ARTICLES ARCHIVE

 

You can find a complete listing of all the articles on this site here. They are listed in reverse chronological order, and are all clickable links. Twenty-five articles are displayed per page, with the publication date included. To find older articles, click on the page numbers at the bottom.

To search the site by subject, topic, or name, you can use the “Search” function on the right sidebar.

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  • The Power Of Justice

      This is a podcast reading of an article that I published yesterday. The tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight has much to say about the virtue of justice, and why it is so rare.

  • Unleashing The Creative Forces Inside You (Podcast Reading)

      This is a podcast reading of an article that I published last week here at Fortress of the Mind. Recently I received a moving request to turn some of my articles into podcast readings.  It came from one very kind German schoolteacher who found them useful for her classroom instruction in teaching English to pupils.

  • William H. Prescott: America’s First Great Historian

    William H. Prescott was mentioned in the preceding article here, but I felt that he merited a more extended treatment in an article devoted to him alone.  He was America’s first great historian, known for his heroic style, and for his ability to fuse a meticulous attention to original sources with a striking narrative power.

  • Unleashing The Creative Forces Within You

    It’s hard to predict when you’ll enjoy your most productive periods in life.  For some people, their years of productivity come early, and then they just ride out the remainder of their lives based on early successes.  Albert Einstein, to take an example, was one of those people.  In fact, most major scientists seem to achieve…

  • Film Review: “The Revenant” (Podcast)

      This podcast is a discussion of the merits of Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s  new film The Revenant.   It’s an important film, and one that I think every man would benefit from.

  • Embrace The Scarcity Mentality

    We’ve heard so, so much about the abundance mentality.  So, so, much.  It almost feels like a wearisome cliché at this point.  

  • “Pathways” Is Now Available

    My latest book, Pathways: Best Short Essays Of 2015, is now available. You can find a summary of it here. The book is available both in a Kindle version and as a paperback. 2015 was a good year, and 2016 is shaping up to be even better. Keep the fires burning, and keep moving forward. No matter…

  • 8 Key Factors In Your Operational Success

      What are the 8 key factors that we need when conducting any operation, dealing with any conflict, or carrying out a project? This podcast discusses the 8 critical elements of success in any conflict scenario:  Perspective, Maneuver, Tempo, Mobility, Intelligence, Surprise, Logistics, and Leadership.

  • Strategy, Campaigns, And Tactics: How To Use Them To Achieve Our Goals

    Whenever we want to do something big in life, we need (1) a strategy, (2) a campaign or a series of campaigns, and (3) tactics. This podcast discusses these three levels of operational art, and how they must accommodate our goals and envisioned end-state.

  • “Pathways” Is Coming Very Soon

    Ast ego curarum vobis arcana mearum                   Expromam mentisque meae quo pondera vergant. “But I will reveal to you my secrets, and the weighty matters that oppress my mind.” –Lucan, Pharsalia VIII.278.   My fourth book, Pathways, will be released within the next ten to fourteen days.  It is a collection of the very best…

  • You Will Have Your Wilderness Years: The Case Of Frank Sinatra

    Sometimes the time is not right for your message to be heard.  Sometimes being great is not enough.  The right stars must come into alignment.  External conditions must be right for your message to be heard.  People may like you, but the real recognition may not yet be forthcoming. History is replete with figures who…

  • Proving The Naysayers Wrong

      You will hear many people try to tell you that “this can’t be done” or “that can’t be done.” And many times such talk is proven wrong.

  • Establishing Boundaries With Others

      What are social boundaries? Why are they important? And how do we go about setting them, and reinforcing them, with other people?

  • The Persistence Of Guilt, And How To Get Rid Of It (Podcast Supplement)

    Holidays can be rough times for family dynamics.  Old tensions and antagonisms can simmer and bubble to the surface.  When they do, we need to have a dialogue with ourselves. This podcast can be part of that dialogue.

  • The Persistence Of Guilt, And How To Get Rid Of It

    I saw the new film MacBeth (starring Michael Fassbender) at the Botafogo district of Rio de Janeiro a couple nights ago.  I recommend it highly, as the production values are incredible and the pulse of the drama is intense.  I don’t consider myself a big Shakespeare fan.  I like a few of the major plays (Hamlet, MacBeth,…

  • How Einstein’s Thought Process Worked

    I’m almost finished with Walter Isaacson’s excellent biography Einstein: His Life and Universe.  It constructs a comprehensive profile of the man, his work, and his thought process.  What many readers will want to know is:  how did he manage to think so creatively?  What can I learn from the life and work of this sort of…

  • “It Can’t Be Done”

    It can’t be done. It’s never been tried before. It’s just impossible. How many times in history have we heard those words?  And how many times have those words turned out to be wrong? Many times.

  • The Bold Epicureanism Of Lucretius

    The author of one of the strangest and most impressive poetic works in history was born sometime around 99 or 95 B.C.  The exact date is uncertain; but we are lucky to know even this morsel of information.  Titus Lucretius Carus remains one of the most elusive poets of antiquity.  He was an Epicurean, and…

  • How To Overcome Procrastination And Maintain Motivation (Podcast)

      How can I stop procrastinating and regain control of my life? How can I maintain my focus and motivation for the things I’m doing?

  • The Fortress Of The Mind

    [Author’s Note:  This essay first appeared in published form in February 2015 as a chapter of my book Pantheon.  Since I use the phrase Fortress of the Mind as my motto and colophon, I wanted readers to know its origin and special significance to me.]

  • Archimedes, The Sand-Reckoner

    The greatest of all ancient scientists, and the only one fit to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Newton, Galileo, and Einstein, was born in Syracuse, Sicily, around 287 B.C.  He happened to be the son of an astronomer named Pheidias; and perhaps this fact played some role in the selection of his career.  He moved to Alexandria…

  • Letting Go Of The Anger And Resentments Of The Past

      We all nurse some form of anger or resentment about wounds we received in the past. Why is this? Where does it come from? And how can we free ourselves from it? This podcast focuses on these questions. My podcasts are available here on SoundCloud and iTunes.  Brought to you courtesy of Fortress of the…

  • The 5 Essential Elements Of Creativity

    Everyone wants to be creative.  Everyone wants to soar with the eagles. What conditions must exist for creativity truly to flourish?  And how do we go about establishing those conditions?

  • Look At The Small Picture, Not The Big Picture

    You’ve got to get with the big picture!   You’ve got to remember the big picture!   You’ve got to see the forest for the trees, man!   Get outside yourself, and look at everything! 

  • The Importance Of Boldness (Podcast)

    In this podcast, we discuss boldness and action.  We discuss the nature, importance, and features of boldness. How can we cultivate boldness?

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Original copy of Cicero’s De Officiis (On Duties) published in Holland in 1642.  From the collection of Fortress of the Mind.