Tag Archives: fear

Equality, Balance, and Fear

Posted on February 15, 2017 by Vicki Matthews

A culture where status, rights, and opportunity aren’t granted equally to all citizens cannot say that it values equality. In the absence of equality, selective supremacy exists granting some citizens more privileged than others. Supremacy and privilege are hallmarks of cultures … Continue reading →

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Diversity, Fear, and Commonality

Posted on January 18, 2017 by Vicki Matthews

Diversity usually isn’t a popular concept in a patriarchy. In general, patriarchies value individual success over action taken for a collective good. Sadly, this can make people in a patriarchy somewhat self-focused. I think it was Ben-Hur who said, “You’re either … Continue reading →

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Fear: The Great Paralyzer

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Vicki Matthews

Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. – Paulo Coelho It’s all about the fear. Fear impedes, separates, and will always make any situation worse. The fear of failure can birth failure. The … Continue reading →

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There’s No Way Around It People: We’re All One

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Vicki Matthews

Whenever something as gruesome as the June 17th Charleston church shootings occurs, I can’t help but wonder how a heinous event like that can still happen in our country. Haven’t we all grown past this level of hate? Haven’t we … Continue reading →

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Unbalanced: Prejudice, Ignorance, and the Other

Posted on January 20, 2015 by Vicki Matthews

“Prejudice is the child of ignorance.” There is wisdom in this quote beyond the obvious. Clearly, even in a patriarchy, prejudice and ignorance are not desirable, yet they are widespread in our world. Not only do we find them everywhere, … Continue reading →

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Two Kinds of Power

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Vicki Matthews

Power as a topic fascinates most people. What is it? How do you get it? Why do you want it? Depending on who you ask, you’ll find a wide range of answers to these questions. Some will say that power … Continue reading →

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The Pros and Cons of Fear

Posted on November 29, 2013 by Vicki Matthews

Fear can be valuable.  It can be a warning.  It can be a teacher.  It can be a motivator.  All very good, unless overdone.  The problem with fear is that in large or regular doses, it can be paralyzing.  Once … Continue reading →

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Fear: The Great Paralyzer

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Vicki Matthews

It is so true that fear impedes and will almost always make any situation worse.   Yes, as Mr. Coelho suggests, the fear of suffering can be worse than the actual suffering.  But the fear of failure is also more likely … Continue reading →

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Two Wise Men, One Way To Balance

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Vicki Matthews

“Love is a better teacher than duty.” When I first read this quote from Einstein, it immediately struck me as the perfect antidote to the Machiavelli quote, “Is it better to be loved or feared? Since it is difficult to … Continue reading →

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Choosing Love

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Vicki Matthews

Events like the bombings at the Boston marathon yesterday highlight the best and the worst of humanity.  At our worst, primates are the only animals that will kill for reasons not related to hunger.  At our best, we can express … Continue reading →

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