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Keeping ideas connected to reality so they can serve our lives in reality.

Event Horizons

For years, I thought momento mori (“remember death”), a common precept in Stoic philosophy, was a cynical expression. Remembering death seemed opposed to embracing life. Why focus on the end of a process I love so much? Naively, I thought this was similar to other...

Help Us Create Even More Life-Enhancing Content

Have you checked out Objective Standard Institute’s blog Level Up? How about our podcasts? Do you have ideas for improving them? You can help us create even more life-enhancing content by sharing your thoughts and ideas in our short survey. For doing so, you’ll...

TOS-Con Is On!

I’m delighted to announce that TOS-Con 2021: Philosophy for Freedom and Flourishing (Boston Marriott, July 21–24) is a definite go! Effective May 29, the Massachusetts government is ending all mask mandates and limits on the number of people at gatherings....

Two Inspiring Individualistic Songs to Live By

I’ve long known that in order to achieve happiness I had to pursue my own values and live by my own judgment. But I had moments of discouragement when I thought that my quest for happiness was doomed. I needed individualistic works of art to fuel me with hope,...

The Source and Value of Self-esteem

Having good self-esteem is essential to being happy with your life. How can you be happy if you don’t have a good opinion of yourself? But developing and maintaining high self-esteem isn’t easy. When I was a teenager, I allowed my self-esteem to be...

OSI Is Hiring Two Full-Time Marketing Specialists

Objective Standard Institute (OSI) is looking for two marketing specialists to join our life-loving team. If you are a self-starter and a team player who aims constantly to improve, one of these positions may be for you. We’re looking for people who are: In love...

Barbell Training for Health and Happiness

Several years ago, if you had told me that working out would soon become one of my favorite activities, I may have pictured myself doing dance or sports, or taking an aerobics class. What I would never have imagined, however, was lifting and squatting with a...