By: Jeremiah Gómez on April 3, 2025
As I write these words, I’m keenly aware of neurology. Not as a (formal) student of neurology or brain physiology but as a patient. One Sunday a few years ago, I awoke to strange sensations and cognitive fog that progressed to the point that a day later, I was unable to walk under my own…
By: Darren Banek on April 3, 2025
The French poet Marcel Proust is credited with the paraphrased quote “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” This loose paraphrase is from The Prisoner, published in 1923, and is taken from volume five of his seven-volume work, Remembrance of Things Past. The original statement is…
By: Robert Radcliff on April 3, 2025
The subtitle of this post is: “What did the basal ganglia say to the prefrontal cortex? Why are you always pushing your liminality down into me! And other jokes for doctoral students.” This week, I read Your Brain at Work by David Rock. This book is a confluence of psychology and leadership, applying insights about…
By: Betsy on April 3, 2025
What power do humans have and what power do we think we have? As leaders these are crucial questions to wrestle with as we intentionally seek to build cultures where power is used to help rather than harm. Within my work I aim to empower those we support, so that they feel equipped to create…
By: Ivan Ostrovsky on April 2, 2025
This week’s reading, Your Brain at Work by Dr. David Rock, reminded me of “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman, which we read a few weeks ago. Both books break down how our brains function. Kahneman explains the two systems in our minds—one that operates on autopilot and another that activates when we need…
By: Alex Mwaura on April 2, 2025
In 2015, Devex published an article titled, “5 Things to Know About the Next Generation Development Professional.” The author outlined the following five traits required of a future development worker: Integrators are key Jack of all (funding) trades Invest in education and learning skills Soft skills are critical Constant upskilling [1] Fast forward to 2025;…
By: Joff Williams on April 2, 2025
“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment” Romans 12:3 Getting perspective The first take of the recording was over. We put our musical instruments aside and walked over to the console booth, eager and excited to listen to what the engineer had captured of…
By: Jess Bashioum on April 2, 2025
Dr. David Rock has a refreshing, pragmatic approach in “Your Brain at Work”. He gives tangible tools that can be used to focus better and change the ways we think. I have added a lot of his ideas to my toolbelt in hopes of finding insight in the noisy and chaotic state of my brain…
By: Rich on April 1, 2025
Listen to the question . . . pause and reflect . . . answer . . . stop talking It was 2011. I was sitting in a bland, windowless room in New Orleans, waiting to be legally deposed. I didn’t know anyone there. The corporate attorney sitting next to me was representing my employer, not…
By: Michael Hansen on March 22, 2025
On a recent phone call with a family member, I was reminded how the mind could lead someone to remember the facts incredibly wrong. This time, the topic was vehicular accidents on the interstate and road safety. Our conversation became circular. Seeking to close, I finally asked, “What leads you to believe there are more…
By: Rich on March 22, 2025
This week, I read Why We’re Wrong About Nearly Everything by Bobby Duffy.[1] I will give a brief overview of the book, provide a self-deprecating example, and then apply the framework to the contemporary if not dry subject of federal taxation and spending. This book focuses on why people are often deluded about everyday political…
By: Ivan Ostrovsky on March 21, 2025
Before leaving for school, I would always ask my mom for some cash so I could buy myself a snack. I loved eating flavored crackers. I would watch my classmates eating all kinds of junk food, and I figured — if they were doing it, it must be okay for me too. This was back…
By: Linda Mendez on March 20, 2025
It was an unbearably hot and humid Sabbath morning in the peak of summer in El Salvador, and my father was preparing to take the pulpit. Dressed in a full suit and tie, I could only think how crazy he was for doing so. He stepped up to the pulpit and began his sermon. As…
By: Jeremiah Gómez on March 20, 2025
For nearly a year, I’ve been inviting those in my faith community to (re)examine where we root our identity and what it looks like if we miss-place it in something that isn’t meant to uphold that weight. Why We’re Wrong About Nearly Everything demonstrates that one of the ways to chase truth and avoid resistance…
By: Alex Mwaura on March 20, 2025
Some Kenyan history Following Kenya’s independence in 1963, a section of political leaders took over government after years of fighting for freedom. They were now charged with the difficult job of uniting and healing the country, keeping the nation safe and growing the economy. For a young nation, this was an arduous task. So, the…
By: Jess Bashioum on March 20, 2025
As I read through Bobby Duffy’s Why We’re Wrong About Nearly Everything, I would ask myself, my husband and sons the questions from the surveys and was pleasantly surprised that our estimates where closer to the actual numbers than the average reply. This clearly shows that my family is the exception to the rule, and…
By: Christian Swails on March 20, 2025
We assume that reality is something firm, something objective—out there, waiting for us to correctly perceive it. And yet, history tells us that humans have been wildly wrong about reality for as long as we’ve been conscious enough to question it. In Why We Are Wrong About Nearly Everything, Bobby Duffy lays out a compelling…
By: Darren Banek on March 20, 2025
As I launched into this educational journey, I have become increasingly aware of my tendency for Elementary reading, getting bogged down and stuck on trivial details, and losing sight of the overarching themes and direction of the books I am reading.[1] To combat this, I have tried to establish creative habits in preparation for reading…
By: Robert Radcliff on March 20, 2025
This week, I read Bobby Duffy’s book, Why We’re Wrong About Nearly Everything: A Theory of Human Misunderstanding. By doing surveys of public perception compared to statistics on issues, Duffy showed the human propensity to be wrong. Through a vast amount of research, he showed without “massive misinformation campaigns by automated bots… we’re still very…
By: Betsy on March 20, 2025
About eight years ago one of my staff team, who I still employ, made me a T shirt that said in big bold black words, ‘I AM NOT YOUR MOTHER’. Why did she do that? Because as a woman leader it can be what happens., just like for male leaders and father wounds. It is…
