The Official Website of Michael Corthell

Is there a real difference? by Michael Corthell The paradox of tolerance states that if a society is tolerant without any limits, its ability to be tolerant is eventually co-opted or destroyed by the intolerant. Karl Popper described it as the seemingly paradoxical idea that in order to maintain a tolerant society, the society must be intolerant of intolerance. (see laws against hate speech ) Tolerance as defined by Dictionary.com says ''a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one’s own; freedom from bigotry''.   Acceptance is defined in the same dictionary as ''favorable reception; approval; favor''. So we can see that there is a big difference between the two. Many don't like the word tolerance. There’s something about it that makes us think 'putting up with' or 'dealing with.' Saying, ''I’m tolerant of Islam,'' can be interpr...

''If a life event doesn't challenge you, it didn't change you.'' Adapting to Change The number one obstacle to positive changes is fear. Fear brought about moving out of our comfort zones. It boils down to the risk & reward equation. The greater the risk, the greater the reward. How about unexpected change? We need to prepare ahead of time. And the discipline to do that is the real challenge. It a lot like the necessity of home, auto and life insurance. The insurance of preparation for a changing and challenging life is the assurance that we will come out alright on the other side of any challenge to our comfy status quo. American is at a crossroads right now, undergoing a major existential crisis, however using the risk/reward formula we as a people can reap a fantastic reward by not only surviving it but from learning from it. What will that reward be (besides our continued freedom)? 

  ''...you know you can’t trust this President to do what’s right for this country. You can trust he will do what’s right for Donald Trump. He’ll do it now. He’s done it before. He’ll do it for the next several months. He’ll do it in the election if he’s allowed to. This is why if you find him guilty, you must find that he should be removed. Because right matters. Because right matters and the truth matters . Otherwise, we are lost.'' __________________________________ Adam Schiff delivered an emotional closing statement on Thursday, January 23, 2020 at the Donald Trump Impeachment trial in the Senate. He called Donald Trump “dangerous” and criticized him for listening to Rudy Giuliani over US intelligence agencies. Adam Schiff: ''This brings me the last point I want to make tonight, which is, when we’re done, we believe that we will have made the case overwhelmingly of the President’s guilt. That is, he’s done what he’s charged with. He withheld the money. He w...

The events over the course of not only the past few days, but throughout the whole of our civilization's political history, highlight the danger of self serving politicians and their supporters. We all need to understand that some people, particularly public servants, will say all the right words at all the right times in order to get elected(especially to stay in power!). But in the end, we need to always judge their actions not their flowery intentions. It's actions, not words, that matter especially in keeping a Democratic Republic safe, secure and strong.

Michael Corthell The our whole nation and the world witnessed a gang of mostly Caucasian men breaking into the United States Capitol Building this week, primarily because they wrongly thought that the law belong to them only, and because many of us spent the Trump presidency thinking that Trump's true nature was either too ridiculous to fear, or would just pass and we'd get back to normal (we let our guard down).  But in the end, the saner, calmer majority, not the shrill voices of rebellion, remained standing and so did our Democracy.  This short moment of constitutional crisis should not lead us to forget or dismiss the extraordinary strength and eloquence  of our Constitution Republic, but it must heighten our resolve to more strongly safe guard our liberties. 

The devil tried to speak but was silenced. A burning, prideful (narcissism) banned him from heaven, though he once sat at God's right hand. In the end pride is the only true evil, and is the root of all sins. When he was finally allowed to speak his heart he replied, ''Pride is all I have.''

''The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battle-field, and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearth-stone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.'' ― Abraham Lincoln ____________________________________ Gettysburg Address ''Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.  Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.  We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain ...

 by Michael Corthell First of all what is insurrection against the United States government?  ''Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.'' 18 U.S. Code § 2383 re: Rebellion or insurrection We have now witnessed the President of the United States, more than 100 Republican members of the House of Representatives, and 14 Republican Senators attempt an unsuccessful coup d’etat against American democracy. The president directly incited the seditious act of insurrection. The 114 members of Congress attempted to overthrow a lawful, secure election trying to disenfranchise millions of Americans. Will anyone be held accountable criminally? They must be, in order to reassure the American people ...

 I want to state very clearly that yesterday's attempt to disrupt our nation's constitutional process was an act of insurrection - an assault on our constitutional republic - an act of treason.  And just to be very clear and preserve the ugly history of the Trump presidency I post this, a tweet by Donald Trump that was removed by the management of Twitter just before they locked the president's account: ''These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!''  - Donald J. Trump, January 6, 2021

  One of the standout quotes in American history concerning loyalty v. ethics came from the James Comey when President Trump asked Comey for loyalty: “He then said, ‘I need loyalty.’ I replied, ‘You will always get honesty from me.’ He paused and then said, ‘That’s what I want, honest loyalty.’ I paused, and then said, ‘You will get that from me.’ As I wrote in the memo I created immediately after the dinner, it is possible we understood the phrase ‘honest loyalty’ differently, but I decided it wouldn’t be productive to push it further.” The former FBI director made it clear in his statement and during his questioning before the Senate that he did not, nor did he intend, to give Trump the loyalty he wanted.

  by Michael Corthell “Burning of the Reichstag” refers to a momentous event that serves as a pretext for the declaration of a state of emergency and martial law (the suspension of civil rights) – like the Reichstag incident by Hitler in February 1933. Is this what we should be fearful of today, two weeks before the inauguration of Joe Biden? It's a strong 'maybe' and here is why I say maybe. While vigilance over our democratic values is never misplaced, the difficulty with anticipating the transformation of the Trump presidency into a dictatorship is that we have to disregard the true nature of his administration. Trumpism is not tyranny in disguise, led by a clown, it is clownish narcissism in the guise of a tyrant. Trump had no interest in either taking over the world or in subjugating America’s citizens. He wanted to hold onto power so that he could go on flooding us with his bullshit to further enhance his brand. But, he may now feel that he must stay in power, becaus...

by Michael Corthell What is the right thing to do? That is a very difficult thing to know sometimes. But whatever that right way to go is, it should always be our own decision. You need to own it. Good people know that genuine, true, integrity is doing the right thing even if  no one is going to know that you did the right thing.  Looking good is not better than doing good. And bragging cheapens the goods. Be a leader who does the right thing regardless of popularity and which way the wind is blowing. “It’s not hard to do the right thing; in fact it’s easy. What’s hard is knowing what the right thing to do is. Once you know that, and believe it, doing the right thing is easy.” — Ben Kingsley in the ''The Confession.'' Doing the right thing involves decision. Sometimes, there is no good or ideal decision, we have to choose the better of two that are either painful, or seemingly wrong. A good person will not do the wrong thing just t...

''Play on their fears and they'll follow you anywhere'' Cult movements are usually defined as a group that tends to manipulate, exploit, and control its members. Specific factors in cult behavior are said to include manipulative and authoritarian mind control over members, communal and totalistic organization, aggressive proselytizing, systematic programs of indoctrination such as mass gatherings or rallies. There are thousands of cults in America today, some harmless and some that can be very dangerous. A cult is a group or movement held together by a shared commitment to a charismatic leader or ideology . It has a belief system that has the answers to all of life’s questions and offers a special solution to be gained only by following the leader’s rules. It requires a high level of commitment from at least some of the members.

Albert Einstein (1879-1955) was one of the most respected scientists who ever lived. A theoretical physicist and philosopher of science, Einstein developed the special and general theories of relativity, applying the latter to map out the large-scale structure of the universe.  He is most well-known for developing what is perhaps the most famous equation of all time: the mass-energy equivalence formula E = mc2. Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.  Later in life, he was a staunch supporter of American civil rights and an activist against the dangers of nuclear weapons. Full Bio

by Michael Corthell A woodsman was once asked, “What would you do if you had just five minutes to chop down a tree?” He answered, “I would spend the first three minutes sharpening my axe.” ____________ You have to prepare for success by preparing yourself for success . Before success arrives in your life, you should devote yourself to preparing the way for it. Polish your skills and strengthen your body so that you can do your job and enjoy success when it comes. Strengthen your mind and spirit so they are ready to face the challenges that accompany a truly successful life. If you are not ready when opportunity knocks, you will be unable to open the door. And it may not knock again. Success will come to you when you consciously decided where your path should begin and where you wanted it to end. If you're still trying to convince yourself of your own worth, how can you possibly persuade your employer, or your customers and clients...

  Some words are just foul wind.  And some are simply treason. ''In certain matters of law and justice the people have the final say'' While seditious conspiracy is generally defined as conduct or language inciting rebellion against the authority of a state, treason is the more-serious offense of actively levying war against the United States or giving aid to its enemies. Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or rebellion against, established authority. Sedition may include any commotion, though not aimed at direct and open violence against the laws. Seditious words in writing are seditious libel. A seditionist is one who engages in or promotes the interest of sedition. Because sedition is overt, it is typically not considered a subversive act, and the overt acts that may be prosecutable under sedition...

  American democracy is now under full attack. World history tells us that constitutional, democratic republics with a system of checks and balances and a rule of law are usually just temporary. We maybe about to see just how temporary our American democracy is in the coming days leading up to the inauguration of president-elect Joe Biden. Democracy depends on the will of one group of leaders to transfer power peacefully to another. By showing us that they refuse to do so, the members of the “Sedition Caucus,” as a group of Republican senators are being called on social media, they are proving that they are unworthy of elected office. Part of the process to destroy any democracy is the erosion of trust in democratic institutions. Once a majority of the public feels that their institutions are corrupt or dysfunctional, there will be no need to defend them. We can see that is just what is happening now. Have faith in our republic and our democratic institutions.  Stand up and...

  "Loyalty is only a virtue if the person or cause is good". Defining Blind Loyalty Blind loyalty involves being loyal to a person or cause despite the damage the person or cause does to himself or herself or others. Excusing bad behavior in the name of protecting allegiance to another seems honorable at first, but is ultimately dangerous as silence is a form of collusion. Many people feel torn between retaining loyalty to a cause or group and risking rejection or ostracism or personal attack by outing misconduct.  Blind loyalty involves a form of cognitive dissonance where a person sees evidence of a problem or bad behavior and then turns a blind eye to the truth in favor of keeping a positive image of the person or cause. Knowing in your gut that something is wrong, and yet acting as if everything is fine. The classic example is a battered woman who protects her partner when police arrive in answer to a domestic violence call. Think of priests covering for sexual abuse amon...

If you are motivated, you learn better and remember more of what you study. But the  rewards may not benefit learning if the subject is not interesting. Therefore, if a subject brings pleasure to the learner it is more easily absorbed and retained. Think about your favorite teachers in school. We're they fun and energizing? Make learning fun.   

 But how do we practice good truth telling? How do we develop our capacity to speak our truth with kindness, with love, and with authenticity?  There are many things we can do to make this happen. Here are three of them: 1) Stop managing other people's feelings . It's arrogant, manipulative, and somewhat foolish to think that we have the ability to manage other people's emotions. Many of us use this as an excuse to not really speak our truth - we don't want to hurt people. We can be mindful of other people's feelings so we don't end up being intentionally mean and hurtful, but when we let go of taking care of their feeling in a euphemistic and condescending way, it frees us up to be have truly adult conversations. 2) Be real, not right - it's not a contest. This is a big deal when it comes to speaking the truth. When we focus on winning or being right at all costs, we no longer tap into our heart of hearts, the place where real truth comes from. When we ...

by Michael Corthell Your friends and neighbors are out there living life to its fullest, do you care to join them? One thing is for sure — you can’t see them from your living room.  The difference between life on your sofa and being out & about in the real world is going to be massive, so be forewarned. But be assured that it's going to be worth it. ''A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown.'' — Denis Waitley Assess your boundaries. If you want to do things differently, you have to think differently. Think about what stops you from getting out there. You know it will be at least interesting, maybe even fun. Find out what it is exactly that's keeping you fenced in. List all your fears and phobias. This is a great self-improvement tool for anyone, introvert or extrovert. Be honest. Eliminate detractio...

 

About Life Choices Our lives don't just happen. Our lives are defined by the choices we make. Some of these choices are ours, and some choices are made by other people, and many of us just accept those decisions and follow along. It is very important to know that we make choices all the time, even when we chose not to choose we have still made a choice. It is our choices that determine everything we experience. The choices we are making today determine what we will experience tomorrow. We have been given the freedom to create our experiences through our choices. Unless we are willing to take full responsibility for these choices, we will never have control over our lives.  If we believe that outside forces are mostly responsible for our choices, we will give away the power of self-determination. Your life is your choice.    

If enough people embrace Hope and Optimism.   by Michael Corthell  How can we increase the odds that our lives will get better in 2021? I firmly believe in the law of attraction. Simply, this law states that we attract into our lives whatever we focus on the most. It's not magic. This universal law is simply the manipulation of the subconscious mind, which will believe anything you tell it, positive or negative. So if we can focus on positive thoughts and positive vibes, we will attract more positivity in our lives. In the coming year, if you focus on being positive, enthusiastic, and happy, you will have a very good chance of seeing the same reflected in your life. Conversely though, if you enter 2021 with a negative attitude, chances are that negativity will almost certainly cloud your life. To sum up, if you focus on positive thoughts, you will attract positivity. If you focus on negative thoughts you will attract negativity. Believe me this mental attitude works. Always w...