in a different season of life than empty-nesters. What's wise for one set of parents may be unwise for the other in light of their current circumstances. 3.     In light of my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing to do?What do you envision for yourself 10 years from now? Will this decision help you get there? We rob ourselves of our dreams when we make decisions in the present moment with no thought of how those decisions will impact our future.  This principle goes well beyond this earthly life. In light of eternity and the fact that you will one day have to give an account for your one and only life, what is wise for you to do today?   Note – The book “The Best Question Ever” by Andy Stanley served as a major resource for Dave's study. Text: Ephesians 5:15-17Originally recorded January 13, 2008, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.

Racial injustices exist in the U.S., and the implicit and explicit bias that exists contributes to racial disparities in healthcare.  I talked with psychiatrist Dr. Norman Reynolds, MD, about racism in the United States, and how it has affected the practice of medicine historically up until now – as it is one more reflection of the fact that we do not have equity in our country.  During the pandemic, there was a disproportionate toll of Covid19 hospitalizations and deaths among minority populations, and it’s known that U.S. pregnancy deaths are up, especially among minorities.  Philosopher George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”  Join us in this interesting conversation as we reflect on our history and our hopes for a better future for all.

The number 42 is, in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, the "Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything", calculated by an enormous supercomputer named Deep Thought over a period of 7.5 million years. Unfortunately, no one knows what the question is. The Zealots were a political movement in 1st-century Second Temple Judaism which sought to incite the people of Judea Province to rebel against the Roman Empire and expel it from the Holy Land by force of arms, most notably during the First Jewish–Roman War. Fanaticism is a belief or behavior involving uncritical zeal or with an obsessive enthusiasm. Philosopher George Santayana defines fanaticism as "redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim". The fanatic displays very strict standards and little tolerance for contrary ideas or opinions. Extremism is "the quality or state of being extreme" or "the advocacy of extreme measures or views". The term is primarily used in a political or religious sense, to refer to an ideology that is considered to be far outside the mainstream attitudes of society. It can also be used in an economic context. Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. Dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. An extinction-level event is a widespread and rapid decrease in the biodiversity on Earth. Such an event is identified by a sharp change in the diversity and abundance of multicellular organisms. It occurs when the rate of extinction increases with respect to the rate of speciation. Existential crisis, also known as existential dread, are moments when individuals question whether their lives have meaning, purpose, or value, and are negatively impacted by the contemplation. It may be commonly, but not necessarily, tied to depression or inevitably negative speculations on purpose in life. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/chrisabraham/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/chrisabraham/support

Philosopher George Santayana said that 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.' If that’s true, then can an extensive understanding of past events help human civilization avoid future catastrophes? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Christian turn to the field of cliodynamics and its attempts to identify the cycles of social unrest and violence. Can we avoid the terror of history? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Philosopher George Santayana is remembered for having said, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” During times of turmoil, we do well to recall how we got to be where we are. Today we speak with career journalist Douglas Rooks about his book Statesman: George Mitchell and the Art of the Possible, and with Dr. Christopher Petrella, whose academic career has explored questions at the intersection of race, criminality, and citizenship. https://www.themainemag.com/radio/2017/06/living-history-299/

Philosopher George Santayana penned one of academia's favorite quotes: "Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it." I know I have used it often when my kids are complaining about why they need to learn about the Whig Party or the Magna Carta. Could this same truth be applied to fear? What if we understood our history with it, where it came from, and what it has done? Could understanding the history of fear perhaps free us from the doom of its despair? A history lesson in fear, its source, its solution, and a ticket out of its vicious cycle - this Sunday at Mendham Hills.

Philosopher George Santayana once remarked that, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”  In the Level to Power system, those who wish to lead the pack must first understand the long history of herd mentality and the mindset of those who control it. On this episode of Level to Power, we’re joined by author and intellectual Jim Luisi. We discuss the history of human society, how mystical and empirical systems impact intellectual thought, and the way belief in gods and kings have encouraged herd mentality.  LTP 014 – East vs West from the LevelToPower Blog