Tag Archives: Philosophy

Superman: What Makes Him Super?

Perhaps he will not succeed. Perhaps he will fail as the Buddha failed and as Christ failed to wean men from their iniquities, but he will always be remembered as one who made his life a lesson for all ages to come. -Rabindranauth Tagore, writing about Gandhi (1) The recent release of James Gunn’s SupermanContinue reading “Superman: What Makes Him Super?”

Finding Balance in a Thirty Year Teaching Journey

I am in the thirtieth year of my high school teaching career. Thirty. Years. The most common response is “How did you do that?” quickly followed by some semblance of, “Good for you.”  My reply, depending on my mood, ranges from “Thank you” to “Yup, it has been quite the journey” to “Is it? IsContinue reading “Finding Balance in a Thirty Year Teaching Journey”

Godzilla Minus One: A Tale of Trauma and Redemption

Godzilla Minus One uniquely focuses on Kōichi’s psychological struggles rather than the monster itself, exploring themes of survivor’s guilt, compassion, and the path to healing in post-war Japan.

Balance in Sports and Life: Overcoming Overinvestment

Recent events have set my thoughts to sports. My youngest daughter recently finished her senior lacrosse season and we attended Athletic Award Night at her school. My across-the-hall teaching neighbor is shaking off the bitter taste of coming up just short in the semi-finals of the state baseball tournament. The Boston Celtics are in theContinue reading “Balance in Sports and Life: Overcoming Overinvestment”

What Schools Have Forgotten

Over two millennia ago Socrates emphasized that learning is a form of remembering. While this Socratic rabbit hole can bring us into questions of the nature of reality, I prefer to ground us in the idea of learning, remembering, and forgetting. We will focus on our school systems and, sadly, how they seem to haveContinue reading “What Schools Have Forgotten”

Don’t Say the “H-Word”

The Netflix series The Defenders opens with a brief exchange between a cynical and often petulant Jessica Jones and her much more upbeat and optimistic adoptive-sister Trish Walker (1). Trish: “You’re not comfortable with what you’ve become, Jessica. You are now a full-fledged su..” Jessica: “Don’t say the ‘H’ word.” Jessica was still adjusting toContinue reading “Don’t Say the “H-Word””