Laurie Endicott Thomas's Blog, page 5
January 1, 2017
Why Is New Year’s Day on January 1?
How long is a year? On what day does a year begin? These are questions that people struggled with for thousands of years. To answer them, ancient people developed the classical liberal arts. The liberal arts curriculum included the Quadrivium, which were the four arts of number, space, and time: Mathematics was the art of number. Geometry … Continue reading "Why Is New Year’s Day on January 1?"
December 28, 2016
Is My Ex (or My Daughter’s Ex) a Narcissist?
When women hear that I have written a book about narcissism, they often ask me some variation of the following question: “Is my ex-husband (or my daughter’s ex-boyfriend) a narcissist?” (So far, it has always been women asking about men.) My answer to that question is always the same: I do not know. To paraphrase … Continue reading "Is My Ex (or My Daughter’s Ex) a Narcissist?"
Is My Ex (or My Daughter’s Ex) a Narcissist?
When women hear that I have written a book about narcissism, they often ask me some variation of the following question: “Is my ex-husband (or my daughter’s ex-boyfriend) a narcissist?” (So far, it has always been women asking about men.) My answer to that question is always the same: I do not know. To paraphrase … Continue reading "Is My Ex (or My Daughter’s Ex) a Narcissist?"
December 24, 2016
Peace on Earth, But Only to Men of Good Will?
According to some translations of the Bible, the Heavenly Host sang “peace, goodwill towards men.” According to other translations, they sang “peace to men of good will”? One is a promise of peace. The other is a thinly veiled threat. If you want to promote peace, you need to have good will toward everyone. According to the Gospel … Continue reading "Peace on Earth, But Only to Men of Good Will?"
Peace on Earth, But Only to Men of Good Will?
According to some translations of the Bible, the Heavenly Host sang “peace, goodwill towards men.” According to other translations, they sang “peace to men of good will”? One is a promise of peace. The other is a thinly veiled threat. If you want to promote peace, you need to have good will toward everyone. According to the Gospel … Continue reading "Peace on Earth, But Only to Men of Good Will?"
December 21, 2016
What Is the Winter Solstice?
The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, in terms of the amount of sunlight in the northern hemisphere. In 2016, the winter solstice falls on December 21. To understand what the winter solstice is, and why it matters, you need to know some astronomy. Astronomy was part of the quadrivium (the arts … Continue reading "What Is the Winter Solstice?"
What Is the Winter Solstice?
The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, in terms of the amount of sunlight in the northern hemisphere. In 2016, the winter solstice falls on December 21. To understand what the winter solstice is, and why it matters, you need to know some astronomy. Astronomy was part of the quadrivium (the arts … Continue reading "What Is the Winter Solstice?"
December 18, 2016
Why Is Christmas Celebrated on December 25?
On December 25, ancient Romans celebrated the birth of a savior god, who was born to virgin. During his time on earth, this savior god performed miracles, such as turning water into wine. He was revered as a promoter of civilization, as a lawgiver, and a lover of peace. He was eventually killed, giving his … Continue reading "Why Is Christmas Celebrated on December 25?"
Why Is Christmas Celebrated on December 25?
On December 25, ancient Romans celebrated the birth of a savior god, who was born to virgin. During his time on earth, this savior god performed miracles, such as turning water into wine. He was revered as a promoter of civilization, as a lawgiver, and a lover of peace. He was eventually killed, giving his … Continue reading "Why Is Christmas Celebrated on December 25?"
