Here and Now: A Secular Understanding of Grace“In the more intimate and interior way of looking at our own existence and experience, we find that we know nothing at all except what is…3d ago3d ago
American Democracy at the Crossroads: Four Possible FuturesEarly in my career, while working for Andersen Consulting, I trained in scenario planning at the legendary Global Business Network (GBN) in…5d ago5d ago
The Only Question That Matters: Are They Fundamentally Kind?The most important quality we can look for in others is what I call fundamental kindness — a natural drive to help rather than harm, to…Oct 29Oct 29
A Conversation with Claude, the AI Assistant: On Literature, Technology, and ConnectionWhat follows is an actual transcript of a conversation between a human reader, Scott Hess, and an AI assistant, Claude, discussing Andrew…Oct 26Oct 26
Why Do People Rally Around Identity?Growing up, I remember feeling a peculiar kind of envy. I watched my Italian and Irish friends, my Armenian girlfriend and her family, the…Oct 25Oct 25
Infinite Particles: Finding Salvation One Word at a TimeRecently, I spoke with my former college roommate, now a recovered brand manager. Friends for nearly 40 years, we found ourselves lamenting…Oct 17Oct 17
Thoughts on the Writing Process: Somewhere Between Magic and Mundane“Writing is a rational process of connected thoughts and ideas, but great writing comes from a stranger place; an interface between the…Oct 12Oct 12
A Completely Reasonable Justification for My $27 Cup of CoffeeListen, I can’t argue with you: It does seem exorbitant to spend $27 on a cup of coffee.Sep 281Sep 281
The Rise and Fall of the Alternative: A Personal Cultural OdysseyMy first foray into alternative culture came with a pivotal trade: I swapped my Ted Nugent and Peter Frampton double albums for the…Sep 27Sep 27