There is a tendency to fear new technology. That instinct is almost always wrong. Progress comes from improving how we produce, think, and communicate. Artificial intelligence is simply the next—and perhaps the most powerful—step in that progression. At its core, AI is an efficiency engine. It reduces friction. It accelerates thinking. It turns hours into…
Category: Personal
Happy Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day Reflections Love is a profound and joyful emotion. However, it is more than an emotion—it is a recognition and appreciation of the value someone or something adds to our lives. Love brings joy and meaning. Love creates bonds that enrich our lives. Love is also action—things we do to nurture and cherish. My…
Valentine’s Day: The Greatest Love of All
Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day—a celebration of love. There’s a lovely song, “The Greatest Love of All,” by Whitney Houston, also sung by Jane Oliver. Here are the lyrics with my comments in parentheses. Everybody’s searching for a hero… (be your own hero).People need someone to look up to… (look up to yourself).I never found anyone…
Am I Capable of Erotic Love?
Valentine’s Day is coming. So… “Are you capable of erotic love?” Jason Stotts asks in his book, Ethos and Eros. Who? Me? Let me think. What qualities would I need to bring to and for a loving romantic relationship? Can I live up to this and be worthy of a romantic partner? More on Valentine’s…
Christmas Goodwill
One Christmas, I called a dear friend to wish him Merry Christmas. Years earlier, I’d made him what I call a pre-quest—a bequest given while someone (me) is still alive. I write about this in my book, The Happiness Experiment. I called it a Happiness Grant because that was the point. He’d been worried about money…
Trump Accomplishments
Some of President Trump’s accomplishments in his first 100 days: There’s the border security, efforts to end the Ukraine/Russia killings, support for Israel, destroying the Houthis…. Do you admire other accomplishments? Carl BarneyMay 1, 2025
Life and Motivation
Life requires motivation. Minimal motivation is the urge to stay alive. That’s basic. But going from there, motivation drives everything. Motivation drives individual lives. Motivation drives and supports a family. Motivation drives and supports individuals in their career. Motivation drives businesses. And motivation drives a whole country—that’s patriotism. America was founded on motivation. The pioneers…
Notable and Quotable: Friedman on Tariffs
On April 4, in their Notable and Quotable, the Wall Street Journal published the following excerpt from an April 27, 1978 speech by economist Milton Friedman at Kansas State University: We call a tariff a protective measure. It does protect; it protects the consumer very well against one thing. It protects the consumer against low…
Love and Fear
The following is attributed to John Lennon: There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and…
Lawyers
From experience, I have two pieces of advice regarding lawyers – neither of which you’ll get from AI. Be A Good Client This is a lot more than paying invoices timely. You’ll benefit from developing a productive and respectful relationship with your lawyer. Here’s how: There’s more to being a good client but I’m sure…