Ricardo Villarreal

Think, Therefore Think Again

Yes, You Have Time to Read Books

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Reading BooksOften, I hear people say they don’t have time to read books. Their lives are simply too busy that they cannot find any time in the day to make room for reading.

For me it’s all a matter of priorities and really wanting to do it. But I’ll show you here one area where you can find plenty of time to read books.

According to statistic portal Statista, global internet users spend an average of 135 minutes daily on social media platforms. That is, 2 hours and 15 minutes each day!

But let’s go further. According to TechCrunch, mobile device users in the US spend 5 hours daily on mobile apps!

Which apps are absorbing most of their time? Facebook takes 19% of the time spent, followed by those related to music, media & entertainment, other social media platforms (Snap Chat, Instagram, Twitter), text messaging, and gaming.

Of the total 5 hours spent daily on mobile device apps, only 9% of the time (27 minutes) is allocated to “productivity.” But let’s say I’m willing to give you texting as part of your work too. That amounts to 1 hour of productivity and 4 hours of time spent on non-essential activities.

And here is where we find time to read. Because I am generous, I’m willing to give you half the time out of those 4 hours so you can waste spend them on social media and entertainment. That leaves 2 hours a day to read books!

Now, a 300-page book could be read anywhere from 4 to 6 hours depending on the book, your reading pace, page/font size, etc. Lighter novels are also faster to read than more technical science essays, for example.

If we take the more conservative number of 6 hours to read an entire 300-page book, and we allocate 2 hours a day to read, that means you could read a book in 3 days.

But let’s say you simply can’t dedicate two hours a day to read, and all you have is one hour. Fine, since it will now take you double the time, that means you could read a book in 6 days.

If we translate this number into a year time, that means you can potentially read 60 books in one year!

You think it’s still too much? Ok, this is my last dispatch of generosity. Cut the reading time in half again, and you can still read 30 books a year.

You now have time to read. It’s up to you to make it happen.

 

It’s (kind of) Happening Here

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Barbed WireSinclair Lewis’ dystopian political novel It Can’t Happen Here was written in 1935, but it regained popularity and relevance lately due to the unavoidable parallels of the story with the current state of political affairs in the United States under a Trump presidency.

Lewis, the first American to win a Nobel Prize in Literature, wrote this masterpiece warning us about the rise of totalitarian regimes in free nations, and how they can destroy the foundations of freedom and democracy when they exert obstructions of checks and balances, when there is suppression of the press, and when government focuses more on military power than in the advancement of science and education.

Not only that, but there are also warnings about having an ignorant population of political zealots who easily fall prey to the false rhetoric conducted by the antagonist character in the novel, Buzz Windrip, a populist candidate who wins the presidential election in the United States.

Similar to Trump, Buzz Windrip’s political strategies to escalate his agenda involve inciting fear among his followers, shutting down opponents, and fabricating conspiracies for personal gain and power, while dividing the country.

The author describes Windrip in a way that sounds like a description of Trump: “(Windrip) was vulgar, almost illiterate, a public liar easily detected, and his ‘ideas’ almost idiotic…” Early in the story, there is even a mention on how Windrip, the presidential candidate, wants to “make America prosperous again.”

And while the parallel between Trump and Windrip is quite unequivocal, let me remind you again Sinclair Lewis wrote this novel in 1935, eleven years before Trump was born.

But the magnificence of this cautionary tale is universally applicable to even moderate politicians who have utilized totalitarian practices against their population.

Surely, the novel It Can’t Happen Here reminds us of Trump today. However, the George W. Bush administration also comes to mind when we discover a reference in the story on how Americans in the 1930’s, during the war hysteria against Germany, started calling sauerkraut “Liberty Cabbage.” Pretty much the same level of stupidity as when many Americans in 2003 started calling French fries “Freedom Fries” after France voted against the Iraq War at the UN Security Council.

Just like Buzz Windrip in the novel, Trump publicly mentioned he would fight the banks and the powers of Wall Street. But once he got into power, he has given banks power and influence in his cabinet, hired Steve Mnuchin (a former bank executive) as his Secretary of the Treasury, and, among other things, repealed consumer arbitration rule in favor of banks.

As far as other key people, I believe an obvious comparison in the story is that of character Lee Sarason and Steve Bannon. Sarason was the right-hand man of President Windrip, and was also invited to work with him having been the managing editor of a popular newspaper, where he was “building up” Buzz Windrip for years before his nomination as President.

It’s also inevitable thinking about Melania Trump when the author mentions that “no potential dictator ought ever to have a visible wife.” Buzz Windrip did have a wife, but she was not noticeable. In fact, she didn’t even live in Washington. Compared to previous First Ladies, Melania Trump’s lack of involvement is quite notorious.

The political philosophy of Buzz Windrip is described in his “Fifteen Points of Victory for the Forgotten Men” and incorporates fascist and confederate ideas, prevalent in today’s Alt-Right movement. Just to list five examples of this platform created to please his base, we have the following:

  • All persons are guaranteed absolute freedom of religious worship, provided, however, that no atheist, agnostic, nor any Jew who shall refuse allegiance to the New Testament, nor any person who refuses to take the Pledge of the Flag, shall be permitted to hold any public office or to practice as a teacher, professor, lawyer, judge, or as a physician.
  • The Government will decide which Labor Unions will stay and they will have the power of decision in all labor disputes.
  • The size of the military, armaments, and naval establishments shall be consistently increased.
  • African-Americans shall be prohibited from voting, holding public office, practicing law, medicine, or teaching in any class above the grade of grammar school.
  • All women employed shall be assisted to return to their incomparably sacred duties as home-makers and as mothers of strong citizens.

The above points sound horrific indeed, but the scary thing is many in the far-right today will have no problem with any of those concepts.

Another resemblance of Windrip with Trump is shown on Buzz Windrip’s eagerness of having business dealings with… Russia! And similar to Trump’s “America First” catch phrase, Buzz Windrip is anti-trade and wants every single thing the country needs to be produced at home.

The exertion of a Corporate State in the novel dramatically impacts education as well, where the authoritarian government does its part to get rid of any intellectualism, “dangerous thinkers,” literature, and science .

Funny thing is, one of the Corpo universities in the novel was named Windrip University after the president. Yes, just like a Trump University, and a total scam as well.

Of course, Trump hasn’t gone as far as executing people who discredit his administration or imprisoning journalists who cover him negatively (although he has retaliated against CNN publicly over their reporting and has referred to any news network not covering him favorably as “fake news”).

Neither has Trump established labor camps and a paramilitary army at his service, nor has he made the liberal Supreme Court members resign and replaced them with his friends, among other draconian measures that Buzz Windrip does impose in the novel.

But Trump’s authoritarian style, although at a smaller scale, is obvious. And as long as he remains in power, the threat against our democratic institutions is still there.

Extreme ideologies are hurting our country, and we must be smart in identifying and reducing divisive authoritarian groups in order to protect our freedoms.

As Doremus Jessup, the protagonist liberal journalist, observes: “the struggle today is not about Communism against Fascism, but tolerance against the bigotry that is preached equally by Communism and Fascism.”

We have been forewarned and cannot take things for granted. Towards the end of the story, and without giving any spoilers, Doremus Jessup leaves us with a final thought:

“More and more, as I think about history, I am convinced that everything that is worthwhile in the world has been accomplished by the free, inquiring, critical spirit, and that preservation of this spirit is more important than any social system whatsoever. But the men of ritual and the men of barbarism are capable of shutting up the men of science and of silencing them forever.”

 

 

Por Todas Ellas

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Diego Rivera - The Flower VendorA través de la historia y del vergonzoso monopolio masculino del que se ha visto colmada, el hombre ha sido el cáncer más dañino para la mujer, el principal opresor de su libertad, el gran estafador de su inteligencia, el pregonero de su desprestigio, el destructor de su placer, el cobarde obsesionado en censurar su voz, su activismo, su pensamiento, y su lucha social por la justicia y la igualdad.

“La hipocresía masculina está en castigar en la mujer lo que aplauden del hombre,” dice Eduardo Galeano en uno de los relatos de su libro “Mujeres.”

En este magistral repertorio, Galeano nos presenta 167 historias breves, profundas e intensas, y llenas de respeto, dignidad, y admiración por la mujer. Cada historia las representa a todas ellas, inspiradoras mujeres que enfrentaron incalculables adversidades, y que nunca se rindieron por ver cumplir sus sueños.

Algunas de estas mujeres que transformaron a la humanidad y que Galeano humaniza magistralmente en sus relatos son: las hermanas Brontë, quienes tuvieron que esconder su género para poder escribir; Harriet Tubman, quien liberó a cientos de esclavos en EE.UU.; Nellie Bly por hacer periodismo de investigación en territorio de hombres; Marie Curie y sus dos premios Nobel en química y física; Susan Anthony, por su incansable activismo por el sufragio femenino; y Sor Juana Inés e Hipatia por pensadoras y preguntonas.

Por otro lado, Galeano logra también que sus palabras aterricen un mensaje preciso de denuncia patriarcal. La lectura nos obliga a digerir el amargo sufrimiento y las injusticias por las que muchas mujeres han pasado a lo largo de la historia, a veces incluso sacrificando sus propias vidas, en defensa de su dignidad y su libertad.

Entre aquellas historias de mujeres que murieron luchando por sus ideales, están las de Olympia de Gouges, activista por los derechos de la mujer durante la Revolución Francesa, la antropóloga Myrna Mack quien fue asesinada por criticar los abusos del gobierno de Guatemala hacia los indígenas, y la revolucionaria pacifista Rosa Luxemburgo, quien “quería un mundo donde la justicia no fuera sacrificada en nombre de la libertad, ni la libertad fuera sacrificada en nombre de la justicia.”

También dolorosos son los relatos de mujeres sedientas de justicia, pero que terminaron siendo víctimas de la brutalidad misógina y murieron en total anonimato.

Vivimos en tiempos muy contradictorios, de cambios políticos y sociales muy inestables. De repente siento que mucho ha mejorado en el tema de equidad de género, y a veces me angustio porque percibo que damos marcha atrás.

Falta mucho por hacer, y el primer paso que debe dar el hombre que no ha hecho nada para enmendar el rumbo hacia la igualdad, es dejar de ser obstáculo y convertirse en defensor de los derechos de la mujer, convertirse en un feminista más.

 

* Imagen: foto parcial de la pintura “Vendedora de Flores” de Diego Rivera.

What are religions good for if God doesn’t exist?

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Darwin EvolutionIf you were to ask hardcore atheists like Christopher Hitchens or Richard Dawkins if they think there could be anything useful in religions, you would most likely get a firm “no” for an answer.

But perhaps, if we make it clear that the usefulness of religion we are seeking has nothing to do with dogmatic applicability, but rather with its successful model as an institution that attracts people with common interests, then we would probably have a different response.

So, what comes next once we have agreed God doesn’t exist and have become part of the fast growing number of atheists in the world?

In his book “Religion for Atheists,” Alain de Botton shares with us thought-provoking points of view regarding how a secular society could benefit from strategies used by religions.

I know in principle it may sound a bit conflicting for committed atheists to even consider adopting religious practices, but if we look at some of the real needs of community and the protection of secular ideas and values, it could be worth reviewing them.

Moreover, it is also important to notice that many of the religious practices and rituals were originally pagan, so atheists shouldn’t be too worried about adopting ideas that actually belong to the public domain.

Let’s begin with the concept of community, a major item of which there really isn’t a genuine socializing structure for the non-believers. In fact, many people today who do not believe in God continue going to religious temples simply to satisfy the need of belonging to a community.

Atheists haven’t figured out a place where solitary non-believers can gather to meet strangers and talk about general human concerns that don’t involve professional life.

Alain de Botton is accurate when describing how modern society access to community is one “centered around the worship of professional success.” I can tell you, from anecdotal experience, that oftentimes I get asked the question “what do you do?” when meeting people at a non-business event.

Let me be clear that I have no problem answering that, but I’d rather know the person better through a substantial conversation and develop a friendship first, rather than a business connection.

When people prefer to focus on other people’s business titles, rather than their personal value, we take away the potential of creating a community by segregating people based on professional success.

And this is one thing religions manage well. People that go to church listen to religious leaders talk about happiness, family, overcoming difficulties, and other topics that touch on human conditions and emotions, not issues related to business.

When it comes to formal education, there are contrasting differences in its approach between religions and secularism. The author points out how “secular education delivers information, while religious education delivers sermons.”

By doing this, a church is engaging more with its followers as its objective is to impact and influence their lives. Atheists, on the other hand, are missing an opportunity to provide non-believers with a similar guidance in educational settings.

Alain de Botton covers other important areas where secularism could take advantage of religious practices. But one that I have personally seen imperative for a while, comes when he shows a conclusive comparative between books vs institutions.

If there is one thing atheists do have plenty of access to is books. There are many exceptionally enriching secular books and best-selling authors that have influenced millions of people not only in their way of thinking, but also in giving them the courage to publicly come out as atheists without feeling guilty or ashamed about it.

But relying only on books is not enough if a secular society wants to achieve a wider impact. Local groups and meetups are good efforts, but nonetheless their influence is still minor in scale and lack the structure to encourage formal discipline.

The formation of well-organized supportive secular institutions is the answer to further protect and continuously promote the shared ideas and feelings expressed in those books.

But to form an institution, secular leaders must first acknowledge the needs atheists have of an established setting, where universal human concepts such as altruism, compassion, kindness, friendship, and gratitude, to name a few, can be examined regularly.

As the advancement of science continues spreading worldwide, and as more and more people leave their religions behind, the need for a secular institution will become even more crucial.

 

Seven Leadership Lessons from Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea”

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Skiff at SeaErnest Hemingway’s epic story of Santiago, an experienced old fisherman determined to change his luck by sailing into the deep sea with the goal of making the biggest catch of his life, is one that shares with us so many enriching lessons on life, but also on leadership.

On the most intense and vivid passage of the novel, our lonely hero struggles at sea for three gruesome days against a giant marlin in a live-or-die battle that will bestow the greatest personal triumph for Santiago.

Here’s my take on the 7 most valuable leadership lessons Ernest Hemingway shares on this masterful narration.

1. Knowledge is more Powerful than Strength

In preparation for his journey, Santiago tells the young boy and loyal assistant Manolin, “I may not be as strong as I think, but I know tricks and I have a resolution.”

Understanding his surroundings at sea, the behavior of wind and weather patterns, the time of day, and the different combative movements of the fish once caught in the line, helped Santiago be more strategic, resourceful, and wise on his decisions to dominate the strength of the marlin.

If he had used only his strength, he would have gotten weak and exhausted very quickly unable to defeat a bigger, faster, and stronger fish, and would have eventually failed.

2. You can’t do Everything Alone

At several times during the epic struggle, the solitary Santiago wishes his young friend Manolin was present to help him. Particularly the boy could have assisted him as he got tired and needed to rest, or when he started feeling severe cramps.

Once the giant marlin was caught and secured on the side of the skiff, Santiago had to repeal several aggressive shark attacks on the marlin. Having a helping hand could have prevented the unfortunate ensuing damage.

3. Respect your Rivals

Even though the old fisherman fully understands the rivalry he is facing against the marlin, he never humiliates the big noble fish. Quite the opposite, Santiago has a deep admiration for the marlin’s dignity and beauty, and often refers to the fish as his brother and friend.

In fact, after having caught and killed his worthy opponent, there are instances of regret where Santiago feels sorry for what he has done. But self-reflecting about his place in life gives him some peace:

“You were born to be a fisherman as the fish was born to be a fish… You did not kill the fish only to keep alive and to sell for food. You killed him for pride and because you are a fisherman. You loved him when he was alive and you loved him after.”

4. Fight with what you have

As the old man embarks on his return with his big catch, the fight is not yet over. He now must battle with sharks wanting to eat his fish and ruin his extraordinary conquest.

Having lost his harpoon and realizing his unfavorable situation, Santiago wishes he had a stone for his knife and were better armed. But he couldn’t stop in the middle of the fight to think how he could have done better.

“Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is.”

It is useless to spend any time on the “what ifs” and better to focus on maximizing your resources and abilities.

5. Don’t Rely on Luck

Additionally, we hear “luck” mentioned a couple of times throughout the book. As the old man embarked on his adventure, he thought to himself while at sea, “It is better to be lucky, but I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready.”

Even though luck is always welcome, we can’t depend on luck to help us come out victorious. However, readiness and determination are more likely to get us there.

6. Be Inspired by a Hero

Santiago loved baseball, and he idolized the Yankees’ star Joe DiMaggio. The old man identified with him personally, not only because he was the son of a poor fisherman, but because DiMaggio also struggled with a serious injury in his career before making a triumphant comeback.

Thinking of the great DiMaggio during his brutal fight gave Santiago the motivation and confidence he needed to endure his hardship at sea.

7. Never Give Up

The old man had gone eighty-four days without catching a fish, but this didn’t deter him. On the contrary, it gave him the courage to try harder and risk it all by going into the deep sea, where no other fisherman had gone.

Santiago then braved the match of his life catching a giant marlin; an insurmountable accomplishment he earned through patience, intelligence, skills, and determination. If this wasn’t enough, on his return he heroically confronted a shiver of sharks who ultimately devoured his fish, leaving only the meatless skeleton from tail to nose.

But losing the fish meat was no longer relevant. During his battle against the sharks, he tells himself, “man is not made for defeat… a man can be destroyed but not defeated.”

The old man returned to land with the giant carcass tied on the side of his boat, and his triumph duly recognized as the people in town were astonished to see the largest catch ever made.

8. Dreams of Lions

I’ll add an eighth lesson, which is related to life more than leadership. The old man frequently dreams of lions, referring to a time in the past when he was a young boy sailing in Africa mesmerized by seeing lions on the beaches.

This was a time of his life when he felt happiness and pride. The symbolism Hemingway uses here is obvious as a group of lions is called a pride.

The sea as with life, is a place full of risks and rewards, where we can find our hopes and fulfill our dreams, where we find our friends and our enemies, where we can fail or come out triumphant.

Life is made of memorable moments and it’s important to focus and continue creating moments that bring value to our lives, that make us better people, that give us the opportunity to love and improve the lives of those around us, and that give us a sense of accomplishment and happiness.

For when we reach the end of our lives, we can look back and say, “well done.”