Barry Brownstein
Contributor
Barry Brownstein is professor emeritus of economics and leadership at the University of Baltimore.
He is the author of The Inner-Work of Leadership, and his essays have appeared in publications such as the Foundation for Economic Education and Intellectual Takeout.
To receive Barry’s essays in your inbox, visit mindsetshifts.com
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Fauci Didn’t Create Faucism. He Exposed It
The deeper threat to liberty isn’t one powerful expert, but a society willing to surrender its judgment to prevailing opinion.
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The Case for Talking to Strangers
Nicholas Epley’s new book argues that small acts of connection build the trust and goodwill on which a free society depends.
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Thomas Paine’s Challenge to a Complacent America
Paine warned that complacency endangers liberty, and that only when freedom is threatened do people discover whether they are willing to defend it.
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From Victimhood to Agency: Understanding What is Up to Us
Excuses protect us from guilt, but they also rob us of hope. The habit of denying responsibility may be one of the greatest obstacles to personal and social flourishing.
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Roddie Edmonds and the Power of Saying No
Liberty depends on individuals saying no to power, especially when authority demands moral compromise, as one American officer proved behind barbed wire in World War II.
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Ben Sasse’s Warning: Reclaim Your Attention Before It’s Too Late
The ability to direct one’s attention is an increasingly scarce and valuable practice — and a prerequisite for meaningful freedom.
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Civility: The Invisible Glue of Society
Adam Smith recognized that true human flourishing requires more than riches.
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Burnt Toast, Stoics, and Finding Growth in Small Frustrations
A viral mental habit about burnt toast echoes Stoic philosophy: adversity — no matter how small — is an opportunity to practice discipline, perspective, and self-mastery.
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Theocrats, Socialists, and the Totalitarian Impulse to Plan
Attempts to impose a specific moral order on complex societies require coercion. Whether religious or secular, power undermines liberty.
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•
Invest in a Growth Mindset: The Antidote to America’s Black-Pilled Nihilism
We all question whether our lives have meaning. But what shapes us most may be our own beliefs about intelligence and experience.
-
•
Fauci Didn’t Create Faucism. He Exposed It
The deeper threat to liberty isn’t one powerful expert, but a society willing to surrender its judgment to prevailing opinion.
-
•
The Case for Talking to Strangers
Nicholas Epley’s new book argues that small acts of connection build the trust and goodwill on which a free society depends.
-
•
Thomas Paine’s Challenge to a Complacent America
Paine warned that complacency endangers liberty, and that only when freedom is threatened do people discover whether they are willing to defend it.
-
•
From Victimhood to Agency: Understanding What is Up to Us
Excuses protect us from guilt, but they also rob us of hope. The habit of denying responsibility may be one of the greatest obstacles to personal and social flourishing.
-
•
Roddie Edmonds and the Power of Saying No
Liberty depends on individuals saying no to power, especially when authority demands moral compromise, as one American officer proved behind barbed wire in World War II.
-
•
Ben Sasse’s Warning: Reclaim Your Attention Before It’s Too Late
The ability to direct one’s attention is an increasingly scarce and valuable practice — and a prerequisite for meaningful freedom.
-
•
Civility: The Invisible Glue of Society
Adam Smith recognized that true human flourishing requires more than riches.
-
•
Burnt Toast, Stoics, and Finding Growth in Small Frustrations
A viral mental habit about burnt toast echoes Stoic philosophy: adversity — no matter how small — is an opportunity to practice discipline, perspective, and self-mastery.
-
•
Theocrats, Socialists, and the Totalitarian Impulse to Plan
Attempts to impose a specific moral order on complex societies require coercion. Whether religious or secular, power undermines liberty.
-
•
Invest in a Growth Mindset: The Antidote to America’s Black-Pilled Nihilism
We all question whether our lives have meaning. But what shapes us most may be our own beliefs about intelligence and experience.