The Neurodivergent Professor chris burcher
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- Religion & Spirituality
Thinking outside the box. Embracing your weirdness. Making different great again. I create content to address issues critical to our personal and collective future on Earth. Join me in tearing down the walls of conformity, letting our freak flags fly, and normalizing diversity. Doing so will not only allow us to thrive as individuals, it will improve humanity and planet Earth. More at www.chrisburcher.com
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We Can Reach Fitness by Returning to the Optimum Condition: NDP 182
Have you ever sat down and thought about your values? Values are important, motivating, and provide guidance.I’ve done a lot of values work in therapy and find it challenging. I value many things, but prioritizing the top five to ten is difficult and dynamic.One thing I have learned during over a decade of values work is that many human values suck. I think a lot about universal or ‘optimum’ valuesAre there ‘optimum’ human values? For my purposes, optimum is an adjective meaning mos...
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On Being a Good Steward of Earth: NDP 181
You don’t have to look far to find something to complain about. Climate changeInequalitySuicidal ideationMalnutritionLoneliness The world is full of problems.Now, I’m no doomer. My intent is not to illuminate human suffering. Rather, I accept the Buddhist notion that there will be suffering. My issue is all the EXTRA suffering. I can’t shake the naive, hippie belief that solutions are within our reach. When it comes to the end of the world I’m an optimist.The question is, what ...
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Is Punctuated Equilibrium a Good Way to Change the World? NDP 180
Have you seen (or read) “2001: A Space Odyssey”?The story opens at the time of early humans. Folks are going about their business when a ginormous monolith appears. Everyone freaks out at first, but then some develop the ability to use bones as tools. At first, I didn’t understand that the monolith represented punctuated equilibrium. This is a phrase used by evolutionary biologists to describe a quick shift in the fossil record representing a significant change. Compare this to gradualis...
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Making a Good Life: NDP 179
The unexamined life is not worth living — SocratesIt seems natural, even innate, to want to make the most of one’s life. To have a good life seems to require examination. Examining one’s life, growing, and continuing to be aware is part of our purpose.The purpose of life has two branches. The first is the ecological purpose and the second is more metaphysical.The ecological purpose of life is to reproduce to alleviate mortality. In other words, because all life dies, life reproduces itself. I...
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If Natural Selection Determined Human Value Systems: NDP Episode 178
Do you suffer?Humans have problems. It’s hard to deny. Despite many pleas for ‘looking on the bright side of life’, we live in a world full of suffering. For whatever reason, I think about these problems, the causes, and potential solutions. While it is difficult to maintain a positive mental attitude and growth mindset, I strive for a balance. I consider how we might improve humanity while not getting bogged down in depression.I think existence consists of two main branches. These ...
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The Beauty of Your Comfort Zone: NDP Episode 177
Do you ever think about your comfort zone? I’m sure most people are at least aware of the concept.To me, our comfort zone is like an invisible egg that surrounds our physical body. Near the center, we are, well, comfortable. As we near the edges we become less comfortable. Our comfort zone is like a sixth sense. It is more a bodily feeling or awareness than an identifiable sensation. Approaching our comfort zone is unlike hearing, smelling, touching, tasting, or seeing.Why do we experien...