Tag: life

What Are Your Personal Foundation Texts?

I’ve talked about building a personal library in the past, and trust me; I am still diligently working on building my own (much to my budget and wall space concerns).

But, I went down a bunny trail on “foundational texts” that people deem important to their thinking and way of life.

I love looking at people’s personal libraries. Especially the books that people tell me they read over and over throughout their lives. It’s like seeing the foundational texts of someone’s life, values and interests. What are your personal foundational texts?

— Karen Attiah (@karenattiah.bsky.social) 2024-12-11T18:23:36.899Z

It took me a bit and with a little more thinking time, I’d probably change or add more to this list.

Tons of great reads in the replies and quotes from this thread. Here are my "foundational texts" in no particular order:1. The Mouse and the Motorcycle2. Fahrenheit 4513. The Hobbit4. Comic books (no, I'm not narrowing it down to one)5. Treasure Island6. A Tale of Two CitiesYeah, that's it.

— Mike Paul (@mikepaul.com) 2024-12-18T16:21:16.447Z

How about you? What texts do you consider “foundational” for your life?


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Bertrand Russell’s Ten Commandments for Living Virtuously (1930)

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In 1930, renowned philosopher Bertrand Russell shared his personal “Ten Commandments” for virtuous living, offering timeless guidance on personal integrity and ethical conduct. Originally published in the magazine Everyman, these principles reflect Russell’s deep contemplation on human behavior and morality.

Here are Russell’s ten commandments:

  1. Do not lie to yourself.
  2. Do not lie to other people unless they are exercising tyranny.
  3. When you think it is your duty to inflict pain, scrutinize your reasons closely.
  4. When you desire power, examine yourself closely as to why you deserve it.
  5. When you have power, use it to build up people, not to constrict them.
  6. Do not attempt to live without vanity, since this is impossible, but choose the right audience from which to seek admiration.
  7. Do not think of yourself as a wholly self-contained unit.
  8. Be reliable.
  9. Be just.
  10. Be good-natured.

Russell elaborated on these commandments, emphasizing the importance of self-honesty, the ethical use of power, and the value of reliability and justice in personal conduct. He believed that virtues like punctuality, keeping promises, and refraining from treachery are essential for social obligations. His insights continue to resonate, offering a framework for ethical living in contemporary society.


The Eclectic Educator is a free resource for everyone passionate about education and creativity. If you enjoy the content and want to support the newsletter, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support helps keep the insights and inspiration coming!

Mortality, Music, and the Meaning of Life

There’s perhaps no better reminder of your own mortality than when the people you grew up watching, reading, and listening begin to slip the surly bonds of earth.

While I’m not a huge fan of The Pogues or Shane MacGowan, I’m quite familiar with their impact as an 80s kid. And I’m shaken by the increasing number of deaths of artists I know. But they’ve all left their mark on the world

In the great critique on controlling your own destiny that is “City Slickers,” Curly reminds us that life is all about “just one thing.”

Curly was right. We all must find “just one thing” that matters to make our life incredible. Maybe Shane did that. Maybe.

“Shane, my friend in life and in whiskey. May the wind be at your sails. Keep River company and all our brethren who passed way before their time.

“I’ll never forget your support the last few years chum. LOVE Always, JD.” 

— Johnny Depp

I can only hope that those I love can celebrate my life and our time together when I’m gone, regardless of whatever else I’ve done. And maybe I’ll get to go out to a banger like this…

Changing Plans and The Future of This Site

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As I’ve mentioned previously, this site in one form or another has existed since 2006. Through multiple platform changes and changes in focus, I’ve shared thoughts and insights here for the past decade and a half.

As we all know, change is the only constant. With my job responsibilities and beginning my doctoral work, I knew I needed to find a better way to share my thoughts and things I find of interest that you might enjoy.

So, here’s my plan:

On Mondays and Fridays, I will share posts with links to things I’ve found that you may also find useful.

Tuesday – Thursday, I’ll be sharing links with my own commentary and hopefully making some connections with other sources. I may even have multiple posts these days.

I’m doing my best to build an online database of connected topics and thoughts that, I hope, will help me better formulate my own thinking around different subjects I’m passionate about.

Sometimes it will be education, sometimes technology, sometimes life. Whatever I find interesting is game for this blog.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll build something you’ll enjoy.


The Eclectic Educator is a free resource for everyone passionate about education and creativity. If you enjoy the content and want to support the newsletter, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support helps keep the insights and inspiration coming!