Ridiculous yachts and private planes and big limousines won't make people enjoy life more and it sends out terrible messages to the people who work for them. It would be so much better if that money was spent in Africa - and it's about getting a balance.
I've exchanged messages and photos of an explicit nature with about six women over the last three years. For the most part these communications took place before my marriage though some have sadly took place after. To be clear I have never met any of these women or had physical relationships at any time.
The hardest thing was learning to write. I was 13 and the only writing I had done was for Social Studies. It consisted of copying passages right out of the encyclopedia.
Emotional intelligence begins to develop in the earliest years. All the small exchanges children have with their parents teachers and with each other carry emotional messages.
Jewelry and pins have been worn throughout history as symbols of power sending messages. Interestingly enough it was mostly men who wore the jewelry in various times and obviously crowns were part of signals that were being sent throughout history by people of rank.
Many smart folks seem to think that if you just get your metaphors and messages right you'll win. That if you start describing what you favor as a 'moral value' - 'affordable health care is a moral value' etc. - then you'll appeal to red-state voters.
Some of you read with me 40 years ago a portion of Aristotle's Ethics a selection of passages that describe his idea of happiness. You may not remember too well.
Laws are like sausages it is better not to see them being made.
The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.
The future is built on brains not prom court as most people can tell you after attending their high school reunion. But you'd never know it by talking to kids or listening to the messages they get from the culture and even from their schools.