Some snapshots from the book I'm working on. More on each of these in the coming months. 1. Progress is Not Inevitable; It is a Shared Spiritual Achievement Civilization does not automatically expand; it is a rarity salvaged from the common human state of barbarism. In an age where algorithmic acceleration mimics advancement, we must remember that authentic progress is snatched from the welter of decline only through the shared, deliberate work of discerning people.   2. To Save Practicality,...

Image courtesy of webrn-maculardegeneration.com/central-scotoma.html . In Bernard Lonergan’s landmark work Insight , he uses the term scotoma  to describe a very specific kind of intellectual "blind spot." Becoming aware of ours is a form of refined self-knowledge that is imperative for building a good community. 1. What is a Scotoma? In medicine, a scotoma is a physical blind spot in the visual field. Lonergan adopts this metaphor to describe a psychic blind spot . It is an active exclusion...

Boston College women's eight at MIT Cup, April 6, 2024, courtesy of Boston College Athletics The student pivot to offload thinking to AI offers what I shall call here the coaching moment: that is, the time to pause the current work we're doing in order to get back to basics. Allow me to share a common experience from my coaching days. I spent a number of years as a rowing coach at colleges and a community boathouse, with male and female athletes between the ages of 16 and 75. The pattern was...