Going To Paris

Charlottesville November 6, 2025 The following article appeared in the NYT recently. As I read it, I felt my pulse quicken and my thoughts became jumbled. Given my recent blog posts, you might not be surprised when I say I felt ashamed that after nine years, the memories my cardiac arrest still affect me almost everyday. "Come on man, I think to myself, get over it -- no one else dwells on their survival from their asystole." Dwells might be the wrong word. I do think ab

Charlottesville November 6, 2025 I have condensed some thoughts from a recent article I read: Failure and loneliness are rooted in the same ground—isolation. For leadership, as in life, evolutionary psychology offers an explanation. Going back millennia, the fear of failure meant much more than making a mistake. It was also about rejection. That’s where the fear of loneliness comes in—and far more than the existential angst of being alone. Getting shut out of the circle was t

Charlottesville November 6, 2025 Daring Greatly by Brené Brown argues that vulnerability is not a weakness, but the path to wholehearted living, courage, and connection . The book summarizes her research on how fear and shame prevent people from living authentically, and how embracing vulnerability is essential for creativity, empathy, and meaningful relationships. By "daring greatly," individuals can courageously show up despite uncertainty and risk, which is key to transfor