The lie of a stolen victory has been used before — In college, I took a class on Nazi Germany. The teacher was an elderly man in his final year. One day, he got into an argument with an entitled and defiant student who felt compelled to spew the kind of fringe conspiracy theory that’s regrettably kept on perpetual life-support. “Well…

If you can’t share your concerns with friends and family then what’s the purpose of those relationships? — American hypocrisy is never more apparent than during the holiday season. People decorate their yards with signs that berate every passerby to “put Christ back in Christmas,” but if you ask the local pastor to speak out against hate, he says, “That’s too political.” Too political? Hate is the impulse…

My insurance against breakdowns is a bicycle in the trunk — I’m a broke writer, so that means I have a contentious relationship with vehicles. They cost too much and they break down. When they break down, the expense of repairing them is always a burden. One of the biggest tricks that will help you navigate life is to prioritize the…

Don’t set yourself up to become a victim of identity theft — I was listening to an audiobook at the gym when I paused to send myself an email. I send myself a lot of notes about ideas that I can turn into articles throughout the day. I pulled my phone from my pocket and touched the screen. I didn’t drop my…

You can’t make anyone embrace decency by force — I found Ryan the mechanic slumped over his workstation and I felt a sharp stab of concern. We’ve developed a friendly banter over the years even though I only see him when I get my oil changed. “Are you okay?” I asked in a friendly tone. “You look tired.” “I…

The ability to participate in uncensored communication with your fellow human beings is a human right — I saw a post criticizing Megan Rapinoe and foolishly left a response in her defense. “She’s an American champion and a heroic public figure,” I wrote. Later on, I discovered that the individual who posted the initial criticism had over 200k followers. The next morning, I awoke to find them…

There’s nothing “noble” in declaring your tone-deaf indifference to the realities of human suffering — My wife’s father grew up on a small farm in rural Peru. He was the second son, and when he turned sixteen, his parents told him his older brother would inherit the family property. Realizing he faced a life of labor with no chance at personal advancement, he got up…

When navigating the internet, you must be brave, keep scrolling, and never look back — Yesterday one of my readers left a comment that my work sometimes made him depressed. He kindly emphasized that he felt my writing was important, but mentioned that the depressing state of our dystopian reality can be too much to take in all at once. In the past, I have…

The war on education has more casualties than any other conflict in history — I remember my first days as a young teacher. There was one student that the staff recognized as being highly intelligent. I was excited to meet him, but I was surprised to discover I felt slightly intimidated on the first day of class. He came in quietly and took his…