3 Posts found for Author: Michael J. Sandel

As [William F. ] May points out, parents give their children two kinds of love: accepting love and transforming love. Accepting love affirms the being of the child, whereas transforming love seeks the well-being of the child. Each aspect corrects the excesses of the other, he writes: “Attachment becomes too quietistic if it slackens into mere acceptance of the child as he is.” Parents have … [ Read more ]

Authors: Michael J. Sandel, William F. May | Subjects: Family & Friends, Love, Psychology | Behavior

To acknowledge the giftedness of life is to recognize that our talents and powers are not wholly our own doing, despite the effort we expend to develop and to exercise them. It is also to recognize that not everything in the world is open to whatever use we may desire or devise.

Author: Michael J. Sandel | Subjects: Life & Society, Personal Improvement, Religion

This is an uncomfortable fact for democratic societies. We want to believe that success, in sports and in life, is something we earn, not something we inherit. Natural gifts, and the admiration they inspire, embarrass the meritocratic faith; they cast doubt on the conviction that praise and rewards flow from effort alone. In the face of this embarrassment we inflate the moral significance of striving, … [ Read more ]

Author: Michael J. Sandel | Subjects: Ability | Skill, Culture, Psychology | Behavior