As I’ve traveled across the globe for nearly six decades, I have found that people exhibit remarkable similarities that by no stretch of the imagination can be construed as resulting from culture, history, language, or chance. All people appear motivated by an inbred striving for self-esteem that is in large part fostered by the approval of others … People have an inbred need to interact with other people. It is essential if we are to receive their approval, which we all seek. The true hermit is a rare aberration. What contributes to self-esteem depends on the broad range of learned or consciously chosen values that people believe, correctly or mistakenly, enhance their lives. We cannot function without some set of values to guide the multitude of choices we make every day. The need for values is inbred. Their content is not. That need is driven by an innate moral sense in all of us, the basis upon which a majority have sought the guidance of the numerous religions that humans have embraced over the millennia. Part of that innate moral code is a sense of what is just and proper. We all have different views of what is just, but none can avoid the built-in necessity of making such judgments. This build-in necessity is the basis of the laws that govern every society. It is the basis on which we hold people responsible for their actions.

This post was written by Steffan Antonas. Find more at blog.steffanantonas.com

Alan Greenspan On Self Esteem, Our Nature and Our Need For Connectedness

My hat goes off to Andrew Zuckerman who interviewed, photographed and filmed the 51 writers, actors, artists, designers, politicians, musicians and religious and business leaders who contributed to the project.  Holding this book, it’s obvious how much hard work and care went into its production and delivery. I’m actually a bit surprised that Andrew was the first to take a crack at something like this. It seems intuitive that we should always look to our elders (first) for guidance and inspiration on life’s most important lessons. Hopefully, this won’t be the first project of it’s kind.

If you’re now curious about the book, here’s a quick synopsis. The format of the book is simple – seven questions to each  subject, who are all over 65 years of age.  The responses are candid and authentic and, in many cases, inspirational. And there’s no B.S. or puffery. You only hear about what they’ve learned along the way – it all feels very human and humble. I found the contributions of Robert Redford, John Hume, Andrew Wyeth and Clint Eastwood particularly notable.I can also attest to the fact that the trailers are representative of the quality of the final product. Considering the book comes with a 60 minute DVD of clips from the interviews, it’s a steal for $30 new on amazon. Interested? Check these out…

THE TRAILER:

HOW IT WAS MADE:

BEHIND THE SCENES:

This post was written by Steffan Antonas. Find more at blog.steffanantonas.com

Cracking Open The Wisdom Project