“It’s hard to argue against cynics – they always sound smarter than optimists because they have so much evidence on their side.”
Columnist Molly Ivins (1944-2007)
That is a quote from a Psychology Today article: A Field Guide to the Cynic, By Elizabeth Svoboda.
She quotes from Rick Bayan’s site The Cynic’s Sanctuary: “The world belongs to people [...]

Playwright Edward Albee achieved early career success (“The Zoo Story,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,”) that was followed by several decades of “thorny obscurity and neglect,” but a triumphant return to achievement in his mid-70s with his Tony-winning play “The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?” according to a 2003 SF Chronicle article listing other enduring [...]

Keeping ourselves emotionally safe makes sense, of course, but safety and contentment may come at the expense of personal growth.
Producer Brian Grazer recalls in his essay “Disrupting My Comfort Zone” about deciding to learn how to surf at age 45.
“Picture this scene: The north shore of Oahu—the toughest, most competitive surfing spot on the planet,” [...]

“I hope I’m becoming more eccentric.
More room in the brain.”
Musician Tom Waits
Being eccentric can help our creative thinking and courage.
In his article The Entrepreneurial Spirit, management expert Tom Peters asks, “Feeling a little weird lately? Take time to see where your passion and entrepreneurial spirit is calling you. Even in corporate America, the entrepreneurial spirit [...]

Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor just won the 2007 Templeton Prize for Progress Toward Research or Discoveries About Spiritual Realities.
Taylor is to receive the award [$1.5 million] from Prince Philip in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on May 2.
A new Los Angeles Times article [March 15, 2007] reports that Taylor said the prevailing emphasis on the [...]