Be Aware. Be VERY Aware.

Respect is a two way street.

Respect is a fundamental value in The American Dream. Listening is the single most important and most personally-beneficial act of respect. This means giving someone your full attention when they are speaking, not interrupting, and asking thoughtful questions to show that you are engaged and interested in what they have to say.

Through books and plays, individuals have opportunities to “listen” to the thoughts and ideas of the innumerable writers and philosophers who inspired the systems and the circumstances that created our Twenty-First Century world. These authors shared their wisdom and insights, demonstrating their caring and respect for average people.

Most of the selections that are showcased on this site were written to recognize the issues that effected most people and offer possible remedies for injustices that the powerful inflict upon those who had very little power. Resolutions for most of your own internal and external conflicts and confusion are contained within these works.

However, two of the selections, Machiavelli’s The Prince and The Slave Bible, present guidance and strategies for “oppressors”. Reading these works helps you understand and anticipate what your adversaries will do.

Others, like The Communist Manifesto and Mein Kampf, professed to advocate for justice, but served as frameworks for future insiders to become autocrats. Reading these works, in addition The Slave Bible helps you recognize sinister intentions that have been hidden or woven into noble-sounding words and slogans.

Sun Tzu’s The Art of War was written for leaders, but most of his strategies are easily adaptable for use by anyone in their daily lives.

Authors extend an invisible hand of respect when they share their works with the world. The longevity of these works and the incorporation of their ideals into societies throughout history and in nearly every part of the world are evidence of how that respect was answered with reciprocal respect. Accepting those gestures and considering what they have shared, could help you succeed in your personal pursuit of happiness.

“If you understand yourself and you understand your adversaries,
there is no reason to fear the outcomes of one hundred conflicts”
----- Sun Tzu