Ethical Wisdom

The examined life.

by Mark Matousek

The Eros of Friendship: What To Do With Platonic Passion?

Most friendships have an erotic component. Not sexual, necessarily, but passionate. Passion in friendship confuses us, and sometimes blindsides us. How can we walk this slippery slope between restraint and the heart's desires? How can we be honest about our feelings without jeopardizing treasured relationships? Read More

Unlocking Erotic Intelligence: Advice from Esther Perel

Erotic life thrives on mystery, curiosity, and freedom. How can we keep desire alive in long term relationships? Read More

The Breath of Freedom

Nearly all of us breathe incorrectly. This can have disastrous results. Even everyday stress can be relieved with the power of one deep breath Read More

Other People's Children

It's hard to know when to tell people the truth about their kids—without them shooting the messenger. Read More

When Friends Get Rich or Famous (or Both)

We always want the best for our friends. Don't we? Read More

Deacon Don and His Broken Neck Boys: Resilience in Action

The Broken Neck Boys of Chicago are teaching the rest of us how to live. Read More

Oscar Wilde Slept Here: The Funny Side of Death

Death has a funny side. You might as well enjoy it. Read More

What's Your Metaphor? Shifting Shapes in the New Year

Our life metaphor profoundly affects the quality of everyday life. Read More

To Gossip Is Human: Why We Share Secrets

Gossip is a good thing. It all depends on how you do it. Read More

The Happy Beggar: You Are Enough

Enlightenment is here and now. Happiness too. Open the box. Read More

A Turkey, a Tablet of Prozac, and Thou: Thanksgiving in Troubled Times

Sometimes being alive is enough for thanks giving. Read More

Post-Catastrophe Living: Gabrielle Giffords’ Secret Weapon

Where do people like Gabrielle Giffords find the strength to carry on after they survive the worst? How can the ex-Arizona Congresswoman shot at point blank range last year in an incident that left six people dead and a dozen other injured, even think of getting back into politics after almost dying, as she told ABC's Diane Sawyer on Monday night? Read More

Confessions of a Mask: The Temptations of Online Anonymity

Dating is a miserable business. Part popularity contest, part Nuremberg Trial, part aikido (block that rejection!), we meet and greet and hope for the best, sometimes clicking, mostly not, and often wondering: Why do we bother? Read More

The Paterno Effect: Keep Your Job or Lose Your Manhood?

There's no such thing as an innocent bystander. Paterno is guilty. Read More

It's None of Your Business: How to Keep Friends and Not Influence People

Mind your own business! How to keep love and friendship healthy. Read More

The Life Saving Power of Hope

We cannot live without hope. But why? How does it save our lives? Read More

Your Secret Destination: Every Life Is a Labyrinth

"Every life has a secret destination of which the traveler is unaware." Read More

The Ethical Guerrilla: Boomer Alert: The Young Don't Owe Us Anything

Dear Ethical Guerrilla:

I'm no spring chicken and a member of the work force. For obvious reasons,I think a lot about how businesses like to get rid of us after we hit 40. Till now, I have always taken offense at this -- as if the younger generation owes us a job, owes us respect, owes us the courtesy of not being held to tough standards. Read More

The Ethical Guerrilla: When Dating Turns Ugly, The Scandal of Beautifulpeople.com

The dating site Beautifulpeople.com drops 30,000 members deemed too ugly. Shame! Read More

The Ethical Guerrilla: Questioning the incest taboo

It's a jungle out there -- sexually speaking. Read More

Are We Born to Be Wise?

We are born with a moral aptitude, just like a natural ability for language, math, or art. Read More

The Happy Face Advantage (or How To Save Life on Planet Earth)

Emotions speak a language all their own, beginning with the human smile. The happy face advantage has been shown to help with altruism, empathy, health, and emotional well being in general. But we scarcely understand how the internal language of emotion works. Read More

The Meeting Eyes of Love: How Empathy Is Born In Us

From the doting reflection of its mother's eyes, a baby draws its earliest, wordless lessons about connection, care, and love, and about how being ignored--which every child is sooner or later--makes the good feeling disappear. Read More

I Feel Your Pain, But Why?

Why do we feel each other's pain? Read More

Mark Matousek is the award-winning author of two memoirs, Sex Death Enlightenment (an international bestseller) and The Boy He Left Behind. more...