Philosophy Archives

Paul Kalanithi—Lessons Shep Nuland Taught Me

What can your mentors teach you? Can those lessons apply to greater questions of life, death, and the mysteries of the universe? Paul Kalanithi believed so, and relied on educators like Shep Nuland to help him form his core values. Shep Nuland was an influential mentor for Paul Kalanithi. Shep Nuland was an American surgeon, educator, and writer who worked with Paul Kalanithi while Kalanithi studied at Yale Medical School. Shep Nuland helped guide Paul in his education and form his philosophy about treating patients and life and death.

End of Life: Cancer and Paul Kalanithi’s Memoir on Living

What is the end of life cancer experience like? No one can really say for sure- every person is different. But Paul Kalanithi hoped to say something in his final days. Paul Kalanithi worked on his memoir, When Breath Becomes Air for as long as he could while battling an end of life cancer diagnosis. When Paul eventually passed away, his wife, Lucy, completed his manuscript. She claims that Paul’s legacy, like his manuscript, was unfinished, but they both hoped he could continue to help people even after the end of his life from cancer.

EGFR Mutation of Lung Cancer—One Patient’s Hope

What is an EGFR mutation of lung cancer? How does it affect diagnosis and treatment? Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with lung cancer May 2013. A Stanford educated neurosurgeon, Paul understood a lot of the medical technicalities in his diagnosis. During his diagnosis, Paul finds out he has what’s called an EGFR mutation of lung cancer. The EGFR mutation of lung cancer can increase life expectancy, and Paul found that this bit of good news was enough to give him some hope for the future.

Lucy Kalanithi’s Epilogue: Completing Paul’s Manuscript and Legacy

Lucy Kalanithi is an American physician. She was Paul Kalanithi’s wife, and completed and published his book, When Breath Becomes Air after his death. In Dr. Paul Kalanithi’s touching memoir about life and death in the face of a cancer diagnosis, he details the harrowing journey of treatment, starting a family, his marriage, and learning to live life on different terms. Paul met his wife, Lucy Kalanithi at Stanford. The couple later married and moved to California together. Throughout When Breath Becomes Air, Lucy Kalanithi is a central figure. Lucy is initially angry about Paul’s diagnosis, but both later admit

Change Is Part of Life—Here’s How to Deal With It

Change is part of life. It can be distressing or rewarding, depending on our approach. Who Moved My Cheese is a parable that demonstrates in practical terms how to handle change better and avoid pitfalls, by practicing a few key principles: anticipate and prepare for change, overcome fears, envision success, and enjoy change. Because change is part of life, we need to learn to deal with it. By depicting simple, memorable characters and scenarios, the parable gives you a framework for responding to change successfully.

How to Deal with Change in Life—8 Lessons

No matter what environment we operate in — whether a town, city, family, relationship, workplace, or other setting — change is inevitable. Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson is a parable about a place that changed, and how its inhabitants reacted. Through the characters’ triumphs and travails, the story offers lessons and tips for how to deal with change in life by changing our attitudes and behavior. We’ll cover the story of Who Moved My Cheese and discuss how you can apply its lessons every day to learn how to deal with change in life.

How to Cope with Life Changes and Transitions

Who Moved My Cheese, a bestseller by Spencer Johnson published in 1998, is a parable about the inevitability of change, the ways in which we typically deal with it, and how revising our attitude toward change can reduce stress and increase success. Like all parables, it’s told as a story that you can relate clearly to your life, and it can help you learn strategies for coping with life changes and transitions. We’ll cover the basic premise of the Who Moved My Cheese parable and discuss how its lessons might apply to your life. Learn the secrets to coping with

How You Define “Successful” Matters: Here’s Why

What is the meaning of success? Does your definition of success in life matter? How do you define “successful”? We’ll cover why how you define “successful” actually influences how successful you are in life. Learn how the world’s best athletes and CEOs define success, and why it makes them more successful than the rest of us.

Criticism of the Welfare State: It Enables “Hillbillies”

What is the criticism of the welfare state? Do people take advantage of the welfare state? Hillbilly Elegy‘s JD Vance has strong criticisms of the welfare state. Learn why he thinks it brings out the worst of the Appalachian hillbilly community in particular.

Postmodernism on Culture: Is Your Culture Destroying You?

What is postmodernism’s view on culture? How does postmodernism on culture affect the way we view history? Postmodernism on culture says that humans exist to serve culture, and not the other way around. In a sense, according to the postmodernist view, cultures are plagues of society, not entities that serve us. We’ll cover postmodernism on culture and look at other ways scholars view our relationship with culture.