{"id":640,"date":"2018-08-22T16:07:11","date_gmt":"2018-08-22T23:07:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aligncenter.org\/?p=640"},"modified":"2018-09-07T22:07:26","modified_gmt":"2018-09-08T05:07:26","slug":"newsletter-34","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aligncenter.org\/newsletter-34\/","title":{"rendered":"Align Center Newsletter #34"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"\"A buddhism critic goes on a silent retreat, the disconnect on how others view your vulnerability, online dating, common sense farming and the vanilla bean are some of the best reads from the past month (the extra break was much needed). Then listen to four mini episodes from my favorite podcast asking deep questions, followed by the art, movement and music links I’m digging of late in this 34th issue of Align Center.<\/p>\n

\u25e6 selected words<\/h1>\n

A Buddhism Critic Goes on a Silent Retreat<\/a><\/h2>\n

A skeptical science writer, fresh off a critical review of the recent book “Why Buddhism is True”, succumbs to peer pressure from pro-Buddhism friends and takes part in a week-long retreat at the Dzogchen Center, an hour from New York. Open to all religious backgrounds, the contemplative center’s purpose is to “communicate the possibility and practice of such a spiritual awakening”. A light-hearted read on a life-changing experience.
\nScientific American (11min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

A Beautiful Mess – How Others View Your Vulnerability<\/a><\/h2>\n

Why is it that we so fear opening up to others, when often when we do, we’re rewarded with warmth, empathy and kindness? And how many times has your vulnerability sparked a deeper connection, giving permission for the once listener to respond by sharing their previously hidden thoughts and aspirations? Inspired in part by Bren\u00e9 Brown’s book, Daring Greatly, researchers at the University of Mannheim in Germany published a paper in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, investigating this contrast in what they call “the beautiful mess effect”.
\nThe British Psychological Society – Research Digest (3min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Modern Love in the Internet Age<\/a><\/h2>\n

Still early in this cultural experiment we call online dating, researchers have found that marriages in America between people who meet online are likely to last longer and are happier than those who met offline. A third of American marriages started online, and for those with specific requirements, it’s even more popular, with 70% of gay people in America meeting online. To some it’s a boon, but to others, the disparity in selectiveness and the greater choice results in a subset of people who will never find a match. For instance, in TanTan, a Chinese app, men swipe right on 60% of women through the app, while women only like 6% of the men. With romance bubbling down to algorithms designed by engineers and psychologists employed by the tech elite, it’s important to take a step back and see how these apps affect us.
\nThe Economist (5min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

A Call for Common Sense Farming<\/a><\/h2>\n

In a changing technological and environmental landscape, critics of our industrial food system have presented solutions designed to blow up the existing establishment. Navin Ramankutty, professor of Global Food Security and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia, argues for an evolution of the global food system through common sense practices and policies, rather than a revolution that faces extreme resistance.
\nNavin Ramankutty on Medium (4min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u25e6 listen in<\/h1>\n

On Being’s Living With the Questions<\/a><\/h2>\n

The tables are turned on the host of the deeply intelligent “On Being”, an NPR program that has, since 2001, consistently opened dialog on the most challenging questions of our times, years before the word “podcast” entered the vernacular. In these mini episodes, Krista Tippett takes four listener questions and responds in her always eloquent, candid style, managing a light yet engaged perspective on often polarizing subjects. I continuously find myself immersed in her descriptive language and in the profundity of her responses, which demand a worthy level reflection. The four episodes so far:<\/p>\n