from Confronting Our Freedom (with Peter Block), 1971

“It is true, of course, that the fact of free will is vague, elusive and perhaps unclear. However, its existence, its actual presence in experience is nevertheless certain. It is as vague and as certain as anxiety, joy, a toothache and love. The action exists and manifests itself as a ubiquitous and important fact. The […]

from The New Image of the Person, Chapter 1

“Denying one’s death as an individual leads to self-deception and inauthenticity, whereas recognizing, accepting, confronting and integrating it leads to authenticity, meaning and courage.”

from Koestenbaum’s Weekly Leadership Thought, November 22, 2021

“Existential anxiety, also called authentic anxiety, is the unique aspect of human experience that reveals our truth of what it means to be human. As such, it is a healthy, normal, and desirable phenomenon, something to be cultivated and cherished, to be chosen voluntarily, and a condition that leads to strength, peace, and creativity.”

from Koestenbaum’s Weekly Leadership Thought, September 5, 2016

“In practice, to be time rather than to live in time means to find your meanings: What can you do that no one else can (such as fulfilling the expectations of a specific loyalty or relationship, or performing one specific task for which you have superior skills)? Listen to your unconscious, and ask yourself what acts of courage are […]

Notes for Peter

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