Mugs

Both of these statements are about figuring out the truth. Taken together, the two statements make it clear how tricky this can be. All that glitters is not gold” is a warning label for surface charm. It tells you that shine is...

Fortune favors the bold” blesses risk; “fools rush in” warns that the same move can just be stupidity with good PR. The line between brave and reckless sometimes only shows up in hindsight. Fortune favors the bold” promises tha...

Follow your dreams” says jump. “Don’t quit your day job” says keep the parachute. The trick isn’t choosing one—it’s knowing how far you can fall and still get back up. Follow your dreams” sells a story of bold leaps and persona...

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained” pushes you forward; “don’t tempt the devil” pulls you back. The real argument isn’t over whether to risk, but which dangers you’re willing to invite into the room. Nothing ventured, nothing ga...

Just about any attempt to reframe “Black lives matter” has elicited very negative responses from progressive activists. It may just be the time for this unity message. Conservative responses to the “Black lives matter” slogan —...

The 19th Century German philosopher is famous for having declared the death of God. But tongue in cheek can cut both ways. And the more you think about it, the deeper it gets. For him, religion is a superstition that we’re movi...

“Squeaky wheel gets the grease” says be loud; “the tall flower gets the knife” says stay small. The tension is brutal: attention is how you win—and how you get cut down. This is life on the edge! The proverbs that dominate our ...

This may be the toughest contradiction of them all. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t remind ourselves that it’s there. Ambivalence, ambivalence, ambivalence. Most of us recognize that money, like its close cousin — power — co...

Sometimes we’re genuinely conflicted about how to live our lives. Who would honestly tell you that appearances don’t matter? And at the same time, what’s more important than being authentic? If you grow up in America,  you’re g...

This is a contradiction if there ever was one. Is the resolution that it depends on what kind of relationship we’re talking about, on exactly who is out of sight? How can two things that are so opposite be so true? We’ve all ha...

“One person, one vote” crowns equal citizens; “those who own the country ought to govern it” crowns capital. The live question is whether democracy serves people—or their owners. One person, one vote” is a blunt egalitarian ide...

At one level this is a silly debate — of course we want democracy. But John Jay’s statement reflects a stark reality about the rise of the billionaire — trillionaire? — class. John Jay is one of the founding fathers, the first ...