community

An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 14 – Society 2 (Power) – Part 6: Brother, can you spare a dime?

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Wealth is never truly “self-made.” It’s built on collective effort, with thousands of workers – from the miners and builders to the teachers and drivers – creating the foundation for success. Elon Musk, or anyone at the top, owes their wealth to a system supported by the many, not just their personal genius. Wealth becomes structural when it grows beyond individual success, and as inequality grows, stability erodes. The real question isn’t about whether anyone deserves to be wealthy but about what responsibility comes with that wealth. When wealth is concentrated in outcome, how can we define ethical wealth as partnership, not charity? What happens when the permission for power is withdrawn?

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An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 13 – Society 1 (Money) – Part 4: What’s better than money?

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Huckleberry Finn knew freedom didn’t come from accumulating wealth – it came from needing fewer permissions. Off-the-grid living shows us that value isn’t measured in dollars; it’s measured in community. Through barter systems, mutual aid, and local economies, we can reclaim wealth that isn’t found on a balance sheet, but in the trust and cooperation between people.

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An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 11 – Ethics 1 (Relativism) – Part 1: Introduction – Why be good?

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Why be good? Before diving into rules and commandments, we need to ask: Why bother? Morality isn’t just about rules—it’s about how to live well. Socrates asked not, “What rules should we follow?” but “What kind of life is worth living?” Ethics, for the ancients, wasn’t about being perfect—it was about flourishing, about becoming the kind of person who functions well in the world. Living ethically isn’t about cosmic points—it’s about the kind of person you become when you repeatedly choose kindness, integrity, fairness, and care. The real reason to care about ethics isn’t abstract; it’s because we matter. The way we treat others shapes the world we wake up in, and the way we live shapes who we become.

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The Tree That Took the Whole Gang

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It’s not enough to dream alone – it takes a community to make the vision real. Just like Charlie Brown’s tree, it’s the support, sacrifice, and teamwork that transform dreams into something beautiful. 🎄💛

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Money Doesn’t… But Food Does

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A simple dream with radical roots: what if every person planted just one food tree? Imagine neighborhoods fed by shared abundance, where kindness grows right alongside the fruit. 🌳💛

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A Thanksgiving Worth Sharing

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Thanksgiving isn’t just about gratitude – it’s about connection. As we gather around our tables, this letter invites us to widen the circle, remember those who are struggling, and choose to be the reason someone else has something to be thankful for.

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Giving What We Can – The Radical Gift of Sharing What We Have

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Dear Creative Giver, When I was in college, I sold plasma for a few extra bucks. It was a small thing – a way to stretch my ramen budget and get by. But I didn’t think much about the bigger picture back then. Years later, life gave me a reason to look at it differently. … Read more

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Go Boldly Where You’ve Never Gone Before – Next Door

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Dear Fellow Explorer, We live in an age obsessed with the stars.Mars colonies, moon bases, billionaires in space – the dream of going where no one has gone before still lights up our imaginations. But maybe, just maybe, the next great frontier isn’t light-years away.Maybe it’s ten feet to your left. We used to know … Read more

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Sharing Your Balls

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Dear Jugglers of Life and Love, We see you.Balancing work and passion, heart and obligation, art and the everyday grind – somehow keeping it all in motion like a living poem. You wake up and pick up your juggling balls: rent, groceries, dreams, deadlines, kids, kindness, self-care, community care – and somehow, you keep them … Read more

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