Authenticity
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It’s Hard to be Embarrassed; is that a problem?
This may be one time when we all know that we exist between the past and future. Continue reading
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Liberal Democracies buttressed by Illiberal Forces: a Social Imaginary
“what is meant by individual freedom is hotly contested and not just a brute fact. It must be nurtured and grown. This is how I experience my moment of bliss over bacon and eggs. This emerging freedom is a profoundly different social imaginary than the one on offer by liberal democracy.” Continue reading
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Constitutive Work, Recognition, and Why Hannah Arendt Matters
Going through a layoff can be devastating. When I got laid off from a Christian University that had been struggling financially (typical of such post-secondary institutions in the 2000s), I needed to come to the deep logic which eliminated me from the equation. After all, I was in my early 50’s, and I had thought Continue reading
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Charles Taylor: New Dimensions of Experience
Taylor not only provides a language and framework that can articulate the deep senses of meaning we long for, but he also identifies many of the forces that are at work in our lives. Continue reading
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“Human Capital” is Deficient: the OECD, European Football, and Human Fulfillment
When I say human capital is deficient, I do not refer to wasted productive potential; instead, I refer to a distorted understanding of the relationship between individuals and their advanced industrial environments. Continue reading
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The Neurodivergent Advantage… and Challenge
Neurodiversity is not a challenge to overcome; it’s a strength to harness. When organizations consciously create and support diverse climates, everyone benefits. Continue reading
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The Problem with Mass Pop Music isn’t that it’s “Pop”: Mass Culture and Mass Society
Republicans don’t annoy me; Democrats don’t either. Conservatives don’t annoy me, neither do Liberals or New Democrats. But…. technocrats annoy me. Continue reading
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The Commitments of Authentic People
Commitments are important because they stretch over a long time and act as types of buffers and infrastructure that protect us from the equivocations of the human heart. Continue reading
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Authenticity: Being Yourself in a World Designed to Make You Someone Else
Can we know ourselves from moment to moment, every day, not with words or descriptions, but with an actual perception of our inner selves being intact and authentically ours? In other words, we do not have to live out a story, but instead, we experience a reality. Continue reading
About me: I am a career educator and traveler at heart. My written work includes academic writing in philosophy and linguistics, English acquisition, and most intently in the areas of spiritual engagement with reality and what that means for our public lives.
My education is a mixture of formal study in philosophy, political theory, Biblical studies, and history, along with professional teaching certification in TESOL and in cognitive testing, and international teaching.
My travel experiences include a range of countries in Asia, Europe, Africa and North America. I have lived in Canada, the United States, Germany, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Thailand. From those places I have traveled to many others besides.
I am a child of the 70’s and a “family man.” That means I have two wonderful kids who have been round the world with me.
Lastly, I am married to a wonderful woman since 2004. She is my partner, my friend, and my muse.
Thanks again for stopping by,
Raymond Klassen - Ideals and Identities 