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Posts tagged with the category Scott Kiser
Trying to Beat Ourselves: Becoming Our Best Selves Through the Forum of Competition
Competition is the source of growth and progress. I believe that deep down many of us know this to be true. However, in recent decades, this perspective has seemingly fallen out of cultural favor and now appears to represent a quite unpopular view. In fact, the term “competition” itself has assumed certain negative connotations,...
The Challenge of Living a Satisfied Dissatisfaction
Our human nature and cultural conditioning tend to pull us in opposing directions, constructing illusory dualities and false dichotomies within which we are forced to choose between apparently contradictory ways of being. However, if we look deep enough, we discover that these seemingly negating modes of existence are in fact complementary,...
Waiting and Faith: Believing in the Promise of Our Lives
I think that an undeniable truth about our human condition is that it is essentially characterized by a profound difficulty with waiting. While to some extent, this may certainly be more of an American cultural phenomenon, it does seem to legitimately apply to human nature in general.
I’m sure that most of us are quite aware of this...
Behold, the Suffering God: Christmas within the Shadow of Newtown
In the midst of the holiday cheer, carols, and season’s greetings cards, there is something else that demands our attention, something that cannot be silenced and will not go away. I speak of it not because I’m a pessimist, or even a grave realist, or because I want to dispel any of the seasonal magic to which we are desperately...
Examining the Source of Human Value: We Are Not Our Jobs
I’m sure we are all familiar with what I assume is the most frequently asked question in a first encounter or meeting with another person: “So, what do you do?” I cannot be the only one who is intrigued by this very common phenomenon. In terms of cultural commentary, I wonder what this says about our American society. What does this question mean...
Halloween: A Cultural Reminder of Death Denial
Halloween is a curious cultural phenomenon isn’t it? Whatever else we may say about it, it is probably the most interesting and fascinating holiday from a psychological perspective, in terms of what it reveals concerning our collective psyche.
On the surface level alone, we have plenty of reasons to pause, wonder, and speculate. Indeed, let’s...
Balancing Between I and We: The Creative Tension within the Self-Other Dialectic
While a human being’s life certainly involves an extensive range of essential, defining characteristics, it seems to me that, without oversimplifying such a complex question, it is most significantly characterized by two processes that are distinct yet inseparable—the search for personal identity and the development of meaningful relationships...
Let Freedom Ring, Just Not Too Loud
As Americans, we pride ourselves on being fierce advocates for freedom, as well as national and individual independence. Historically, these have formed the foundation of our collective value system; generally speaking, they continue to function in this essential role, and our annual celebration of this fact is both necessary and inspiring. It...
Becoming a Father, Becoming Myself
When I consider the relationship between fatherhood and the existentialist framework, I am confronted with a disturbing realization. One of the most central and important existentialist principles, for me, is self-actualization; however, my initial tendency is not to relate this essential dynamic to my identity as a father.
The question that...
The Search for a Unifying Vision to Save Our Lost Culture
Yesterday I was speaking with a colleague at the college where I teach, a sociology instructor, who asked me this question: “Why doesn’t our society teach people how to be happy?” Implicit within this question, which became more explicit in our brief conversation, was a shared concern regarding our cultural values, focusing particularly on the...
Dying to Live: An Existential Interpretation of Easter
As Easter approaches I find myself reflecting on the meaning of this holiday for our contemporary American culture, as well as how it may meaningfully intersect with the existentialist framework. Perhaps what should be acknowledged immediately is the basic fact that Easter is deeply embedded within the cultural fabric of our society as a national...
Survive or Thrive: Living within the Cultural Assault on Intentionality
Simply stated, it is difficult to live intentionally in our frenzied, fast-paced, entertainment-driven culture. This is neither a wise statement nor a shocking revelation. Most of us are aware of this frustrating truth to some extent, whether it is perceived as deeply disturbing or as a relatively minor annoyance. However it is experienced, it is...
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