You’ve probably heard of the phoenix—a mythical creature that bursts into flames when it dies and is reborn from the ashes. At the end of Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novella Fahrenheit 451, the main character must go through his own rebirth from the ashes. In the story, books are banned, and “firemen” start fires to destroy them. Fireman Guy Montag eventually leaves behind this life of destruction and must start over.1 Alone and with few possessions, he flees the authorities (narrowly escaping his city being bombed) and joins up with several kindred spirits. One of them advises him: Everyone mus ..read more

Sometimes, when we start a new venture, we can overwhelm ourselves with our own high expectations. For instance, a week or two before I started working for Objective Standard Institute, I wrote a long list of things I’d like to achieve in my new job. During my first week, I tried to make as much progress on this list as possible, but I ended up overwhelming myself and was unable to make satisfying progress on any front. The same thing can happen at the start of each new work week. We set (or accept) a long list of expectations for ourselves—projects, tasks, and meetings—that make us want to wo ..read more

Watching your favorite TV show with your significant other (or a close friend) can be hugely fulfilling—if he or she gets what you love about it. And, if you admire the show because it embodies principles you hold dear, sharing it with your other half can also be a great way to remind yourselves of the values and ideas that may have brought you together.  Such is the case with my wife and I, who have just started the ninth season of my all-time favorite TV show, Stargate SG-1. It embodies many of the values that we admire in each other and seek to express in our choices, including rationa ..read more

Have you ever struggled to choose which career to pursue after finishing high school? If so, you are not alone. Although some people develop a burning passion for one career path when they are very young, most of us don’t know what we want to do with our lives so early. We typically get conflicting advice at this crucial juncture. Although our parents and teachers often tell us to settle for a certain career path (usually for prestige or money), many adolescents—sometimes secretly—prefer another one. Yet they often refrain from uttering this preference or, if they do share it, they still lack ..read more

Have you ever set a goal—then struggled to find the motivation to achieve it? Perhaps the goal wasn’t a good fit for you; maybe it conflicted with your other values, wasn’t life-serving, or didn’t make good use of your skills and interests. But sometimes the goal is good and yet you still struggle. There can be multiple reasons for this, but one is that, in choosing a particular goal, you may not actually be pursuing a positive value, but avoiding a disvalue. For example, consider a person who comes to work early every day. On the surface, this seems like goal-directed behavior. But what’s the ..read more

You’ve heard of a “God-shaped hole”—the idea that if you don’t believe in God and accept him into your life, you’ll be deprived of spiritual values such as meaning and purpose. At LevelUp 2024, I’ll discuss the self-shaped hole: the void resulting from denying the existence of the self (à la Sam Harris)—or failing to revere and develop yourself (as many people do)—or subordinating yourself to a group (via collectivism, tribalism, wokeism) or to an alleged God (as religion prescribes). Together, we’ll examine the secular nature of the self, focusing on its evidence-based elements and the corres ..read more

Happiness might be in your head, but it depends on your heart—and your physical health in general. Could you be eating better, sleeping better, or exercising more effectively? I could. Almost everyone could. And such improvements are among the easiest ways to enhance our lives. But you have to know how. At LevelUp 2024, health expert Max Lugavere will show how to optimize your nutrition, sleep, and exercise so you can live the longest, happiest, most fulfilling life possible. I’m a long-time fan of Max’s work, and his insights have had a huge impact on my health. And his LevelUp talk will pres ..read more

David Hardy was flourishing. He had a wonderful wife, three lovely daughters, and a fulfilling career as a trial judge in Reno. Indeed, he was chief judge of his district and president of the state judges’ association—and he had just completed his PhD in judicial studies at the University of Nevada, where he would soon be an adjunct professor of political science. His future seemed nothing but bright. Then tragedy struck. His eldest daughter was killed by a drunk driver. Most of us can’t even imagine the pain and suffering that followed. But we can learn vital lessons from someone who has expe ..read more

As a member of Gen Z who grew up without regular internet access, I was afraid of getting left behind. I saw that the world was changing fast, and others with internet access were leaving me in the dust. With the newfound freedom I gained after graduating high school and moving out, I had much catching up to do.  For the next six years, I consumed content voraciously—primarily books. But surprisingly, after six years of tearing through about forty books per year, I wasn’t getting great results. That’s when a lesson taught to me by education director T.K. Coleman finally started to sink in ..read more

OSI fellow Kiyah Willis and Prometheus on Campus president Ely Lassman were scheduled to speak at King’s College London today about the Israel-Gaza war. But anti-Israel, pro-Hamas students pressured the university to ban Kiyah from campus, claiming she’s an “Islamophobe” who engages in “hate speech,” and Ely has received death threats along with accusations that he is a “war criminal.” So the King’s College Israel Society canceled the event entirely. Kiyah and Ely will hold the panel online today at 6:30pm GMT / 2:30pm ET. Join them for a brief discussion of the cancellation and their planned ..read more