Month: February 2018

Where Does Authority Come From?

Do you know a natural leader?

Some people seem to possess authority.

Related: Listen to an episode of the Intellectual Roundtable Podcast, where Lee and Michael discuss this question: ‘Where does authority come from?’ We also discuss another question as well, ‘What does your favorite music say about you?’

What is it that makes a person trustworthy in a crisis, or who makes a good executive, or who can convince others to listen and follow them? What is your role in providing authority to someone else?

Where does authority come from?

Related questions: How important is intuition? What are effective means of persuasion? How do you know who to trust? How are leadership and authority different?

How Can We Encourage Debate?

Having a healthy, respectful, robust debate takes more than simply having an opinion and a loud voice. If I make a list of what is needed to have a good dialogue, what would that list contain?

Related: Listen to an episode of the Intellectual Roundtable Podcast, where Lee and Michael discuss this question: ‘How can we encourage debate?’ We also discuss another question as well, ‘What is the value of inefficiency?’

In an era of polarized opinions on a number of topics including politics, religion, health care, gun control, immigration, abortion, and several other issues, how can we have a debate in which opposing sides actually listen to each other?

How can we encourage debate?

Related questions: How can we turn ideas into actions? What is necessary to change your mind? When is doubt helpful? How do you know who to trust?

Why Is Love Important?

Individuals crave love. Much of our lives are spent pursuing love, either from a mate or from family or friends. There is an entire holiday devoted to the concept.

But why? What is it about love that people find so desirable? Why is love important?

Related questions: What is important? Is happiness the most important purpose in life? Why do we feel the need to belong? What do we have in common?

When Do You Need Inspiration?

An artist, like a painter, a sculptor, or a musician, sometimes has a muse that provides inspiration for artistic creations. But everyone can occasionally benefit from having a person, an idea, a motivational speech, or a stirring piece of music to encourage perseverance or creativity in everyday life.

When — it can be a time of day, a state of mind, a period of life — do you need inspiration?

Related questions: How can we turn ideas into actions? How can we maintain wonder? What is your retreat from the world?