Until it is the artificial intelligence of robots that tells us what “it’s all about,” human beings provide our information about the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence. Without such information, we are, in large part, reflexive entities, driven forward and set back by forces we can’t see and don’t understand. Without such information, we live much of
We know from experience that controlling our anger and antagonism is difficult, not least so because our naked-primate, first-responder instincts are fierce and hard-wired into our brains. But it is also difficult because many of us who are habitually resentful, vindictive or cruel do not want to get over our anger. The harsh response is warranted, we believe, because (fill
Deep in our own nervous systems are ancient brain regions that support the reflexive primal response of aroused lower animals as well as our own, say mainstream scientists. This first response to anything sensed by the animal is almost always fearful, anxious and antagonistic or aggressive. According to the scientists, what makes it neurologically possible for humans to transcend this
Being at our best is far from easy. We’ve much to do to fulfill this intention. There are cognitive and pragmatic tools to acquire, discipline to develop, principles to stand for, nerve and heart to put to the test, sympathetic consideration to extend and love and kindness to bestow. Excluding dire circumstances, what gets in the way of the accomplishment
Despite the political rancor that dominates the news and seeps into our cognitive, communicative and emotive experience, it is important to remember that we are all Americans and we share the right and the burden of autonomy and life. Autonomy and life is a performance and more than that, it is an enterprise. In recent years, this American enterprise has
Arnold Siegel , founder of Autonomy and Life, is an ongoing contributor to Palm Springs Life’s Health and Wellness content via his bi-monthly blog . Through Autonomy and Life’s comprehensive classes, Siegel has helped empower more than 5,000 individuals with the freedom to create and live healthy, satisfying and productive lives of their own design. Siegel didn’t start his career
Finding our true north is hardly doable when with two voices we conduct our search for meaning and purpose and for fulfillment, satisfaction and equanimity. Two voices do not make sense. It makes sense to conduct the search with the voice of the concrete character in the playing out of our lives. This voice was shaped by and is intrinsic
Forging a nation and a state out of disparate communities has always been a hard-won feat. But here in America we met the challenge and built our nation on ideal and practical values. Among them is our commitment, diverse as we are, to be, in principle and substance, responsible for ourselves and accountable to others for being trustworthy. Indeed, over