“The truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance.” — Marcus Aurelius

The camera ought to be listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

More than the awe-inspiring Great Wall or the mysterious Machu Picchu, cameras have allowed us to capture and easily manipulate the world around us.

As early as 1855 in Paris, at the second world fair, a German photographer demonstrated his ability to retouch the negative of a photograph, thus producing a more desired effect.

This harmless action has evolved into the now-familiar editing features we see in…

One of the joys of my childhood was visiting our town library.

Week after week, I remember finding my way to favorite sections and shelves, taking favorite books down, and browsing through them.

They greeted me like friends, welcoming me into their pages and embracing me with the warm hug of familiarity. There was a sense of belonging in those books. A sense of comfort.

But on occasion, I’d discover a new friend-a book that the librarian recommended, or one that suggested itself, through the power of the card catalog and the magic of the Dewey Decimal System.

After gently…

“No preacher is listened to but time, which gives us the same train and turn of thought that elder people have in vain tried to put into our heads before.” — Jonathan Swift, 1706

Time is a strange thing. Our perception of time is warped (see what I did there?) but we mark it in absolutes.

We can lose track of time when we’re enjoying ourselves, or feel like time is standing still when we’re loathing our surroundings.

“Time, when it is left to itself and no definite demands are made on it, cannot be trusted to move at any…

The difference between a good experience and a ‘meh’ experience in a room on Clubhouse is significant, but it’s not hard to achieve.

Clubhouse can best be described as a social audio version of a conference. There are keynote addresses from prominent names, breakout rooms of interactive discussion, and the hallway conversations that just pop up.

If you’re looking to host a room with a mix of speakers and audience, you'll want engagement and a healthy discussion. And the best way to do that is by being a gracious host.

With a few simple tips and some helpful resources, you’ll…

What we’re witnessing now on Clubhouse (and other social audio apps) is nothing less than than a compressed version of history.

☕ Coffee-houses began as public places to gather and have discussions about news, politics, and ideas in the Middle East in the 1400s and become an integral part of London life in the late 1600s.

🏛 This gave rise to generations of scientists, politicians, and taste-makers that drove culture.

🎙 Some interactions are lectures, others are debates and discussions. You can show up to be part of a celebrity’s audience, or you can become an active panelist and speaker.

…

“Clubs happen because of the elementary truth that we like to be with our own kind, with whom we can be ourselves and let our hair down.” — Anthony Lejeune, 2012

You’ve undoubtedly heard about the app Clubhouse.

The real-time social audio app has gained steam since launching last year, with a quick rise amid a number of competitors. The technorati were the first to catch on, and it spread from there.

While I joined last August, I found I was overwhelmed with the choices. The notifications were too frequent, I felt out of place without many connections on there…

“We start then, with the Muses, who delight / With song the mighty mind of father Zeus / Within Olympus, telling of things that are, / That will be, and that were, with voices joined / In harmony.” — Hesiod, c. 700 BC

When you’re stuck for an idea, where do you go?

If you’ve ever watched Mad Men, you saw Don Draper, the consummate creative director, try to hammer out his ideas by taking a nap, or leaving his office to head to a matinee at a nearby theater.

Some people choose to listen to music. Others open a…

“Everything that deceives does so by casting a spell.” — Plato, 380 BC

Can you intimately explain games of chance? That is, can you quote the odds of getting a specific number on a roulette wheel, a roll of the dice in craps, or a hand in poker?

Odds are you understand how each ranks in relation to other options in a particular game-more likely, less likely, etc.-but you can’t explain the exact statistical odds.

When we find ourselves involved in these situations and emotions run high as the stakes grow and fortune continues to smile on us, we stop…