“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” — John A. Shedd The ocean of life can be a cruel place to navigate. Ever-changing, unpredictable, and unrelenting, it is ultimately beyond our control. Success depends, in part, on our preparedness—keeping our sails fast so that we may harness the wind, maintaining our boat for bad weather, and heeding the advice of those who have been out before us. But preparation is in vain without purpose. We need a bearing to help...

“Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.” — Voltaire The paradox of knowledge is that the more we learn, the more we become aware of the depth of our ignorance. The inverse holds true as well. The less we know about something, the more open we can be to its true nature. The classic example of this paradox is the fable of the emperor’s new clothes. Expertise is useful but the blade of specialization can cut both ways. Perhaps it is possible to know too much—too much of the...

“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” — Henry David Thoreau There is no such thing as a free lunch. No matter how much we wish it to be true, every benefit carries a cost. When we advance in one place, somewhere else there is a retreat. Where there is victory, there is also defeat. What we sacrifice in each exchange may be obvious, but more often the price remains hidden. With every decision, all other possible futures are cut away. Action purchases reality at the...