Self-Improvement Archives - Vincent Ryan Ruggiero Official website - Author

Living Wisely in a Foolish World

Vincent Ryan Ruggiero — Sat, 14 Dec 2024 13:58:53 +0000

Making sense of the present age is like playing whack-a-mole. Every time we smack down one foolish notion, another pops up, then another and another. To make matters worse, more and more people seem to be accepting the foolishness rather than smacking it. We are left wondering what we can possibly do to restore sanity [...]

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The Contemporary Fashion of Loving Ourselves

Vincent Ryan Ruggiero — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 15:23:19 +0000

I recently heard a sermon in my parish that encouraged parishioners to love themselves. It was not the first time I heard such a statement made from the pulpit, but my reaction was the same as before—disappointment. That was understandable. After all, in my childhood, youth, adulthood, and middle age, the references to self I [...]

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Seeing Our Human Nature More Clearly

Vincent Ryan Ruggiero — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 14:35:39 +0000

Rodin's The Thinker The Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759–1796) wrote the following verse, expressed here in English prose: “O, would some Power give us the gift to see ourselves as others see us! It would free us from many a blunder and foolish notion.” The gift he was speaking of would be a blessing in any age, but [...]

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Restoring Social Harmony

Vincent Ryan Ruggiero — Sat, 06 Aug 2022 14:34:00 +0000

I ended my recent essay, “Revisiting Ancient Wisdom,” by recalling Confucius’ view that getting beyond self-adulation improves ourselves, our communities, “and ultimately the world.” This essay expands on that idea. The Anglican lay theologian C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) wrote many insightful books on Christianity, the most unusual of which was no doubt “The Screwtape Letters,” [...]

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On Listening and Learning

Vincent Ryan Ruggiero — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 16:57:07 +0000

The occasion was a recent picnic and my discussion with a pharmacist began well. I mentioned that I have often consulted pharmacists about prescription medicines’ side effects and interactions and that experience had led me to study such matters myself. Along the way, I said, I’ve learned that some doctors pay little attention to patients’ [...]

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