i have four kids, and there are a number of times when i said things to my children i regret they were said. There is no parent who has ever parented perfectly,. And there's nothing shameful about blurting out things, because it's human. To say hurtful things to your kids, intentionally, unintentionally, doesn't matter. But the fact that there are some moments that I remember that are not my greatest moments as a father really should not bring me down sometimes. We just had our first grandchild, and a friend of mine saidoh, when they were expecting, he said, oh, you your son's ano coming over to your side. Who's going to
John Stuart Mill's midlife crisis came at 20 when he realized that if he got what he desired he still wouldn't be happy. Art and poetry (and maybe love) saved the day for him. In this week's episode, philosopher Kieran Setiya of MIT talks about his book Midlife with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Setiya argues we can learn from Mill to help deal with the ennui to which so many midlifers succumb--along with regrets for roads not taken and wistfulness for what could have been. Setiya argues that a well-lived life needs fewer projects and more pursuits that don't have goals or endpoints. He explains why past mistakes can turn out to be good things and how lost chances can help us appreciate the richness of life.