On Despair and Meaning

Before the reader begins reading this post, allow me to share a bit of context of 'the why' I wrote this and 'the why' I'm sharing this now. In a recent podcast episode, I discussed various types of journaling (Stoicism in Practice) one of which is a deep form in which I reflect on my thoughts and emotions and value judgements. Sometimes these journal entries serve to help me rebound from a mental downturn and they help me put in check some faulty thinking. I've been doing this type of journaling at various times between 2018 and the present in 2026. I often go back to read these entries, which have a palliative effect on my thinking and emotions. As to why I'm publishing this particular journal entry; I have felt that this was an important entry, which not only was a pivotal point in my life, but it also demonstrates some types of practices which others might find helpful. Also, there is a bit of an aesthetic element to this journal entry, which ties multiple ideas, books, life events, a song and even a painting into the mix, all of which demonstrates we can find and use multiple avenues to help in our quest of making life meaningful and fulfilling. Having reflected on this journal entry for over six months, I felt that it was useful to share and it is timely in terms of Easter weekend.

Furthermore, let me add one other caveat to this post. I fully recognize that this was written from my unique perspective and that many will not fully comprehend nor appreciate the personal nature of this journal entry. Sometimes I don't fully comprehend my thoughts or events in my life (hence, one of the reasons I write these entries). The reader may have questions or scratch their head as they read, which would not surprise me. But perhaps there might be principles or new ideas which might spark positive changes in their life. Additionally, by sharing such things, there might be the possibility that others will feel less isolated in this world and know that they are not alone when they may possibly think similar things or even think their thoughts and ideas are strange too!

And one final point - I've edited various parts of the entry, replacing the names of people with their "role" or "relationship" in my life, or I've removed the specific type of work or activity and replaced it with something more generalized.

On Despair and Meaning

The third week of August (2025) was a tough one, especially as I did not do well in basketball. This triggered another 'lack-of-motivation' episode. Coupled with the on-going lack of sleep as the week progressed, and a week of pretty bad traffic on my daily commute, by Wednesday, August 20, I was not in much of a mood to be with people. On Tuesday, I had a 1-1 with my manager, and she surprised me with a question about what my top 3 items will be for performance assessment for the year. I shared with her what they were, to which she responded I needed to 'finish and tie a bow' on one of the items. This was a bit frustrating to me, due to the fact that (as others have mentioned to me), if this were easy work, it would be done already!

I went to a reunion lunch with some old co-workers, but I didn't feel much like talking. I didn't even talk to close friend, who was in town for the week. But I powered through that day and the rest of the week and kept progressing on work. By Friday, I really wasn't in the mood for basketball or chess.  Friday morning, I got up, went to basketball and played.  I ran up and down the court, but I was only going through the motions. After basketball, I lifted weights, since the workout at basketball was not that great.  Then I cooled off, and determined I just wanted to get through the day.  I cleaned up, then got coffee and went to a meeting with one of my direct reports. That meeting went well, but I was mentally done for the day.  I skipped chess and drove home. Later in the day, I had another meeting with another one of my direct reports, then I completed some mandatory staffing reports and then I logged off.

My wife and I had scheduled a dinner with some long-time, good friends.  The BBQ place we were planning on going to was closed at 5pm, so we didn't go there.  Instead, we went to Carrabas and ate pasta.  The dinner was fine, but the conversation was average. Then my wife and I went to a grocery story to get some prescriptions and ice cream.  Then we went home and ate ice cream and watched TV.

Saturday morning - I woke up around 8am or so; weighed in, which showed I was over my desired weight. I then decided to fast and not do anything all weekend. I didn't talk much on our normal weekend walk on Saturday. My wife wanted her closet shelf installed as well as the upstairs attic room finished (just some normal to-do tasks).  I wanted to watch the first day of college football at 11am. But after the feedback from my manager and the reminders from my wife to finish things up, I suppose I felt my 'freedom' continue to erode.  I am constantly reminded, by work and demands from others, that my life is not my own. And so, in a form of rebellion, I passively submit, but not with my heart. I rebel with my motivation (or lack thereof). Maybe it is resentment, and to exert my perception of 'freedom' I act socially by doing what others ask of me, but I don't act gung-ho about it.

So, I installed the shelf in her closet. I removed the old IT equipment from the closet upstairs and hauled it to the curb. I installed the legs on the desk. From 11am to 2:30pm, I did what my wife wanted to be done. Then, I rested, showered and laid on the couch, having missed the Iowa St. vs Kansas St. game, and watched the Fresno St. vs Kansas game and other games that were on. I laid there and watched TV all the way to 10pm, then I went to bed.  I fasted all day and went to bed and did not fall asleep.  I laid there in bed, with eyes wide open and stared at the reflected light from the street which came into our room. One of my dogs jumped up on the bed around 12, as he usually does.  I pushed him off.  He jumped up again around 2am and I lifted him and put him on the floor. And he tried again, one more time at 5am and I put him on the floor again. I finally got up at 8:30 and he jumped up on the bed and laid on the spot where I slept.

I walked the dogs, then my wife and I went on our walk. She asked how I was doing and I told her that I just need to go through these phases every now and then and that I'd be back to normal after some time has passed. That satisfied her for the time being. We chatted about a few other things, but there wasn't much talking. We got home; I worked on reconstituting the rocks by the fence, then went inside and showered the dogs, trimmed my beard and showered. Then I repeated Saturday, and sat on the couch and watched golf and TV. I worked on some chess, read work email, prepped for week, but largely did nothing. We had the family call, then watched some TV and went to bed.

On Monday, August 25, I got up, drove to work and the gym, but did not go to basketball. Instead, I lifted weights. On my drive to work, I continued listening to Rollo May's Man's Search for Himself (1953). I started listening to this book after listening to an Irvin Yalom podcast (recorded a few years ago) in which he mentioned he and Rollo were really good friends. Today, I listened to a part of a chapter which talked about philosophical suicide. And one of the examples he shared really struck a chord with me. It read,

"Or a young man feels he can never be happy unless he gains some fame. He begins to realize that he is competent and valuable, let us say as an assistant professor; but the higher he gets on the ladder the clearer he sees that there are always persons above him, that "many are called but few are chosen,” that very few people gain fame anyway, and that he may end up just a good and competent teacher. He might then feel that he would be as insignificant as a grain of sand, his life meaningless, and he might as well not be alive. The idea of suicide creeps into his mind in his more despondent moods. Sooner or later he, too, thinks, “All right, assume I’ve done it—what then?” And it suddenly dawns on him that, if he came back after the suicide, there would be a lot left in life even if one were not famous. He then chooses to go on living, as it were, without the demand for fame. It is as though the part of him which could not live without fame does commit suicide. And in killing the demand for fame, he may also realize as a byproduct that the things which yield lasting joy and inner security have very little to do with the external and fickle standards of public opinion anyway. He may then appreciate the more than flippant wisdom in Ernest Hemingway’s remark, “Who the hell wants fame over the week-end? I want to write well.” And finally, as a result of the partial suicide, he may clarify his own goals and arrive at more of a feeling for the joy which comes from fulfilling his own potentialities, from finding and teaching the truth as he sees it and adding his own unique contribution arising from his own integrity rather than the servitude to fame."

While the above passage deals with this man's desire for fame, I think the lesson is applicable to a few aspects of my life. If I experiment with the idea of philosophical suicide in the domain of basketball (something which has been a part of my identity my entire life), then perhaps I have freshly burned ground on which to grow a new phase or talent in my life. For example, I am 6 months away from turning 50. What if, for the next 6 months, I don't play basketball, but instead, focus on lifting weights, sticking religiously to a keto or carnivore diet, coupled with fasting, and then as a 'reward' for my focus and diligent effort, I get two tattoos on my arms. On the underside of my left forearm, it says, "life begins on the far side of despair" and on the underside of my right forearm, it says, "toti se inserens mundo." And these would be constant reminders to myself of the numerous choices I have to each day of my life - the freedom I have. Allow me to elaborate more on this.

I came across the first phrase while reading Irving Yalom. “Human life begins on the far side of despair” comes from Sartre's The Flies (1989) and Yalom's Existential Psychotherapy (1980, 430). In The Flies, the main character, Orestes, has been living his whole life (of despair), by living for others. Ultimately, he finds his own reason for living: avenging the murder of his father, by killing his mother and her lover and then letting the people of Argos deal with their own despair.

As a quick footnote, on March 31, 2026, I came across a similar sentiment from Camus, while reading the book Albert Camus and the literature of revolt by John Cruickshank on p. xi (1960) in which he says Camus wrote “there is no love of life without despair of life.”

Sartre, according to Yalom, "arrived at a position in his fiction that clearly values the search for meaning and even suggests paths to take in that search. These include finding a 'home' and comradeship in the world, action, freedom, rebellion against oppression, service to others, enlightenment, self-realization, and engagement - always and above all, engagement" (1980, 10).

And then a paragraph later, Yalom notes, "What is important for both Camus and Sartre is that human beings recognize that one must invent one's own meaning (rather than discover God's or nature's meaning) and then commit oneself fully to fulfilling that meaning. This requires that one be, as Gordon Allport put it, "half-sure and whole-hearted"- not an easy feat. Sartre's ethic requires a leap into engagement. On this one point most Western theological and atheistic existential systems agree: it is good and right to immerse oneself in the stream of life" (1980, 10).

On this last point, regarding immersing oneself in the stream of life, I am reminded, again, of Seneca's toti se inserens mundo (Seneca, 2024, Letter 66).

Briefly, as a side note, Gordon Allport (1897–1967) was a pioneering American psychologist best known for founding the field of personality psychology. He penned the phrase 'half-sure and whole-hearted' in his book Becoming: Basic Considerations for a Psychology of Personality (1978), in which he explores how individuals grow and develop a sense of self. He suggests that genuine commitment often arises not from absolute certainty, but from a courageous willingness to act despite uncertainty.

And so, to wrap up this fascinating week and weekend, and after having fasted for 63 and 1/2 hours, a William Orbit song, which has haunted me for years, came to my mind late Sunday night after these two phrases ('life begins on the far side of despair' and 'toti se inserens mundo') bounced around my head all day. The song is called Piece in the Old Style III and for me, it has evoked an image of a seemingly endless desert plain before me, with the skies filled dark-purple under the light of dusk. And in the far off distant horizon, I see not only mountains, but lightening dancing and striking at the foothills of these mountains. I could not help but connect 'the plain' to the idea of enduring despair, and once I reach the far side of the plain, I will find mountains, energy and meaning. And then before me, a mountain, on which I will throw my entire effort to scale it.

And at this point, let me amend this journal entry and add to it, having looked back on this entry for about six months ( April 2, 2026). To add to the previous paragraph, I'd like to share even more, as it relates to a Facebook group post by a contributor named Emily Snow and the post is entitled The Crucifixion as Existential Revelation: A Metaphysical Descent Into Being from the Practical Existentialism Facebook group, April 2025. Below, this post which has made a profound impact on me, is fully copied.

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ, read through the lens of Existential Philosophy, ceases to be a mere historical or theological event and is unveiled instead as a profound ontological enactment—an archetypal exposure of the human condition. It is not simply a tale of suffering or sacrifice but a metaphysical drama in which the illusion of permanence, identity, and meaning is pierced by the naked confrontation with Being itself.

To begin with, the image of the crucified Christ stretched between earth and sky, arms outstretched in surrender, is the perfect symbol of thrownness—what Heidegger called Geworfenheit—the inescapable fact that we find ourselves "there" in the world, not by choice, but by the mystery of existence. 

Christ’s anguished cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46), is not the voice of a man abandoned by God, but the existential wail of consciousness severed from its imagined certainties. It is the collapse of metaphysical assurance. It is the trembling recognition that no scaffolding of inherited belief can shield us from the raw abyss of being.

Søren Kierkegaard, the father of existentialism, describes such moments as the dizziness of freedom—the point at which the individual stands alone before existence, with nothing but their own subjectivity as a compass. The crucifixion, then, is not an anomaly but the exposure of this essential condition: that no one can suffer, choose, or die in our place. We are each crucified on the cross of our own subjectivity.

Logically, the crucifixion deconstructs the Cartesian notion of the self as a thinking substance. For in Christ’s crucifixion we see not a thinking self but a suffering self—one reduced to embodiment, nailed into finitude, stripped of narrative control. This aligns with the existential rejection of essence preceding existence. There is no stable self enduring this ordeal—only the ongoing disintegration of every imagined identity.

The thorns upon the brow: symbols of thought as torment. The nails through hands and feet: metaphors for being nailed to the consequences of one’s own embodiment and actions. The pierced side: the exposure of the heart—of vulnerability as the only path to truth. In this way, the crucifixion is not tragedy but unveiling. 

As Albert Camus wrote in The Myth of Sisyphus:

“The only real philosophical question is whether life is worth living.”

And Christ, like Sisyphus, does not answer that question with words, but by embodying it. The cross is the confrontation with absurdity; the silence that follows is the death of explanation. But unlike Sisyphus who rolls his stone in defiance, Christ hangs in surrender—not to death, but to the transparency of Being itself. His final words—“It is finished”—are not defeat, but transcendence of meaning. For in that moment, the personal dissolves into the universal.

Nietzsche, who declared the death of God, was pointing not to theological heresy, but to the same existential abyss made visible on Golgotha. The death of the metaphysical God is the prerequisite for the birth of the authentic individual—one who does not borrow meaning but dares to bear its absence and still affirm life.

To grasp the crucifixion existentially is to recognize that salvation is not deferred into heaven but hidden in the very core of human despair. The cross becomes the symbol not of death, but of that space in which all illusions die. The self is crucified; what remains is not void, but the possibility of radical freedom.

This is echoed in Heidegger’s notion of resoluteness (Entschlossenheit)—the willingness to stand open before the truth of one's own finitude. In crucifixion, we confront the ultimate non-negotiable: mortality. Yet strangely, only by embracing it do we awaken to the fullness of life.

The crucifixion, stripped of religious dogma and seen through the existential eye, is the most honest image of human existence. It does not offer consolation, but confrontation. It does not preach redemption, but radical truth. It is the death of the false self, the annihilation of illusion, and the unveiling of the Real.

In this light, the crucifixion is not merely an event to be believed in—but a condition to be lived through. 

I copied the above into my personal notebook and have been re-reading it through the past year at various times. After re-reading the above, in March 2026, it struck me deeply yet again, to the point that I began contemplating crucifixion paintings. While looking at various Renaissance crucifixion paintings, I came across a Salvador Dali crucifixion painting entitled Hypercubus, and while looking at it, I was struck with amazement of not only its beauty, but also by the chessboard and the desolate landscape behind the crucified Christ. This background landscape is nearly identical to the one I had imagined while listening to William Orbit's Piece in the Old Style III. I was so impacted by this realization, that I found a copy of the painting online and purchased a reproduction of it and have hung it in my home office. I find myself looking at it and contemplating the symbolism described by Emily Snow and how it relates to me. The point which strikes me while looking at this painting is: While feeling despair and coming into contact with total reality and the abyss, I cannot simply resign or be stuck at 'despair' or, even if I am, I know there is still something 'up to me' to decide and act on in my life by creating my own meaning out of life - this is a positive affirmation of my commitment to living an authentic life. The Dali painting captures both the moment and realization of despair, as well as a forceful reminder as to what is on the other side of that realization.

Practically, for me, meaning means re-commitment to studying philosophy and psychology, and throwing myself into chess and living a physically healthy life and experimenting with other projects and joys, such as working in my yard and garden. These will be my meaning on a day by day basis - what I look forward to, and plan for, when work does not interfere. Specifically as it relates to chess, to not only enjoy playing it, but to connect with people (as I have done for many years) and enjoy the challenge and social nature of the game. Specifically as it relates to philosophy and psychology, to also connect with my peers, colleagues and students at the College of Stoic Philosophers and others. And on the weekend, to be with my wife and spend time with her and to live and be with her - to always strive to connect and reconnect with her. And beyond, we will continue to plan for more time together and to travel and be with our children and see the world.

This is effectively the end of my journal entry. But allow me to add just a bit more to this blog post, in the form of sharing some counseling and therapy advice for any who might come across this blog post and need guidance on how to contemplate what their 'meaning' ought to be. I found some of this advice through various books, on-line forums and even 'chatting' with some AI applications.

How to create your meaning

Begin with your lived experience - observe your actual life and your past (times which have been meaningful to you). Which activities seem to have made time disappear? When have you felt "yourself" the most? What has evoked moments of disgust, admiration or longing? You can also consider your "thrownness" as Heidegger has explained. How does your history, talents, limitations and culture inform your meaning?

Identify "existential tensions or anxieties" - sometimes conflicts often create meaning. Which contradictions refuse to go away in your life? Which injustices or absurdities can you not tolerate? Which responsibilities make you feel compelled to continue carrying on with? In brief, face your anxieties and try to pinpoint how this feeling threatens a value.

Note values which cause action in your life, as opposed to simple introspection - sometimes small experiments will reveal your values. Maybe a small life project frightens you, but commitments or 'dipping your toes in the water' will snowball into something bigger. Sometimes, writing about this will help identify and clarify values and cause action. Perhaps consider writing your own eulogy, write a list of values which are meaningful to you, or creating a bucket list or list of "unfinished tasks."

Invent your essence and direction of being through long-term commitments - for example, you could positively state what you stand for and which values are most important to you: "I will become someone who cultivates clarity in others." "I will fight for the injustices brought on women caught in the snare physical or even religious bondage."

Rebel and defy the void and nihilism proclaimed by so many - confront the absurd; resist the inertia of nihilism; refuse false comforts and in their place, create beauty, connection, creativity and meaning.

Consider your relations - how can you help others recognize their freedom and expand on it? Which relationships call to you and how do you fortify and enrich them? As you commit and build on these relationships, be sure to speak honestly, show your real self, allow others to matter and in turn let yourself matter to them. Furthermore, you may consider which relationships need repair. Be sure to express gratitude and say what needs to be said. Sometimes small acts will positively affect others and cause a ripple effect.

Always accept your freedom and responsibility in life - Where are you giving away your freedom? What choices are you pretending you don't have? What life are you waiting for permission to live? Your own meaning grows when you own your freedom.

To conclude, briefly, these two phrases encapsulate so many profound truths and ideas for me. Perhaps they will inspire change and meaning in you too:

Life begins on the far side of despair.

toti se inserens mundo.

References

Allport, G. W. (1978). Becoming; basic considerations for a psychology of personality; 33rd pr /G.W. Allport. New Haven

Cruickshank, J. (1960). Albert Camus and the literature of revolt. Oxford University Press.

May, R. (1953). Man’s search for himself. Norton.

Sartre, Jean-Paul. (1989). No Exit and Three Other Plays (S. Gilbert & I. Abel, Trans.). Vintage International. (Original work published 1944)

Seneca. (2024).  Ad Lucilium Epistulae Morales. Uchicago.edu. https://artflsrv03.uchicago.edu/philologic4/Latin/navigate/129/7/4/

Yalom, I. D. (1980). Existential psychotherapy. Basic Books.

Notes and What I Learned From: Philosophy as a Way of Life - the essay "Philosophy as a Way of Life"

This is the last part of my lengthy review of Hadot's book Philosophy as a Way of Life. In the last essay of the book, Hadot makes a final summary of his main thesis: that philosophy was always to be lived!

He begins with a lengthy passage from Philo of Alexandria, who explains the many ways a lover of wisdom practices his craft. I won't copy it here, but you can find the entire passage on line at this site: https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/yonge/book28.html (scroll to the section THE FIRST FESTIVAL and begin reading from passage (44)).

The point that stands out foremost is that "during this period, philosophy was a way of life." (p. 265). We moderns are only now beginning to grasp this important concept, mainly due to the fact that the medieval Church threw philosophy into a chamber and locked her up in an academic prison! Later in the chapter, Hadot briefly explains this timeline. But during the ancient times, philosophy was viewed as a total way of being, thinking and living in the present instant, "the goal of which was to achieve a state practically inaccessible to mankind: wisdom" (p. 265). A bit further down the page, Hadot elaborates that being wise comprised of "peace of mind (ataraxia), inner freedom (autarkeia) and [possessing] a cosmic consciousness."

Indeed, there are the three parts of philosophical discourse, which are leveraged to learn and teach philosophy (physics, logic, ethics), but when it comes to embodying philosophy as a way of life, these are "no longer a theory divided into parts, but a unitary act" (p. 267). We are to embody and live logic, physics and ethics in the ever-present now. Our thoughts and speech are logical; our perspective assumes a cosmic consciousness and our actions are ethical and just. As Epictetus taught, "A builder doesn't come forward and say, 'Listen to me as I deliver a discourse about the builder's art,' but he acquires a contract to build a house, and shows through actually building it that he has mastered the art" (Discourses 3.21, v. 4 see this post).

In order to orchestrate the three parts of theory and discourse into a single, constant act of living, one must be ever-present and pay constant attention to his thoughts, and actions. "In order to realize this state of attention ... a number of exercises [are] necessary: intense meditation on fundamental dogmas, the ever-renewed awareness of the finitude of life, examination of one's conscience, and, above all, a specific attitude toward time" (p. 268).

From there, Hadot outlines how ancient Hellenistic philosophy became embedded into Christian philosophy, and was then relegated, first to monasteries and later universities, where it was enslaved into a "purely theoretical and abstract activity" (p. 270). She was finally liberated from this bondage by Descartes, Spinoza, Malebranche and Leibniz. A second wave of philosophical academics re-entrenched philosophy in the university, with the exceptions of Nietzsche and Schopenhauer. Hadot quotes Schopenhauer who wrote: 

Generally speaking, university philosophy is mere fencing in front of a mirror. In the last analysis, its goal is to give students opinions which are to the liking of the minister who hands out the Chairs. . . . As a result, this state-financed philosophy makes a joke of philosophy. And yet, if there is one thing desirable in this world, it is to see a ray of light fall onto the darkness of our lives, shedding some kind of light on the mysterious enigma of our existence.

Towards the end of the essay, he gives three examples from ancient times, of people who were true philosophers, despite writing and teaching nothing! These three were Cato of Utica, the Roman statesman Rutilius Rufus and Quintus Mucius Scaevola Pontifex. All three were Stoics who exemplified and embodied the philosophy and earnestly endeavored "to live in accord with cosmic reason" (p. 272).

Finally, the last two points from this essay are important reminders, no matter which philosophy we subscribe to. Hadot observes that since there were so many philosophical schools in the ancient world, we are afforded the opportunity to see how each of their perspectives play out in the real world. And lastly, wisdom must always be viewed from a "cosmic dimension" in that we must think cosmically, act cosmically and always keep in mind that we are parts belonging to the Whole. Hadot quotes Seneca yet again, with his reminder that one must live with all his being in the world - toti se inserens mundo. And related to this cosmic perspective is the fact that we enjoy this existence with fellow cosmopolitans. Philosophy was "practiced in a group" and each and every day, today, we live and practice some form of philosophy. Virtually everything we do stems from some philosophical idea. All of these ideas eventually aimed at "having an effect on ... cities, transforming society, and serving their citizens" (p. 274).

In sum, a lived philosophy is one which equips the individual with the capacity to maintain inner peace and equanimity, while reminding him of the freedom he possesses, coupled with the responsibility and duty to his environment and fellow cosmopolitans, while always maintaining the perspective of the Cosmos.

Notes and What I Learned From: Philosophy as a Way of Life - the essay "The Sage and the World"

Hadot frames the problem with a quote from Bernard Groethuysen:

The sage's consciousness of the world is something peculiar to him alone. Only the sage never ceases to have the whole constantly present to his mind. He never forgets the world, but thinks and acts with a view to the cosmos.... The sage is a part of the world; he is cosmic. He does not let himself be distracted from the world, or detached from the cosmic totality.... The figure of the sage forms, as it were, an indissoluble unity with man's representation of the world (p. 251)

Not only do we see a constant assent and acceptance of the world and cosmos as it is, but the Stoic sage would go as far as assuming a "fundamental attitude" of a "joyful 'Yes!'" And as mentioned before, Seneca endorses this viewpoint with his toti se inserens mundo, which implies not only saying 'yes' to existence, but then to throw oneself into the mix of it all. This is no half-cocked commitment, rather it admonishes total allegiance and resolve to live the best life possible for oneself.

With this frame in mind, Hadot observes that for modern man, "the quantitative universe of modern science is totally unrepresentable" and that people may not feel at home in the cosmos and even experience loneliness. How do we help people transcend this delineation and come to feel at home in the universe, as the ancients once did? The path of wisdom and philosophy suggests a few answers.

Everyday Perception

While science may cause us to feel dizzy and confused, we still have access and control over how we choose to perceive the world. Regardless how the scientist or astronomer comes into scientific contact with the world, he still can observe and contemplate a sunrise or sunset. On this point, the predecessors of the Existentialists based their thought and focus on phenomenology. Hadot nods to Husserl and Merleau-Ponty, by noting that science is simply a "secondary expression" to actually experiencing the world. Simply observing, and experiencing the world and attempting to rediscover it as it exists, is one way for modern man to begin to reclaim his home in the cosmos. Hadot aptly sums, "philosophy is nothing other than this process by means of which we try 'to relearn to see the world.'" Later, he cites Bergson and how he argues artists are exemplars in seeing the world. "When they look at a thing, they see it for itself, and no longer for them." Stated differently, phenomenology in practice is an intentional endeavor to see and describe the world as it is. In Stoic terms, this is one of the practices of the discipline of assent. When we see the world as it is, we pause our value judgements, and try to see events and things as they are.

Aesthetic Perception

Beyond everyday perception and attempting to see things as they are, we can further advance our practice by contemplating how we perceive things and then to convert our attention into full participation with Nature.  Hadot cites the German-Swiss artist Paul Klee who noted the artist as having a dialogue with nature and see himself as as part of the Whole. Hadot writes, "there is the fact that we plunge our roots into the same soil, and that we share a common participation in the cosmos. This means that the artist must paint in a state in which he feels his unity with the earth and with the universe" (p. 255).

Speaking of a "gigantic Tintoretto in Venice" Cézanne described how it made him feel. He said Tintoretto's painting shows how "the earth and the sea, the terraqueous globe, are hanging above people's heads" and how "the horizon is moving off into the distance; the depth, the ocean distances, and bodies are taking flight, an immense rotundity, a mappamundi; the planet is hurled, falling and rolling in mid-ether!" Then Cézanne noted how he had the same "cosmic obsession" and how he wants to "lose [himself] in nature, to grow again with her, like her" (p. 256).

As an observation and related note to this, one modern theory of being, not dissimilar to Stoic physics and panpsychism, is that the universe in which we live is a simulation, and the player or programmer of the simulation is simply living in each of us, attempting to experience as many branches as possible. And perhaps, as part of this participation, each of us are doing what is programmed in us: to participate and create, thus closing the loop, or perhaps creating a new loop for future generations to enjoy.

New Spectator

Perceiving the world with fresh eyes is to see the world philosophically.  Hadot rightly notes how Seneca seemingly strips a veil from his eyes and glances on the world anew and in that process experiences "stupefaction" as if "seeing [this world] for the first time" (Letter 64). Hadot also notes a similar sentiment from an Epicurean philosopher. These evidences point to how the ancients similarly saw the same "paradox and scandal" we see today: "man lives in the world without perceiving the world" (p. 258). In other words, we proverbially shut our eyes to the phenomena of existence! We mindlessly go about turning our perception of the world into standard operating procedures, through "worry, quarrels, social rituals, and conventional values" (p. 258). Sadly, we hardly take time to pause, reflect, step back and look up, around, beneath us and wonder.

Thankfully, we have a solution to this problem.  We are both the perpetrators of not perceiving, as well as the remediators of seeing the world with a fresh perspective. Hadot argues "we must separate ourselves from the 'everyday' world in order to rediscover the world qua world" (p. 258). In brief, this spiritual exercise consists of stopping to smell the roses! Instead of rushing off to your next meeting, meander a bit, pause, look up, around and on the ground and simply observe. Contemplate the nature of existence; be in touch with the world around you; appreciate the moment.

As I write this passage, it is February 6, 2026 and the sunshine is pouring down on the earth and it feels like a fresh spring day with the air temperature at 75 degrees - perfectly comfortable. On days like these, I am transported back to my 5 year-old self when it was just me and my mom at home. Often, I would go outside to play. Even then, as a young child, the freshness of the world made such a strong impression on me. I can recall the buzzing of bees around the honey boards my dad hung on the side of the garage. I can see a bee land on one of those holes and poke its tiny body in the board. I can feel the fresh, cool grass and the lumps in our lawn from all the apricot pits from the trees in our yard. I can smell the fresh dirt and spot a pea pod in the garden. I can taste the sweet peas after cracking open the pod and spilling the little green balls into the palm of my hand. The fresh, plump, deep-red raspberries hang on prickly stems, then I pick them off one by one, and taste the earthy scent and feel seeds stuck between my teeth. I can still hear the grind of the seed mill 4 blocks from our home and I can see a white line drifting across the sky, as a jet makes its way to some unknown destination. When I stop and purposefully observe and slow down, I think this is what Hadot and others meant by becoming a new spectator of the world.

This Moment is Eternity

Looking on the world and cosmos as a new spectator, in a sense, freezes time. This very instant and moment helps us to dive entirely into the cosmos and experience the entirety of Nature. The more time we spend looking at the world anew, in our present moment, the more we begin to see Nature as it is. We separate ourselves from the future and the past, and we only see an ever-present Now. Doing so helps us to seize the day and live each moment and each day to its fullest. As Hadot notes, "concentration on the present instant implies the suspension of our projects for the future. In other words, it implies that we must think of the present moment as the last moment, and that we live each day and each hour as if it were our last" (p. 259). 

By coming into contact, intensely, with the present moment, we focus our perception on this current link in a long line of links which span time immeasurable from past to future. When we see the world now, and contemplate the present instant, we begin to appreciate the entirety of the cosmic project. And to be sure, whether tomorrow, or next week or next decade, we can return to this present moment in an "ever-renewed effort" (p. 261) to practice living and being present in the eternal Now. And by perceiving the world, we simultaneously "perceive our unity with the world."

Notes and What I Learned From: Philosophy as a Way of Life - the essay "The Figure of Socrates"

While working on the podcast episodes of my book review of Pierre Hadot's Philosophy as a Way of Life, I discovered there were a few essays I did not review back in 2019.  So, I've re-read them and now am posting some thoughts and commentary on them.

"The Figure of Socrates" is Hadot's reflections on how we can put in practice the exercise of contemplating the sage. He asserts that Socrates can be studied and contemplated in three ways. First as a Silenus and as a mediator between the divine and the human condition, second as Eros and the different ways Socrates seduced, loved and was beloved, and thirdly, as Dionysos ("god of death and of life" p. 169) in which we learn how the sage loves life so much (i.e. has thought so deeply on it), he is willing to die to show it!

Silenus

Socrates was physically ugly, thus superficially, he was compared to a Silenus. These were "purely natural beings. They stood for the negation of culture and civilization, for grotesque buffoonery and for the license of the instincts" (Hadot, 149). But upon further reflection, we learn there is something far more important hidden beneath the lurid facade. Alcibiades compares Socrates to statues of Sileni which were not only ugly on the outside, but within were hidden mini figures of gods. Indeed, the symbolism is rich when thinking of the many times Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus and Seneca reference the divinity within ourselves!

Therefore, as we learn of the distasteful appearance of Socrates, we can contemplate how it is simply a mask he wears. If we can look past his outward appearance and even his method, we find we have much to learn. In brief, both his superficial appearance and his method act as masks which cover the deeper lessons he taught. This concept is known as Socratic irony. In other words, he may claim he knows nothing, but in so claiming and appearing ignorant, the line of questioning reveals he knows more than he lets on. Practically speaking, this attitude of playing the fool is often used to great effect in school and work. By assuming the role of 'the ignorant' one opens himself to being willing to learn and take a fresh perspective on things and processes.

We still benefit from Socrates' mask, as we read Plato and others who themselves don the Socratic mask. As we step into their words, our consciousness is sharpened as we near philosophical conversion. Others, through the age, have also donned the masks of others, in an attempt to teach their readers. Kierkegaard used pseudonyms and Nietzsche used the masks of Schopenhauer and Wagner (Hadot, 150-151). In fact, Nietzsche wrote, "An educator never says what he himself thinks, but always only what he thinks of a thing in relation to the requirements of those he educates" (151). Indeed, Socrates used self-deprecation and superficiality, and often pretended to concede others were correct, all in an effort to help the birth the idea simmering in the students' minds. As Nietzsche said, "Mediocrity is the most appropriate mask the superior spirit can wear" (152). On this quote, I'm reminded of Bill's point about Superman (from the film Kill Bill: Volume 2).

 

Through question and answer, Socrates became the midwife of knowledge. By birthing these ideas and concepts, and getting them out in the open, we free the purely conceptual idea from a prison of thought, and release it into the open to be lived and examined. "What he wanted to show us is that we can never understand justice if we do not live it. Justice, like every authentic reality, is indefinable, and this is what Socrates sought to make his interlocutor understand, in order to urge him to 'live' justice" (Hadot, 155). Socrates explicitly noted his aim: "trying to persuade each of you to concern himself less about what he has [than] about what he is, so that he may make himself as good and as reasonable as possible" (155). 

Another point related to this and the masks Socrates bore, is that in a sense, he descended to where man exists and thinks, and by assuming an ironic and mediocre stance, he was able to connect with those who listened and talked with him, to bring them to a higher state. Nietzsche wrote, "I believe I sense that Socrates was profound; his irony was above all the necessity to pass himself off as superficial, in order to be able to associate with people at all." Hadot continues, "for the existential thinker, banality and superficiality are a vital necessity. The existentialist must remain in contact with mankind, even if the latter is at a level of less-than-adequate consciousness" (156). 

Eros

Socrates as Eros is similar to the Silenus, in that the 'the mask' Socrates dons is that of a lover. This love is an educative love, where he pretends to be in love with one of his listeners but in fact the roles become eventually are reversed. Hadot provides the example of Alcibiades, who believed the love declarations from Socrates, but in fact, they were mere declarative seductions. Upon realizing this, Alcibiades finds himself deeply in love with Socrates. Later on, Hadot notes that Socrates' interlocuters actually fell in love with love itself - "to be in love with Socrates, then, was to be in love with love (160).

The entirety of the Symposium is dedicated to the discussion and praise of love. If we observe the description of love from Socrates' perspective (via Diotima), we learn Eros was the child of Penia ("poverty" or "privation") and Poros ("means" or "expedient" or "wealth"). Penia, seeing that she lacked so much, decided to lay with Poros as a way to escape her indigence. Eros, therefore, acquires features from both parents. While Eros may be "clever" and "inventive" he nonetheless remains impoverished and will always want and desire. And on this point, Hadot observes how "Eros is essentially desire, and the only thing that can be desired is that which one does not have" (161). Later we read other traits of Eros: he is a beggar, soldier, inventor, sorcerer, magician, and a clever talker - ever in pursuit of what he desires. In sum, Eros represents "merely a call and a possibility" and like the Silenus statue, which contains a figurine of a god within, "they only open up so that one can get at them. The etymological meaning of Poros, Eros' father, is 'means of access' or 'way out.' Socrates is only a Silenius, opening up onto something beyond himself" (162) and we, along with his listeners, become conscious of something we lack: wisdom.

Hadot later summarizes this aspect of the spiritual exercise of the contemplation of the sage, in the form of Eros. He does so via Nietzsche, Goethe and Holderlin.

• Nietzsche: "The deepest insights spring from love alone."
• Goethe: "We learn only from those we love."
• Holderlin: "Mortal man gives his best when he loves."

Dionysos

We also see the sage Socrates in Dionysos, who was the god of tragedy and comedy, as well as the god of life and death (169).  Hadot channels Nietzche in asking how Socrates, who seemed to love life so much, could be so willing to submit to death and even possibly hating existence? (167). We begin the detective work by simply observing how the sage loves life, as Nietzsche wrote, "they have thought most deeply, must love what is most living and, as sages, incline in the end to the beautiful." Even more guffawing to Nietzsche is the observation of Socrates suggesting a debt be paid to Asclepius, who has found the antidote to the disease of life: death! But alas, perhaps he misunderstood. Socrates did not think life was a disease, but rather he may felt that a certain way of life was: the life left unexamined.

An examined life - one that is contemplated and tested most deeply - becomes a life worth living and one that is rich, flowing and sustaining. Hadot recalls an "old medieval encomium of the Holy Ghost" that aptly describes the benefits of an examined life: flecte quod est rigidum, fove quod est frigidum, rege quod est devium" which is translated as 'bend what is rigid, warm what is cold, guide what has gone astray.' And what an apt description of the aim of making life livable!

Hadot concludes the essay with "Nietzsche's encomium"

The genius of the heart, as that great concealed one possesses it, the tempter god and born pied piper of consciences, whose voice knows how to descend into the netherworld of every soul; who does not say a word or cast a glance in which there lies no secret goal of seduction ... the genius of the heart who silences all that is loud and self-satisfied, teaching it to listen; who smooths rough souls and lets them taste a new desire - to lie still as a mirror, that the deep sky may mirror itself in them ... the genius of the heart from whose touch everyone walks away richer, not having received grace and surprised, not as blessed and oppressed by alien goods, but richer in himself, newer to himself than before, broken open and sounded by a thawing wind; more uncertain, perhaps; tenderer, more fragile, more broken, but full of hopes that as yet have no name.

Ways to Practice

That concludes my review of Hadot's essay on "The Figure of Socrates." After reading the essay and writing this commentary, I thought of a few ways for how you and I can be more thoughtful in how to implement some exercises as we contemplate the Socratic sage.

Perhaps the most obvious way is to assume the Socratic mask, by practicing humility and irony. For example, we could regularly approach conversations and learning opportunities by “playing the fool." In this humble attitude, we position ourselves to ask questions, and be willing to admit ignorance. This opens us to genuine learning and helps others feel comfortable in sharing their perspectives. Sometimes a bit of self-deprecation can reduce friction and help open dialogue and learning.

Another way to put these ideas into practice is to embody our values. We should try to focus less on what we possess and more on who we are. We should make a daily practice of reflecting on our actions and choices, asking ourselves if they align with our values and ideals.

We can also learn through friendships and relationships and with those we work. Often others exhibit behaviors and possess knowledge of what we lack. This desire and love to learn mindset could be exhibited in relationships with mentors, friends, and colleagues - virtually anyone who inspires us to grow. Recognize that deep learning often springs from affection and admiration. In these interactions and conversations we can allow ourselves to be changed by them. We should be open to falling “in love with love”—that is, with the process of learning and growing through connection.

Additionally we can embrace the examined life through reflection, question and transformation. This is not simple daily reflection, but rather a deeper exercise in taking a step back and looking more cosmically. We could question our beliefs, test our assumptions, and strive to “bend what is rigid, warm what is cold, guide what has gone astray.” Practically speaking, after a particularly challenging time in life, we could could ask ourselves: What did I learn? Where did I change? What remains unexamined? Then, we can use these reflections to guide our future actions and decisions.

We also can practice greater and deeper acceptance of life’s paradoxes, by balancing joy and acceptance of our mortality. We can think about what brings joy in our life and contrast that with the limits of existence. Recognize that loving life deeply also means accepting its end, and that a life left unexamined is the true “disease.” Practically speaking, gratitude and acceptance of and meditation on the beauty of life and the inevitability of death, helps us to live more fully and authentically.

Lastly, we can be a midwife of ideas both for ourselves and others. In our own teaching, mentoring, or leadership, we can focus on helping others “birth” their own ideas. We can use questions and dialogue to guide rather than dictate. For example, when someone seeks advice, resist the urge to give direct answers. Instead, ask probing questions that help them clarify their own thinking and arrive at insights themselves.

Reference

Hadot, P. (2017). Philosophy as a Way of Life : Spiritual Exercises from Socrates to Foucault (M. Chase, Trans.). Blackwell Publishing.

On 'We Need Jesus to Return'

Introduction

It is an annual tradition in our home to celebrate Halloween by watching It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (Melendez, 1966). In this cute story, Linus believes the Great Pumpkin will visit him on Halloween, if he only believes it will come. Linus manages to dupe Sally into his delusion and they both are ridiculed by Lucy and the others who go trick-or-treating. Of course the Great Pumpkin does not come and Sally catches on pretty quickly that she has missed out on all the candy. Linus passes out after he thinks he sees the Great Pumpkin, when in fact it was just Snoopy. Linus' responsible sister, not only got candy for him while she was trick-or-treating, but she also woke up in the middle of the night, retrieved him from the pumpkin patch, brought him safely home and tucked him into bed.

Human history is fraught with people predicting some event, only to be proven incorrect. While some predictions may have low stakes involved, others pull many people into their orbit and can be the catalyst for the start of a new religion or movement. Most of the time, people who believe in an imminent second coming of Christ are dismissed as fringe cultists, while the majority of Christians seem to believe it is inevitable, but perhaps only in the distant future.

In this essay, I'll briefly review and summarize the many failed Second Coming predictions during the last several hundred years, after which I'll discuss how Mormonism approached the subject and more specifically how I personally experienced this subject for the last 30 years. And in contrast to how I was taught about perceiving and discussing the Second Coming, I will review a few anecdotal experiences I've observed in the last few years, and the increase in the number of instances I've observed of close relatives invoking God in prayer to send his son again to earth. Then I will offer a few thoughts on why people would want Christ to come again, and how this desire seemingly abdicates personal responsibility, agency and can even be viewed as breaking the first great commandment (Matthew 22:37).

The Increasing Number of Failed Predictions

The history of the Second Coming of Jesus is marked by a substantial number of failed predictions spanning nearly two millennia. While it's impossible to give a precise, definitive total, the number of publicly documented, notable failed predictions, or periods of intense expectation, is well over a hundred—with some lists containing over 200 different claims.

These predictions have consistently failed because the predicted date or event passed without the physical, visible return of Christ as expected by the claimants. In response, followers often experience what is known as the Great Disappointment, or the claimants simply recalculate the date or reinterpret the prophecy.

The following is a timeline summary of some of the most prominent failed Second Coming and Millennial predictions, grouped by historical periods (Wikipedia Contributors, 2025).

In the early Church and Middle Ages, between the years 500 and 1492, there were many predictions of Christ's return, with most of those focused on significant numerical milestones, biblical numerology, or political events. For example, Hippolytus of Rome, Sextus Julius Africanus, and Irenaeus predicted Christ would return 6000 years after the world was created. This pegged the year at 500 CE. But Christ did not return that year.

The next significant year would be 1000, when various Christians, including Pope Sylvester II, figured Christ would return one millennium after his birth. When Christ did not return that year, they moved the date to 1033, based on the fact this would be 1000 years after his death.  But Christ did not return then either.

Next in this period are a few Christian mystics who predicted 1200–1260, 1290, and 1335 as years Christ would return. When these years passed without fanfare, they too moved the dates to later years, which also passed without event. During this same period, Pope Innocent III assumed Christ would return 666 years after the rise of Islam, in the year 1284, but there was no Second Coming that year either.

Lastly various Russian Orthodox Christians using the Byzantine calendar, believed 1492 to be the end of the seventh millennium since the creation of the world, which they took as a sign of the world's end and the Second Coming. This belief was so strong the Russian Orthodox Church temporarily stopped calculating the date of Easter beyond 1491. But the only significant event that year was Columbus sailing the ocean blue.

During the Reformation and Early Modern Era between the years 1500 and 1840, the history shows new predictions of the second coming were often tied to celestial events, religious and political upheaval, and increasingly specific numerical calculations. The astrologer Johannes Stöffler observed planetary alignment in Pisces (a water sign) as a sign of a great flood and the Millennium and predicted the coming of Christ on February 20, 1524. There was no flood and no visitation from Christ on that day. A German mathematician named Michael Stifel figured Judgement Day would be on October 19, 1533, but that date too passed without fanfare or judgement.

Then a number of people (William Aspinwall, Johann Jacob Zimmermann, John Mason, and Henry Archer) foresaw Christ's return in 1673, 1694 and 1700, based on their readings of the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation. None of those years heralded Jesus' return. Lastly, Joanna Southcott made the remarkable claim she was carrying the Christ child and that he would be born on December 25, 1814. However, no babe from her womb was born that day and in fact, Southcott died on Christmas day of 1814. An autopsy would prove that she was never carrying a child.

From 1840 onward, the world has seen a significant uptick in increasingly complex, and repeatedly revised predictions of Christ's return. This era of failed prognostications could be divided into The Great Advent Movement and then the Modern Times period.

William Miller and the Millerites tried to wrest knowledge from the Bible and the Book of Daniel to establish the specific date of October 22, 1844. However, they experienced the "Great Disappointment" which led to a fracturing of the group, including the creation of the Seventh-day Adventists. A number of other less well-known diviners such as George Rapp, Joseph Morris, John Wroe, Charles Taze Russell, and a Piute Indian named Wovoka claimed Christ would visit Earth again in 1847, 1861, 1863, 1874 and 1890. One creative way in which Charles Taze Russell managed his failed prediction was to claim that Christ indeed returned, but was invisible.

Then there is the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith and his followers. In 1835, Smith prophesied to the twelve Mormon apostles that "the coming of the Lord, which was nigh - even fifty-six years should wind up the scene," which translates into the year 1891 (Smith, J., & The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2022). Eight years later, Smith received another revelation from in which he was told by God that if he lived to be eighty-five years old, Christ would appear again (Smith, J., & The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, n.d.). This would have put the date at 1890. Regardless the imprecision, both 1890 and 1891 passed with not even a hem of Jesus appearing on Earth.

Many followers of Smith received their Patriarchal blessings, including my own grandmother, in which it was stated they would live to see the second coming of Christ. My grandmother was born in 1917 and died in 2004.  Her blessing said, "thy life shall be prolonged and thou shalt be permitted to see Zion redeemed and of seeing and assisting in the building of the Temple in the Central Stake of Zion, where the Lord will come in His glory and thou shalt be permitted to assist in the great work under the personal supervision of the Savior and shall be satisfied with thy life's work."

In 1831, the Catholic Apostolic Church predicted Christ would return after the last of the 12 founding apostles of its church died. The last Apostle died in 1901, but Christ did not return that year. The Jehovah's Witnesses church believes Christ has invisibly returned in 1914. In the following year in 1915, John Chilembwe who was a Baptist educator, believed the 1000 year period of peace, known as the Millennium, would begin. This epoch of peace has largely been associated with the return of the Christ. Herbert Armstrong made several failed, revised and failed again predictions in the latter half of the 20th century. And a sect within the Seventh-day Adventist believed Christ would return in 1964. Benjamin Creme went with the precise date of Monday, June 21, 1982 as Christ's return. But when he did not return, Creme fell back on the excuse that the world was not ready for his return.

Then there was Edgar C. Whisenant, who was a former NASA engineer who published "88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be in 1988." When he was proven wrong, he tried again with another publication called "The Final Shout: Rapture Report 1989" which also proved inaccurate, so he tried one more time with predicting the return of Christ in 1993 with updated calculations but Christ did not return that year either.

The Nelson Megalomania

I could go on. There are at least 16 more instances of failed predictions documented between the years of 1994 and 2025. And this brings me to the reason why I'm writing this blog post. In 2024 and 2025, my wife and I began to notice subtle expressions, every so often, of a soft plea of prayer from friends and family for Christ's return. Every bit of perceived misfortune would be acknowledged with a sigh of "we need Jesus to return."

At first, we thought it was a bit odd and we didn't understand why these expressions were increasing. In our formative years, it seemed the Mormon church had learned its lesson of going out on a limb by predicting and talking frequently of Christ's return, only to be proven wrong with failed predictions. The prevailing doctrine (somewhat strictly enforced by leadership) was to declare no one except God the Father, knew when Christ would return. This doctrine and policy kept the fringe believers away from speculation, and prevented further splintering of the church. However, if there were going to be any signs of Christ's return, one generally accepted sign of Christ's imminent return would be two witnesses or perhaps apostles, being killed in Jerusalem, and their bodies would lay in the street for 3 1/2 days before being resurrected for entire world to witness. If I recall, this prophecy is based on Revelation 11. But alas, these days, there are no witnesses or apostles in Jerusalem in 2025.

So, why this change from not talking about Christ's return to infrequent sighs and moans calling for his return? My theory is that the recent president of the Mormon church, Russell Nelson began talking it up more during his tenure. It seems to have begun in October 2018, after Nelson emphasized the need to use Christ's name when referencing the church, as opposed to common designations, such as the Mormon church. In this sermon, he notes the Mormon church's purpose of preparing the world for the Second Coming of Christ. Also, he placed a lot of emphasis on the 200th anniversary of Joseph Smith's first vision, which would be celebrated in 2020. Of course, this anniversary, coupled with the global pandemic might have further spurred speculation of a Messianic return.

Recent history shows that in the 2012 church general conferences, the topic of the Second Coming was not referenced a single time. And between the years of 2013 and 2017, it was referenced no more than five times each year. And this trend was fairly average for all church general conferences between 1982 and 2017. But with the beginning of Nelson's October 2018 sermon, the topic of the Second Coming began to be referred to many times. In fact, the 5 year rolling average indicates that the topic of the Second Coming in the Mormon general conferences has been the highest in 50 years, aligned with the calling of Russell Nelson as president of the church (General Conference Analytics, 2025).

With Nelson's opening 'Second Coming' salvo, many other speakers began to follow suit and began talking 'Second Coming preparation.' One solid example is Renlund (2025) exhorting members to personally prepare to meet Jesus. He cites Nelson and scriptures in an effort to help people feel prepared for the return of Christ. Interestingly, in his sermon he advises members to be wary of "pretenders [who] would try to deceive the very elect and that many disciples would be duped. We should neither believe those who falsely claim divine sanction nor venture into metaphorical deserts or secret chambers to be taught by counterfeits" (2025). The irony of this admonition is rich coming from a leader of a church that is worth north of $200 billion (Semerad, 2025). It is no small fact that the church has tried to hide and even deceive its own members of the vast amount of wealth it possesses, despite Christ's explicit admonition that man (or church) cannot serve both God and Mammon (Matthew, 6:24).

You have the resources to deal with that which has been given you

As I mentioned before, anecdotally, my wife and I have noticed friends and family express a desire for Jesus' return. A review of messages from the last several months show examples such as, "I think it's time for the savior's return!" and "We just need the savior to come" and "only Jesus can save us now" and similar other requests and statements. As we thought about these 'prayers' we began discussing what they truly mean.  What is the best way to comprehend these statements? Are we to take them literally, or are they made in bad faith?

Most, if not all, of these statements were expressed in the context of life challenges, world events or other perceived difficulties. And, as I mentioned in the previous section, they were expressed in the context of church leaders choosing to focus on preparing for the return of Jesus. So, given all this context, it can be challenging to determine if this is "prophetic programming" or if indeed, these are personal expressions of what they are thinking and feeling. However, regardless of which is the best interpretation for how to interpret these expressions, I contend there is a higher, more rational path which might be more aligned with keeping the first great commandment, to use Christian vernacular.

Deconstructing this thought ('we need Jesus to return'), it seems to be synonymous with an abdication of responsibility. Exactly what is the problem for which we need a divine, super-power entity to come save us? This expression has been the verbal response to incurable cancer, political unrest, war, murders and assassinations. However, the world has, for centuries, experienced all these events and more and Christ did not return in response to those happenings. I would argue these recent events are minute compared to so many other atrocities humanity has previously endured. Indeed, we (humanity) have collectively confronted and addressed these issues before and we will continue confronting them and trying to resolve them. It is up to us; we have the ability to respond to each and all of these events - it is our responsibility.

Indeed, the universal gift God has granted each of us is the ability to "deal with that which has been given to [us]" (Epictetus, Discourses 1.29.39). What is up to us is the use of our rationality and choice in deciding which virtue we should exercise in response to an event, such as incurable cancer, political unrest, war, murders and assassinations. In fact, if one reads the entirety of Epictetus' Discourses, one will come away with the strong impression that Epictetus was dead set against complainers, gripers and anyone who would bemoan their lot in life (e.g. complain against God). Anyone who complained about his lot in life, was deemed to be malcontent by Epictetus. The righteous way; the pious way of living life, according to Epictetus, was to "die in a god-like way .. endure disease in a god-like way" (Discourse 2.8.28) and never find fault with God who has given him his lot and fate in life.

Consider this passage from Discourses 1.6.41-43.

[41]Possessing these faculties as you do, free and as your own, you fail to make use of them, however, and fail to perceive what it is that you have received, and from whom, [42] but sit there grieving and groaning, some of you blinded towards the giver and not even recognizing your benefactor, while others are led astray by their meanness of spirit into making reproaches and complaints against God. [43] And yet I can show you that you have the resources and equipment that are needed to be noble-minded and courageous, while it is for you to show me what occasion you have for complaint and reproach!

Or this rebuke about someone who thinks the will of God should be anything than what it is (Discourses 3.8.6).

‘But Zeus is not acting rightly in all of this.’—Why? Because he has given you the ability to endure things, and has made you noble-minded, because he has prevented these things from being evils, because he has made it possible for you to suffer them and still be happy, because he has left the door open for you, for when things are no longer good for you? Go out, man, and don’t complain.

In brief, God "has no need of a spectator who is always complaining about his lot" (Discourses 4.1.108).

I contend, whether someone proclaims to be a Christian or not, that to desire for Jesus or God to descend to earth in order to 'save us' breaks the first great commandment. We should be ashamed like little children who appeal to some authority to fix things for them. It is one thing for kids to act this way; it's entirely disgraceful for fully rational adults to abdicate responsibility for what is up to them.

Consequently, both the ancients and Jesus taught us how we are to approach trials, injustices and people who are vicious. We are to love what God has sent our way - we are to love our circumstances and those in our lives. And when it comes to loving who are in our lives (not the ones we naturally love, but the vicious), we are to turn the other cheek and go the extra mile (Matthew, 5:29, 41-42). When it comes to challenges and trails in life, we love them and God by demonstrating which virtues (courage, discipline, temperance or wisdom) are best suited for a given event. And when it comes to dealing with other people who choose or live poorly, we can do our part to teach and correct them. Epictetus (2015, fragment 5) provides an excellent example of the Spartan lawgiver Lycurgus.

Who among us doesn’t admire the saying of Lycurgus the Spartan? For when he had been blinded in one eye by one of his fellow citizens, and the young man was handed over to him by the people for him to exact whatever vengeance he might wish, he refrained from doing so, but gave him a proper education instead, made a good man of him, and presented him in the theatre; and when the Spartans showed surprise, he said, ‘When I received him from you, this man was offensive and violent, and I’m returning him to you as someone who is well behaved and public-spirited.

Conclusion

To conclude, human history is filled with predictions of Christ's Second Coming which ultimately proved false. It seems Mormonism learned its lesson to not emphasize the Second Coming as much, but in the recent years, church leaders have begun to underscore the importance of preparing for Christ's return, which has seemingly had the effect of causing some members to wish or pray for God to send His Son back to earth. However, I have argued this desire can sometimes function as an abdication of personal responsibility and agency—perhaps even contradicting the first great commandment to love God with all one’s heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). Rather than acting helpless to the challenges of life and supplicating for Jesus to save us, we should recall we have God-given gifts to deal well with our lot and fate in life. In fact, what we have been given was given by God! These challenges and events are ours to deal with and therefore, to love them, is to love God. And as for those who God has placed in our life, we are to turn the other cheek and go the extra mile in an effort to demonstrate the virtues which are up to us.

References

Epictetus. (2014). Discourses, Fragments, Handbook (R. Hard, Trans.). Oxford University Press.

General Conference Analytics. (2025). General Conference Analytics. Github.io. https://cgood92.github.io/general-conference-stats/#/search-trends?speaker=&start=1971&end=2025&searchTerms=second+coming&searchTerms=

Nelson, R. M. (2018, October). The Correct Name of the Church. Www.churchofjesuschrist.org. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/10/the-correct-name-of-the-church?lang=eng

Melendez, B. (Director). (1966, October 27). It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

Renlund, D. (2025, April). Personal Preparation to Meet the Savior. Churchofjesuschrist.org. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2025/04/25renlund?lang=eng

Semerad, T. (2025, April). Why the LDS Church soon may not need tithing anymore to cover its global programs. The Salt Lake Tribune. https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2025/04/01/lds-church-wealth-day-soon-may/

Smith, J., & The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (2022). History, 1838–1856, volume B-1 [1 September 1834–2 November 1838], Page 564. Josephsmithpapers.org. https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1838-1856-volume-b-1-1-september-1834-2-november-1838/18

Smith, J., & The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (n.d.). Doctrine and Covenants 130. Www.churchofjesuschrist.org. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/130?lang=eng

Wikipedia Contributors. (2025, October 22). Predictions and claims for the Second Coming. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predictions_and_claims_for_the_Second_Coming

Update on Podcast Project

In the event you were not aware, since I finished my philosophy degree, I have shifted my attention to creating a podcast based on much of the content found on this blog. The link to the podcast show is found at the top of the blog, or you can find it here: https://rockyrook.podbean.com/

To date, I've covered my commentary of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations up to book 6.  I just started working on the chapter 7 commentary and have published that episode. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to be notified of when an episode is published.

After I've covered Meditations, I'll focus on Epictetus' Discourses and then I'll focus on Seneca's Moral Letters.

As to more writing on this blog, I have a few ideas I want to focus on, dealing more with Existentialism, but I'm not sure when I'll sit down on focus on that.

Thanks to stopping by!

PHRL 498 (Religion & Philosophy Capstone) - Intellectual Autobiography: From Pre-existence to Existence to Essence

 Introduction

The day after Halloween in 1992, my father drove me to a farm on the other side of the Snake River to Fruitland, Idaho. My appointment was with a man named Chad Clark and he was to give me a Patriarchal blessing, which, for Mormons, acts as a type of life roadmap for a person, and which not only is to guide the individual in the future but also pronounces from whence that person came. In the opening paragraph of my blessing, I was informed, “Prior to your mortal birth you lived in the world of spirits. It was there that you prepared for mortality. You associated with many great and important spirits. You grew to maturity and exercised your free agency, made covenants and were foreordained to positions of responsibility that are being shown to you as you proceed through life.” Being born into Mormonism (officially known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) meant my essence was defined before I even had a chance to consider it. Many aspects of this religion formed and shaped me, however, I came to a point, around the age of 38, where I felt it did not serve me well anymore. This would become the starting point of my philosophical exploration and journey.

I began seeing a therapist named Laura McPherson, who not only gave me the space to express my feeling and thoughts, but she also recognized and acknowledged that I work for, live in and associate with a Type A company, a Type A community and Type A religion, meaning these organizations’ and communities’ populations tend to be comprised of people who exhibit traits such as aggressiveness, competitiveness, ambitiousness and authoritarianism (Sissons, 2022). To manage the anxiety and stress of these environments, she taught me a number of techniques as informed by Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This was my first pitstop in my philosophical journey. As I studied CBT, I found the linkages to Stoicism and how I could redirect my locus of control to within. This exploration sent me down a path of defining my true existence, as well as a deep dive into Hellenistic philosophy between the years of 2014 and 2021.

As I studied Stoicism, and in particular the idea of eternal recurrence (Durand et al., 2023), I came across references to Nietzsche’s doctrine of the same name (Wilkerson, n.d.) and how he used it as a litmus test to determine if an individual loves his fate and is living his best life. This discovery was the catalyst to widen my philosophic aperture to study not only Existentialism, but other philosophies. In 2021, I enrolled in American Public University (APU) and have since been studying philosophy and thinking about what my essence is and should be.

This essay will explore the three phases of my intellectual autobiography, with the first phase delving into Mormonism and my so-called pre-existence, phase two exploring Stoicism and how it helped me to delineate my existence, and phase three discovering Existentialism and how Nietzsche, Camus and Sartre have guided me to define my own meaning and essence.

Pre-existence and Mormonism

I was thrown into a Mormon family. Heidegger would say I was “never in control of [my] own being” and that I could not “determine or control biological or cultural factors that constrain possibilities” for myself (Wheeler, 2011). As such, I was indoctrinated into believing that I had pre-existed, meaning I had a life before I was born. And this is not in the sense of reincarnation, rather, it was in a spiritual, non-physical sense. In this pre-existence, there was a war of ideas with Jesus Christ on one side and Lucifer on the other. Mormons believe this war of ideas began as all humanity debated on the plan for existence (The Pearl of Great Price, 2013/1851). At the center of this plan was personal agency. On one side, Lucifer intended to remove choice and guarantee the salvation of all, while Christ intended to defend personal agency, but then provide a way for salvation to those who misuse their volition and consequently need to repent of sin. Christ would enter the mortal world, atone and pay the consequences of all humankind’s sin, and resurrect himself, thus breaking the chains of spiritual and physical death. Without fully explaining the intricacies and dogmas of Mormonism, I concluded that the most important virtue in the church is obedience. If a believer wanted to return to God’s presence (gain eternal life and happiness), as they were in the pre-existence, then they need to obey and follow the path outlined before them.

The Mormon faith teaches that happiness comes through obedience to teachings, commandments, and rituals. The long list of obedience includes attending church, scripture study, prayer, baptism at age eight, worthiness interviews during adolescence, missions and marriage, and making temple covenants to name a few. The most important blessings for Mormons are those found in the temple, and no one can attend the temple unless they commit 10% of their income to the church for their entire life – a Mormon’s salvation is entwined with lucre. And then parenthood renews the cycle, as raising children in the faith becomes integral to spiritual salvation. Happiness remains tied to lifelong obedience and generational continuity.

While this plan seems organized and clear, there are aspects which jeopardize one’s pursuit of joy. Not only must an individual stay on the straight and narrow path, but he has a responsibility for other people’s salvation, which can cause profound negative spiritual and mental effects if someone else’s choices put his own salvation at risk. The Doctrine and Covenants (2013/1851) notes that parents have a duty to baptize and rear their children in the religion. However, if parents fail in their efforts, the sins of the child will be on the parent’s heads. Furthermore, an early leader of the church, John Taylor, taught members, “If you do not magnify your callings, God will hold you responsible for those whom you might have saved had you done your duty” (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2025). The central concept of the war of ideas in the pre-existence and the fight for one’s agency stand in stark contrast to the authoritarian mindset of obedience and guilt which are hallmarks in the religion’s modern teachings. For me, I could not exist authentically in this religion, nor did the virtue of spiritual obedience to a leader in a far-off city make logical sense to me.

Existence and Stoicism

After meeting with a psychotherapist for several weeks and discovering the linkages between CBT and Stoicism, I procured a copy of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations (2014). Only a few passages were clear and meaningful to me when I read it the first time. Someone recommended that I read Pierre Hadot’s The Inner Citadel (2001) to fully comprehend all that Marcus Aurelius wrote. One chapter of Hadot’s book focuses entirely on Epictetus since he had such a profound impact on Aurelius. I then obtained a copy of Epictetus’ writings and from this point on, my library bloomed with books on Stoicism.

The single most important doctrine of Stoicism is the demarcation of what is “up to us” (Epictetus & Long, 2018) and what is not. Epictetus notes that our abilities to judge, our motivation and desires and aversions are the things that are up to us. But our body, possessions, our lot in life and even our reputation are not up to us. As I read this passage the first time and then repeatedly, I felt an immense sense of relief as I comprehended such a clearly defined locus of control which stood in contrast to the guilt-tripping, manipulation and expansive locus of duties required in Mormonism. Epictetus’ lesson on delineation pervades Aurelius’ Meditations and is expanded upon by Hadot. Once I understood this demarcation, I realized I could truly exist and set boundaries between my innermost self and other people and events.

My studies further deepened as I discovered The College of Stoic Philosophers. Their courses taught me Stoic physics, logic and ethics. During these classes, I began to learn the language and subjects of philosophy. I was introduced to Skepticism, Epicureanism, Neo-Platonism and other schools of thought. However, I was not expecting to encounter Existentialism while studying Stoicism.

While studying Stoic physics I learned of the idea of eternal recurrence (Durand et al., 2023), and how Nietzsche’s doctrine of the same name (Wilkerson, n.d.) was used to great effect to help individuals determine if they truly love their fate and are living their best life. Hadot (2001) also made the same connection. The longer I contemplated the concept of amor fati and saying “yes” to my life repeatedly and endlessly, I realized there was perhaps more work to be done in terms of discovering my essence.

Essence and Existentialism

My first act of asserting a definition of my essence was to apply at APU and enroll in my first philosophy course. Philosophy 101 did not discuss Existentialism, but a posting by one of the students referred to Kierkegaard and how his writings had a profound impact on her life. She listed Sartre, Camus and other Existentialist philosophers as notable influences in her life as well. While I had come across Camus and Nietzsche a few years before, I knew nothing else about Existentialism. After taking several required philosophy classes, by June 2023 I enrolled in a course on Existentialism; perhaps my favorite course of all the classes I’ve taken.

Stoicism’s mantra of “living according to Nature” (Sellars, 2014, p. 125) nicely sums the aim for life, but implicit in that motto is a trust in the universe that all was intended to be exactly as it occurs. For some, the effort in trying to discern reasons for why the universe dishes out breath-taking hardships can be too much for their schema of existence. To me, Camus’ assessment of the universe seems a smidge more honest than the Stoic assessment. His definition of the absurd, which explains the tension of humanity’s relentless quest to find meaning despite the fact that the Cosmos forever remains silent, resonates more deeply with me. Rather than being forced to find a meaning for one’s strange circumstance (Stoicism), one is free to admit the absurdity of existence and is liberated to define one’s own meaning and essence. 

Later in my course on Existentialism, I learned that I had been living in “bad faith” because I was largely dependent on other’s norms and values (Overthink Podcast & Anderson, 2022) and I was only dreaming of my essence (Flynn, 2006). Even though I had been liberated from Mormonism, I realized I was largely finding comfort in my fate or facticity, and I was denying that I had a responsibility to positively create my meaning and essence instead of remaining fixed in my circumstances. In July 2023, while on a business trip in India, I came to a profound realization I was shirking my responsibility and that I needed to begin to live in good faith and act on creating my essence (Putnam, 2023). Since writing that essay, I enrolled in a number of psychology classes at APU, and I am about to complete my college degree in philosophy. I have also solidified my plans to retire from my corporate career by the year 2031 and enroll in a Master of Counseling program with the intent to become a licensed professional counselor (LPC). Beyond this next phase, I intend to practice my craft in a hospital or university setting, helping other people through life’s challenges as well as assisting them in finding their own meaning project.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this essay explored the three phases of my intellectual autobiography, with the first phase delving into Mormonism and my so-called pre-existence, phase two examining Stoicism and how it helped me to delineate my existence, and phase three uncovering Existentialism and how Nietzsche, Camus, and Sartre guided me to define my own meaning and essence. 

References

Aurelius, M. (2014). Meditations (M. Hammond, Trans.). Penguin Classics, An Imprint Of Penguin Books.

Durand, M., Shogry, S., & Baltzly, D. (2023). Stoicism (E. N. Zalta & U. Nodelman, Eds.). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy; Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/stoicism/#CosmCyclConf 

Epictetus, & Long, A. A. (2018). How to be free : an ancient guide to the stoic life : Encheiridion and selections from Discourses. Princeton University Press.

Flynn, T. R. (2006). Existentialism : a very short introduction. Oxford University Press.

Hadot, P. (2001). The Inner Citadel: The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius (M. Chase, Trans.). Cambridge, Mass. London Harvard University Press.

Overthink Podcast, & Anderson, E. (2022). Sartre’s theory of bad faith. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUXXmHkI-Ug

Putnam, D. (2023). Time and Existentialist Creation. Rockyrook.com. https://www.rockyrook.com/2023/07/rel-411-time-and-existentialist-creation.html

Sellars, J. (2014). Stoicism. Routledge.

Sissons, B. (2022, September 30). Personality types: Type A and type B traits. Www.medicalnewstoday.com. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/type-a-vs-type-b.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (2025). Chapter 18: Service in the Church. Churchofjesuschrist.org. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/teachings-john-taylor/chapter-18?lang=eng 

The Doctrine and Covenants. (2013). Doctrine and Covenants 68. Www.churchofjesuschrist.org. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/68?lang=eng (Original work published 1835)

The Pearl of Great Price. (2013). Abraham 3. Www.churchofjesuschrist.org. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/abr/3?lang=eng (Original work published 1851)

Wheeler, M. (2011). Martin Heidegger (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Stanford.edu. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/heidegger/

Wilkerson, D. (n.d.). Nietzsche, Friedrich | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. https://iep.utm.edu/nietzsch/#H7

MGMT 314 (Ethics in Management) - Ethical Evolution of Modern American Businesses

 Abstract

This essay discusses the positive advancement of ethics in U.S. based businesses over the last 130 years. It then reviews common unethical practices and how leadership addresses these challenges. The essay then examines how the 2007-2008 financial crisis was essentially a people process failure as good-intentioned choices led to significant negative consequences. Lastly it argues that minimizing discrimination and supporting diversity, in tandem with corporate outreach and employee volunteerism programs benefit both the business and the employees’ lives.

 

Introduction

In 1882, one of the richest men in the United States and world let slip his limited and stunted view on ethics, when he told a reporter “The public be damned” (Gordon, 1989). In an age of tycoons when the interests of many common workers and citizens were ignored or overlooked, William Henry Vanderbilt conveyed, in those four words, his disregard for the common welfare. Through the years, American businesses with the encouragement of lawmakers, have made progress in promoting ethics and supporting the common good. Legislation like the Clayton Antitrust Act and various other types of reforms are evidence that businesses have positively evolved over the years. While most workers don’t have access to make decisions which impact their corporation or public, many grapple with day-to-day, common ethical choices dealing with theft, conflicts of interest and dishonesty. Less common, but nonetheless impactful, are the choices of people which led to the 2007-2008 financial meltdown, in which it is learned that sometimes people’s good ethical intentions lead to negative consequences. Lastly, evidence of modern American businesses positively evolving from an ethics perspective is the continued efforts to eradicate discrimination and to promote diversity, along with the increased focus on corporate efforts to boost outreach in the community through company sponsored events and employee volunteerism.

Modern Businesses Have Positively Evolved

American businesses have evolved significantly from Vanderbilt’s time. In his era, many workers and even the public had little to no recourse to reign in the tycoons and barons who controlled vast sums of money and assets. Ginsberg (2017) argues the United States, with its democratic form of government, was able to modulate businesses’ practices and establish legal reforms while avoiding the reactionary and violent workers’ revolutions which occurred in Russia and Germany. Workers who suffered from poor working conditions and inadequate pay benefited from the Clayton Antitrust Act by having the opportunity to work for competitors instead of a single monopoly.

Ginsberg (2017) also documents the rebirth of American industry after World War II which saw the creation of many shareholders as average citizens who began investing on a significant scale. This pivot brought a dip in concern for business ethics. However, by the 1970s, the American stockholder and consumer began to take a prominent position. Worker pensions and retirement savings accounts rose significantly. While improvements in ethics continued to advance, financial fraud increased from the 1980s to the early 2000s. In light of negative impacts on shareholders and employees due to the downfall of Enron and the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act were passed to support the positive evolution of holding powerful corporations accountable for unethical behaviors.

Common Forms of Unethical Behavior

While most workers lack the ability to influence corporate or public decisions, they frequently face everyday ethical challenges. As discussed in Schwartz (2017), a national survey indicated that more than 40% of U.S. workers witnessed unethical behavior in the prior year. The more common misconduct included theft, conflicts of interest, and dishonesty. From stealing small items such as pencils and sticky notes, to falsifying travel and expense reports, many workers try to justify their unethical actions by claiming ignorance or even accidental intentions. However, upon deeper investigation, employees’ actions are usually a result of putting self-interest above the interests of the business, or in other words, the worker faces a conflict of interests.

In an attempt to create greater clarity and to assist workers in making correct moral decisions, leaders can establish core ethical values and then translate those values into policies (Schwartz, 2017). Core values are usually captured and explained in an organization’s code of ethics. The code of ethics begins with a mission statement and then it explores and clarifies the organization’s values. The code of ethics is then used as the basis to make policies and employee conduct more explicit. A code of conduct is a part of a code of ethics. The code of conduct is generally more detailed and rule-based, as it explains specific standards of business conduct which employees are expected to uphold in their day-to-day work activities.

While these low-level, very common unethical behaviors appear in day-to-day business operations, they may not necessarily lead to major ethical scandals. Fewer and far between are ethical choices people make, which have profound consequences on society and millions of people’s lives. One such example is the 2007-2008 financial meltdown.

Unethical Behavior in the 2007-2008 Financial Meltdown?

The catalyst for the 2007-2008 financial crisis was the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) created in 1977 and reinforced in the late 1990s which was to allow low-income families access to a home and to "make widespread homeownership a national goal" (Richman, 2012). Some may debate if the CRA truly was the cause of this failure, however Agarwal (2012) shows data indicating banks’ evaluations of loan origination was driven by the CRA which led to riskier banking decisions. Without the CRA, banks normally would not have approved of these loans. While most banks avoided these types of risks, Government Sponsored Enterprises such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, took on these risks and issued loans to less qualified homebuyers mainly because they were not only mandated by the federal government, but also backed by the government, meaning the risk would be ultimately born by the government. The dot-com economic bubble and the September 11th terrorist attack further accelerated the lowering of interest rates to stimulate the economy, only increasing demand for home mortgages. Banks then offloaded the risk of sub-prime mortgages by bundling the uncertain loans into mortgage-backed securities and then sold them to investors around the world.

While the U.S. government and banking institutions shoulder the blame for this significant financial crisis, it appears the intent of these choices were made in good faith, and this was essentially a people failure as opposed to a capital market process failure. The intent of the CRA was to break the barriers of entry for many Americans who could otherwise never live in a home. In fact, when the CRA was created in 1977, it was targeting banks who refused to issue "mortgage loans in distressed areas of a city" (Boatright, 2007, p. 160) which then had the effect of further urban decay. Therefore, from a deontological ethical perspective, politicians from the 1970s and 1990s felt it was their duty to affect positive changes to incentivize banks to take on more risk. And from a utilitarian perspective, it could be argued the benefits of wider home ownership outweigh the risks banks had to endure. There was no unethical behavior and intent per se, but perhaps there were unintended consequences of the impetus for change, which was the U.S. government intending to promote the common good. However, in the end, the impact was so extensive and severe, it caused the biggest economic meltdown in the world since the Great Depression.

Eradicating Discrimination and Promoting Diversity

Hiring managers and leadership need to be discerning regarding who they hire so that organizational goals and objectives can be adequately accomplished. To this end, hiring or firing decisions should not solely be based on gender, race, age or other biased considerations. Both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, n.d.) and The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2024) preclude the discrimination of workers based on their race, color, religion, sex, national origin or age. In summary, employees and potential workers should be considered and treated fairly and not be subject to discrimination based on factors out of their control. Historically, too often, management and leadership were targeting minority groups by excluding them for consideration for hire, promotion or pay increases.

Today, many leaders and managers recognize the power of diversity in such factors as gender, ethnicity, and neurological processing. A business which operates in various communities or countries should reflect the makeup of the society in which it operates (Collins and Edgewood College School of Business, 2013). By representing the diverse composition of a society, the business places itself in a position to comprehend and better serve its customers, as well as to avoid potential legal troubles.

One recent example of leadership mismanaging a discrimination issue is that of The Results Company, LLC (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2024a). After hiring a disabled (blind) worker, the company refused to accommodate her and subsequently fired her. She had requested screen reader software to perform her job, but the company took minimal steps to assist. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a lawsuit against the company in order to compensate the fired worker as well as to ensure The Results Company updates its procedures for managing similar situations in the future.

Corporate Outreach and Volunteerism

Beyond ensuring due diligence in preventing discrimination and instilling positive procedures for a diverse workforce, businesses can do even more to ensure their brand and social reputation remain positive and even improve. Programs which support corporate outreach and employee volunteer efforts have empirically shown they help the organization improve performance, increase brand recognition, improve customer loyalty and improve goodwill in society (Longenecker, et al., 2013). When employees are given opportunities to volunteer, studies have shown that these efforts go a long way to improve employee values such as “compassion, humility, sympathy, empathy, and joy” (Longenecker, et al., 2013, p. 10) and that this has the added effect of promoting a work-life balance as well as camaraderie with fellow-workers. In the era of quiet quitting, a Harvard Business Review (Moss, 2023) article confirms the old adage of a happy workforce being a productive workforce. Moss (2023) notes research stating that when workers are happy, there is a 13% bump in productivity, but when they are not engaged (e.g. quietly quitting) they are unhappy and depriving businesses of $8.8 trillion worth of work. As a result, leadership should support and promote corporate outreach and employee volunteer programs to not only benefit the bottom line of the business, but to improve the lives of the workers and employees.

Conclusion

In conclusion, over the last 130 years, American businesses, with lawmakers' support, have advanced in ethics which have benefitted the common good. Laws like the Clayton Antitrust Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act show this progress. While most employees lack decision-making power in corporations, they face day-to-day ethical challenges, such as theft and conflicts of interest. Some ethical choices, like those leading to the 2007-2008 financial crisis, have had unintended negative consequences. However, businesses continue to evolve by combating discrimination, promoting diversity, and increasing corporate social responsibility through community outreach, company-sponsored events, and employee volunteerism, reinforcing their commitment to ethical growth and sustainability. 

References

Agarwal, S., National Bureau of Economic Research., Benmelech, E., Bergman, N., & Seru, A. (2012). Did the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Lead to Risky Lending? National Bureau of Economic Research.

Boatright, J. R. (2007). Finance Ethics. A Companion to Business Ethics, 153–163. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470998397.ch13

Collins, D., & Edgewood College School of Business. (2013, July 18). Best Practices on Employee Diversity. Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/embed/5egW09F1AXQ?wmode=opaque&rel=0

Ginsberg, D. (2017, April 21). Evolution of business ethics in the US: From exploitation to ethics? California Management Review. https://cmr.berkeley.edu/2017/04/evolution-of-business-ethics/ 

Gordon, J. S. (1989). “The Public Be Damned.” AMERICAN HERITAGE. https://www.americanheritage.com/public-be-damned

Longenecker, C. O., Beard, S., & Scazzero, J. A. (2013). What about the workers? The workforce benefits of corporate volunteer programs. Development and Learning in Organizations, 27(1), 9-12. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777281311291213 

Moss, J. (2023, October 20). Creating a Happier Workplace Is Possible — and Worth It. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2023/10/creating-a-happier-workplace-is-possible-and-worth-it 

Richman, S. (2012, October 14). Clinton’s Legacy: The Financial and Housing Meltdown. Reason.com. https://reason.com/2012/10/14/clintons-legacy-the-financial-and-housin/ 

Schwartz, M. S. (2017). Business ethics : An ethical decision-making approach. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (n.d.). Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Www.eeoc.gov. https://www.eeoc.gov/statutes/title-vii-civil-rights-act-1964 

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2024). The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Www.eeoc.gov. https://www.eeoc.gov/statutes/age-discrimination-employment-act-1967 

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2024a). EEOC Sues The Results Companies for Disability Discrimination. US EEOC. https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-sues-results-companies-disability-discrimination