What happens inside when you realize you’ve made a faux pas? Maybe you were trying to make a good impression on your Jewish friend’s family, but accidentally desecrated the Sabbath. Or you proudly brought out a bottle of wine, only to learn your guests are all devoutly sober. Suddenly, your good intentions fall flat—and an inner voice kicks in: “What a shame. You should’ve known better. May as well go hide somewhere; you’ve lost face.”But let’s pause there.Did you know the original meaning of the word sin is simply “to miss the mark”? That’s all. Just like an archer drawing back their bow: ...

Mom snatched the dish cloth from Tim. Annoyed and embarrassed, he stood helplessly while she mopped up around his water glass. Some guests were watching sympathetically, and someone told Tim, “Don’t worry, it happens to all of us.” That’s not what Mom is thinking, Tim thought to himself. And Mom, you’re just trying to make me look stupid by not letting me clean it up myself. ‘Here’s the cloth, Mommy; now you can clean up my mess. You’re welcome.’Of course it wasn’t a pleasant experience for Mom herself. It’s easy to take it personally when your children make a mistake. And no ...

Who is the person behind the mask? Hey, Laverne, here; I seem to be more interested in philosophizing tonight than in sleeping. So let's get into it. It has been said that in a relationship between two people, as in the case of a heterosexual couple, there are four realities: who he thinks he is, who he thinks she is, who she thinks she is and who she thinks he is. So the way I identify myself may be quite a bit different from the way you identify me. Why does this matter? Well, if I think of myself as a philosopher, ...