There is an old fable that I have been reminded of these past couple of years centered around a Chinese farmer. Here’s part of a version told by British philosopher Alan Watts (1915-1973), considered by many to be one of the godfathers of the human potential movement: Once upon a time there was a […]
by John Renesch and Thomas Eddington Co-founders, FutureShapers LLC Throughout the world, nations, organizations, families and individuals are reacting to the seemingly ever-increasing pace of change. Shifts in demographics and a rapid increase in technological advances is resulting in the collapse of the social systems previously designed and implemented throughout our societies, organizations and lives. […]
I recently submitted an article to a respected leadership journal about the crisis I see negatively affecting leadership in all sectors. It comes in the form of true commitment and what it has come to mean. I see this crisis as a global epidemic. Much of the positive developments in our history as human […]
Most of the beliefs we have buried in our psyche were installed many years ago, mostly when we were as young as two to five years old. Early on, we decided we were separate from everyone and everything else. Soon after, because we saw ourselves as separate, many of us took on some version of […]
Albert Einstein said it well: “Nationalism is an infantile disease.” Nationalism is simply a more formalized form of tribalism and they are both forms of “special interests” – the enemy of the common good. Special interests are playing a zero-sum game where fear of losing out and grabbing all they can overshadows the well-being […]
While one could argue that the gap between Democrats and Republicans in Washington has never been greater than now, they are still very united in what the late Orlando Sentinel columnist Charley Reese (picture courtesy of the Orlando Sentinel) called the “common con.” In his February 3, 1984 column, titled “545 people are responsible for […]
When Did Science Begin?April 9, 2019 - 11:11 amI keep reading and hearing people talk about science as if it all began with the Western model of rational thought in the 18th and 19th centuries when reductionistic science replaced what was then considered false beliefs or witch doctor hokey pokey. The materialistic values of Europe overran generations of less-materialistic practices making them seem […]
Distinguishing Infinite Awareness from the Finite MindFebruary 19, 2019 - 8:44 pmAs a longtime meditator, I often found some difficulty, especially in the early days, in quieting my mind. It seemed so unnatural and difficult to attain a state where there were no thoughts buzzing around inside my head. What I have discovered over the years is that the more practiced I became at meditation – […]
On May 19, 2013 at The Harvard Club in New York City an award was presented to The Great Growing Up: Being Responsible for Humanity’s Future by Next Generation Indie Books Awards who named the book the 2013 Grand Prize Winner for Non-Fiction. The Award was presented to San Francisco futurist and author, John Renesch, at a gala awards ceremony. Twenty five judges selected the winning book from sixty different categories.