Nothing brings us to despair faster than a sense of meaninglessness, a lack of purpose in our lives. These feelings of worthlessness lead us to seek outlets in various types of relationships, often of a physical or emotional nature, or in partying, alcohol, or drugs, as we seek to numb the pain. We are simply hard-wired for infinite happiness; and Read more…
“But I don’t want to ruin our friendship.” What do you do when you like someone, but don’t want to “jeopardize” your friendship? Well, the answer is not: just hang out, flirt for the next year, and develop a strong emotional attachment along the way, with no commitment from either side—only to lead to jealousy and confusion when a third Read more…
Is love something ready-made, automated—so that all we have to do is push “play”? Does this guy or that girl always have my best interests at heart? I think we know the answers to these questions—for finding true love is often a complicated and messy process. The title of this blog takes its cue from John Paul II who used Read more…
One often hears from young people something like the following: “You’re only young once—now is the time for me get this out of my system and live it up; I’ll eventually settle down later.” It’s easy to fall into this, assuming that my actions in the present have virtually no bearing on who I will become in the future. But Read more…
It’s been said, “If I want to know who you are, show me your friends.” In order to steadfastly pursue the good—whether in sports, academics, or relationships—we’ll need the support of solid friends. So, how can we form friendships that last? Aristotle outlines three types of friendship: (1) friendship of pleasure; (2) friendship of utility; and (3) virtuous friendship. The Read more…
In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis offers time-tested counsel on how to begin—and persevere—in the virtue of chastity. First, he says we must really want to grow in this virtue. He notes how a famous Christian—when looking back at his life—realized that his prayer for chastity was really saying something like: “Oh Lord, make me chaste. But please don’t do it Read more…
People typically think of sloth as simply “laziness,” a lack of a serious work ethic. But the Christian tradition has always seen something more here: St. Thomas Aquinas, for example, defined sloth as “sorrow at the difficulty of a spiritual good.” Consider New Year’s Resolutions—how long do they last? We start off with great enthusiasm—and eventually the mountain starts to Read more…
