Ricardo Villarreal

Think, Therefore Think Again

Trump’s Checkmate

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Checkmate TrumpThe latest issue of The New Yorker (May 8, 2017) shares “Endgames” by Evan Osnos, a very comprehensive piece on what it would take to bring down Trump’s Presidency, focusing on the US Constitution’s Twenty-Fifth Amendment, the possibility of an impeachment, or even a self-imposed Nixonian exit.

While it is true that no US President has ever been immune to criticism, Trump entered his presidency having lost the popular vote by 3 million votes, in a sharply divided nation, with plenty of chaos, and fueled by a huge opposition of citizen activists and critics that so early in his term are calling for his impeachment.

His start has been everything but smooth sailing. Full of controversial executive orders, an unwillingness to release his tax returns, a questionable cabinet of incompetent loyalists, massive marches and protests all over the country, nepotism & conflicts of interest, and a federal investigation into a collusion with Russian interference of the 2016 US presidential election, among others, have gained Trump the lowest approval rating of any President in modern US history.

To make things worse, his arrogance and inability to take any negative criticism has irritated many people from his own political party. Trump is simply not interested in responding to his own actions, accountability is non-existent for him, and it’s always someone else’s fault.

But, can something really be done to take down Trump?

Yes, but the road to get there is not necessarily quick nor easy. Evan Osnos describes, for instance, how in 228 years of US political history, only one President has resigned and two have been impeached (although they were not removed from office).

One legal option to remove the President lies in the Twenty-Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution.

This amendment was adopted on February 10, 1967 and it deals with the succession to the Presidency as well as responding to the President’s disabilities. More precisely, but not as specific as we would like, Section 4 deals with the removal of the President if he is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.”

The common denominator for using this legal instrument has to do with the possibility of Trump being mentally unfit.

Speculation about Trump’s mental health started during the presidential campaign, but it has kept growing and it remains a big concern as the US and the world rely on his decision-making abilities to deal with imperative world affairs matters.

Osnos reveals how more than 50,000 mental-health professionals have signed a petition stating that Trump is “too seriously mentally ill to perform the duties of President and should be removed” under the 25th Amendment.

The author also shares with us a revealing study by psychiatrists at Duke University concluding that about half of US Presidents they researched had suffered a mental illness. With this, he details three particular cases that are worth noting:

Pro-slave President Franklin Pierce was a heavy drinker and suffered from depression after his son’s death at a crucial time in US history, years before the start of the Civil War. President Lyndon B. Johnson was also affected with paranoia as the Vietnam War escalated.

And finally, President Ronald Reagan’s judgment, as well as his speech and decision-making abilities, changed during the last years of his presidency. Five years after leaving office, Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Trump does carry a lot of baggage against him that could trigger using this amendment, and there are elements that make people rightfully suspicious of his judgmental abilities and mental health.

To name a few, his constant repeating of proven falsehoods, his use of a fourth-grade level language, his threatening rhetoric against those who criticize him, his obscene narcissism and unpredictable behavior, and his incitement of violence against protesters, are among the dangerous signs that have people very worried.

Dispensing Section 4 of the 25th Amendment on Trump is a very possible, although not immediate, scenario.

Next comes the possibility of impeachment. The grounds for it include: “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”

One very important point Evan Osnos shares here comes from an interview he had with David O. Stewart, the author of “Impeached,” who told him: “impeachment is not a judicial proceeding, but a tool of political accountability.”

Among the reasons for impeachment are several undergoing investigations of Trump, including the very serious amounting evidence of collusion with Russia to win the 2016 presidential election, and his reluctance to resign from his business holdings and profiting from them while holding the office of the Presidency, plus violating the US Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause.

On this last example of using the public office for private gain, let’s not forget the State Department had to take down a website that promoted Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Resort.

But again, impeachment is not likely to happen soon. Not while Republicans hold the majority in Congress and the Senate. But Democrats have a big chance in the 2018 midterm elections to gain back political control and generate a bill for impeachment.

Finally, there is also the possibility of a Nixonian exit. One where Trump, cornered by multiple scandals, simply offers his resignation. He has expressed he misses his old life and that being President wasn’t as easy as he thought.

But as positive as it would be getting rid of an unstable and toxic President like Trump (if it ever happens before 2020), the scenario of dealing with a Mike Pence Presidency will also have its share of challenges in a country that desperately needs progressive actions to move forward.

 

Let’s Talk About Your “Haters”

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Match FireI don’t know if it’s originally a millennial term, but for the last few years I hear more and more the term “haters” being used in professional settings, especially with entrepreneurs.

The top definition for “hater” in Urban Dictionary says, “a person that simply cannot be happy for another’s person’s success.”

But I have also seen entrepreneurs wanting to feel important by having “haters” that they erroneously label people that provide some kind of criticism as “haters.”

It’s a fact, entrepreneurs can be very passionate about their projects and very protective of their ideas and leadership style. Many times to a point where they become blind to their erratic decisions or refuse to see or accept any flaws.

When talking to people about their business and asking for advice, many entrepreneurs don’t really want honest feedback, unless it’s positive or in a form of praise.

And so, when someone provides them with criticism, and that valuable feedback doesn’t please them, the entrepreneur is oftentimes quick to label the critic a “hater.”

It’s important to realize here that some of the harshest criticism you’ll receive will actually come from people who truly want you to succeed, not from “haters.” Be humble and open to this valuable insight.

Now, I’m not saying that all feedback you get will be good for your entrepreneurial objectives, but you should always conduct yourself appreciative and professionally.

Even better, know how to filter criticism, use it to your advantage, and turn it into something good; it may lead to positive results or spark new ideas to improve your business.

But when you put yourself in a position where you can’t take any criticism, you risk isolating yourself into an imaginary world of “me vs my haters”, where talking frequently about them becomes pernicious to your wellbeing while making you look weak.

When you put too much emphasis on your “haters” you are not only wasting valuable time and losing focus on your original business goal, but your objectives start shifting in the wrong direction as you give more importance to your “haters” by making your desire to beat them part of your goals.

Instead, convert that energy to drive you and your business forward.

Concentrate on the people you work with who rely on your leadership, focus on your clients whose positive experiences on your products and services are helping you grow your business, and focus on the investors who have put their trust in you believing in what you do.

Any amount of time spent on your “haters” is counterproductive. Additionally, your audience doesn’t care nor wants to hear about them, so quit talking about them on your social media posts or in public conversations.

If, on the other hand, there are people begrudging you in the openness of social media, don’t resent them, and don’t make their problem your problem. Continue with your life focusing on those that truly matter to you.

Dale Carnegie said it brilliantly, “no one ever kicks a dead dog.” If people are talking about you, take it as a great indicator that you are doing something valuable that is getting people’s attention.

The best way to avoid criticism is to do nothing and be a nobody, but as long as you are an entrepreneur who wants to accomplish big things, know that you’ll hardly be immune to criticism.

Learn that, although you may not have control over how people perceive and treat you, you do have absolute control over your reactions towards them and on how you let their actions affect you.

When you fully dominate this, you will see instantly that the “haters” have been reduced to nothing, becoming insignificant in your life.

 

How Death Makes Us More Alive

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Train TracksWe become thinkers the very precise moment when we acknowledge death and discover our own mortality.

I believe the first time I truly grasped the concept of death and realized I will die one day was when I was 8 years-old. I was at home reading the shocking news about the Mexico City earthquake of 1985 and the number of deaths from the tragedy.

I remember the uneasy feeling in my body and the impossibility of doing something about it as I was holding the newspaper and seeing the word “deaths” in the story.

As I discovered that death was real, thinking about how to deal with this topic started to become serious business as well.

In his book, “The Questions of Life”, Spanish philosopher Fernando Savater says that if death is the eternal state of not being, then we have already defeated it: the day we were born.

And even if it is only one time we will defeat death, this one time and opportunity we have of being alive, every day and instant that we continue to live and enjoy life will be triumphantly ours.

With this, not only does one start to think more about life the moment we know we will die, but we also begin to feel more alive than ever.

What do we know about death? Certainly not much. We do know, as Savater explains, that death is very personal and non-transferable. We cannot die for someone else, we can only die our own death.

But death, besides being distinctly personal, is also an accurate concept of true impartiality. Death does not discriminate on race, gender, or socioeconomic class; there is no individual who can escape from it. In the eyes of death we are all equal.

The certainty of death is what gives more importance to our lives. Everything we do, all our work, our hobbies, our social interactions… are all ways of resisting death.

But death is such an incomprehensible thing and so inevitably personal that it also represents the biggest fear for most people.

Some people fear about the unknown that follows death and confront such distress believing in a supernatural after-life world: a mystical place of eternal joy or punishment.

Others, not believing in gods rewarding or punishing humans, fear about the possibility that there is absolutely nothing after death, and that nothing is quite terrifying to them as well.

Perhaps a comforting way to digest this topic comes from Greek philosopher and atomic materialist Epicurus who advises on why we shouldn’t worry nor lose sleep over death: There is nothing to be afraid of because we never coexist with death and we will never feel death, as feeling is an activity (and privilege) of the living.

To feel distressed about the (gazillion) years ahead of us in which we will no longer be alive is just as capricious as to worry about the billions of years before we were born.

If we did not feel any pain being absent for all those billions of years, why should we feel concerned about a future of eternal absence?

Savater also mentions that part of the anguish we feel about death has to do with facing two difficult realities: all the joys of life we will miss when it comes to our own death, and because it will leave us without those we love in the case of others’ deaths.

It’s the conscience of death that makes life a very serious issue to think about. It’s mysterious and marvelous, a type of miracle for which we must fight and constantly reflect.

So death inevitably makes us thinkers. But not thinkers about death itself, but about life. And that should make us feel more alive and grateful.

A popular proverb says, “no one is too young to die, nor too old to live one more day.” It’s up to us to fully take advantage of the time we have and live the best life we can.

 

 

Reading like Nick Hornby

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Nick Hornby“I’m beginning to see that our appetite for books is the same as our appetite for food, that our brain tells us when we need the literary equivalent of salads, chocolate, or meat and potatoes.” – Nick Hornby

“The Polysyllabic Spree” by Nick Hornby is a book about reading that I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading if you love to read. Literally.

With his distinctive witty narrative and open conversational style, the bestselling author of “A Long Way Down” and “Fever Pitch” brilliantly unveils the imperfect and humanizing side of reading we all can relate to.

Let’s face it, reading is quite a challenging task, frequently threatened by all kinds of possible distractions.

And that is the pillar battle in Nick Hornby’s book, as each chapter represents one month of a year-long reading journey, where at the beginning of each episode he enlists those books he bought vs those books he read.

The challenge is quite entertaining as many of the books he reads are not even those he originally purchased. And in the mix of his hilarious explanations, his book commentaries and recommendations are spot on.

As he takes us on this natural and spontaneous reading expedition, he invites us to explore our own reading habits, our unique relationships with books, and even the detours and struggles we face when trying to read.

When it comes to those ever-present obstacles, the author accurately points out that reading is a domestic activity, and is therefore susceptible to any changes in the domestic environment.

Not that this is my case, but let’s say you are comfortably sitting with a book one evening, and your very imaginative and hyper-active four-year-old boy is running around the house while holding a toy spaceship and making sound-blasting special effects.

In such case, you must surrender to the planetary troops that are aggressively pushing you towards an asteroid field, and attempt reading at a later time, perhaps right after the spaceship captain takes an intergalactic bath followed by him going to his zero-gravity sleeping capsule to rest for the night.

Because reading is a very personal activity, we also have our own rules.

For example, I read in both English and Spanish, so I have this rule: I like to read the book of the author in their native tongue primarily.

However, if the author’s language is neither English nor Spanish, then I will proceed to read it in the closest language. Let’s say, if the author is German or Swedish, I would read it in English; if the author is Portuguese or Italian, I would read it in Spanish.

But then I can’t explain why I chose to read Japanese author Haruki Murakami in Spanish, or Greek philosophers in English. Of course, it also depends on availability.

Back to the book, Nick Hornby has a few confessions he shares that I felt very identified with, but also a little bit guilty of such conducts.

For instance, he spends a lot of money on books, many of which he knows he will never read. Anybody else guilty of this?

But let’s say you did start reading a book, and at one point you realize it’s not your type or you simply can’t finish it. Well, it is OK to abandon it. There is no reason to persist with a book that is not working for you.

And while some books are badly written, Hornby reminds us that sometimes they are badly read as well. Not enjoying a book could be our fault too if we don’t provide the commitment and concentration that a book requires.

Now, when it comes to how we organize our reading list, there are (almost inevitably) events that alter the order of your pile of books-to-read.

One of those common events for me comes from book recommendations from a close friend or relative who has a proven track record of recommending great books.

When that happens to me, I feel I must stop whatever I’m reading or update my book cue accordingly in order to give VIP preference to that book recommendation.

Other altering events are realizing an author I like has released a new book or discovering a totally interesting book by accident (like it happened to me with this one).

But altering your book order and putting books aside for later can also be a pain in the Rumpelstiltskin. Especially when you realize there are several books you have put aside which have remained unread for years.

And I’m talking about real physical books in your home! I’m not even going to mention those books I have on my Amazon shopping cart “saved for later”.

One thing is very true: there will never be enough time to read all the books you want.

In fact, Nick Hornby reveals a depressing fact from Gabriel Zaid’s book “So Many Books”, which estimates that it would takes us 15 years simply to read a list of all the books ever published (author and title to be precise)!

The lesson here is to stop wasting time reading books you hate and the more reason to prioritize and focus on enriching, enjoyable, and substantial books.

What books to read? If you are open to new ideas, Nick Hornby has some great recommendations throughout the book covering many genres and authors.

As soon as you immerse yourself in this book, you’ll realize he is not only a tremendous book critic, but his love of books is so contagious you might want to start your own reading list challenge.

At the end of the day, the ultimate goal we readers have is to secure a temporary peacefulness that will allow us to achieve the maximum enjoyment of reading. But can we?

 

How plutocracy and religion are killing American democracy

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Statue of LibertyIt’s happening. The guy at the very top position of power is threatening the foundations of liberal democracy in our country by paving the way for plutocracy and religion to perpetrate in the functions of the government.

We need to continuously remind people who is this enabler: a self-called billionaire who lacks all the important skills to be president, a revengeful leader, ignorant of the country’s constitution, who continuously lies to the public, who has shown no respect for minorities, who doesn’t take any criticism, and who has even singled out the media as the enemy of this country.

Sure, democracy has room for improvement. Nevertheless, it is still the best form of government and we need to protect it now more than ever.

The current administration shines not for having the smartest individuals at the top jobs, but for their wealth. Their biggest merit is certainly not a qualification at all.

It is, however, the fuel that feeds plutocracy. The ultra-wealthy people in this nation help elect those in government, and in return gain the power to secure cabinet roles and to influence political decisions that would protect their interests and businesses, rather than the interests of the general population.

Not only that, but they think money and power give them the right to impose their beliefs on others. And this is how plutocratic forces amplify the dangers of religion and the risks it represents to our freedom and democracy.

For example, the presence of religion in politics has influenced legislation that has negatively impacted the rights of women and minorities on issues like abortion and gay marriage.

In education, politicians of faith in many states have tried to impose religious subjects in public schools as alternative to science. This is a clear reflection of the fear they have that scientific knowledge presents indisputable evidence and objective truths that undermine the validity of their religion.

There is no question religion thrives in an environment of ignorance, fear, and oppression. But suppressing science, reason, and truth is not an option.

Where does religion belong? In the privacy of individuals, not commandeering the functions of government, and certainly not becoming an obstacle in the exercise of freedom in an open society.

Only in a secular government can diversity, freedom of religion, equality, and a fair rule of law can coexist, while protecting democracy from any abuse, discrimination, and corruption that would favor one religion over the rest.

Rather than imposing beliefs, it is better for a country to have a society of free-thinkers, where ideas can be exchanged freely with an open mind.

The founders of the American Constitution believed in the idea that dialogue, not force, should triumph over the decisions pertaining the prosperity of the nation.

But the current leader of this country does not believe in dialogue. On the contrary, he has prevented arguments against him, demands his opinions to be unquestionable, and has even fired those who challenge him.

The moment you impose censorship upon the opinions of others (especially minorities), you open the doors to intolerance and the creation of fanatical bigots. And unfortunately, that is exactly what we are seeing happen today.

This is not a matter of political ideology. It is a matter of preventing the rise of a dictator-like figure threatening to destroy the democratic foundations of our nation.

It is not an exaggeration, and we cannot wait to act until it’s too late.