The Present Indicative, 26 May 2026
My Current Mood: The More Things Change…
The platform remains free (and worth it) but in case you’re feeling philanthropic, I’ve set up a subscription page!
“Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.” Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, “The Origins of Memorial Day”
My neighbors have a flag pole. They’re diligent about when it is full mast and when it is half. It flew half mast two weeks ago. ICYMI, Massachusetts law enforcement came out in full force to attend the funeral of local state trooper, Kevin Trainor. Thirty years old. Salem High Class of 2013. Rest in peace.
Flags fly in mourning more often than not these days. I was born in 1977. 2001 is almost the midpoint of my life. There seem to be more reasons to half staff the flag after 9/11 than there were before.
But then again, perception controls reality. Could we have observed as much in a less digital age? Perhaps not. They did not teach the Tulsa Race Massacre when I went to high school, nor the Japanese American Internment during World War II. We have always found reasons to be afraid and violent and afraid and...Let me quote Heraclitus (again).
“Concerning the circumference of a circle the beginning and end are common.” DK B103
Time is a flat circle. Where have I heard that before? Last week I translated ancient philosophy into modern remedy: “For humanity, core values are our super powers.” I’ve spoken to a number of people about core values. Value satisfies need. And the only way to ensure your products and services satisfy need is to make sure your organization is built on values. Infused with values. Religious about values. Have I gone too far? Let me define the word in Latin.
religo -are = to bind back, fasten up, bind fast.
Julius Caesar used religio to mean “obligation of an oath.” We tie the term to bigger myths and Bibles, but it goes back to binding yourself to something. Something meaningful. What are you bound to?
My time in the Boy Scouts taught me to “Be Prepared.” My training in Taekwondo began with five tenets. My own values have grown within the soil of these past pursuits, refined by a Classical education and professional experience. Four are cornerstones that support the ambition of the last.
Courtesy
In Korean, showing respect and consideration for others is Ye-ui (예의). You bow to your sparring partner. Your partner also bows. You live in a world that deserves the courtesy that you deserve to receive. If you can’t give it, then how do you expect to get it?
Honesty
Taekwondo’s second tenet is integrity (Yom-chi, 염치). I choose honesty. The difference between these two words, to me, is inward vs outward. Integrity is the reliability of an individual’s actions while honesty is the candor to hold everyone accountable. Integrity is a rock, while honesty is a bridge. That bridge can collapse if anyone is dishonest, but when successful brings different groups together. Integrity stops at the boundaries of the person. Both are great. But, truth be told, I’ll hang my hat on honesty.
Perseverance
Life’s about challenges. While those challenges are relative to the individual, let me frame it with Protagoras: “Man is the measure of all things.” Measure yourself against the challenges that meet you and make you more than you were before. It’s not about winning. It’s not about losing. It’s about In-nae (인내): determination, persistence, patience, resilience.
Self-Control
I have difficulty with self-control. Why go small when big is better? There’s more. Who wants less? Self-control (Guk-gi, 극기) is not inherent to many of us: Imperial Rome, the court of Louis XVI, late-stage capitalist America. But managing our thoughts, emotions, and impulses allows us to remain calm under pressure, maintain discipline in both new scenarios and routine situations, as well as stay true to ourselves when the world goes false.
Inquisitive Spirit
Taekwondo’s fifth tenet is Indomitable Spirit (Baekjeol-bul-gul, 백절불굴), which is important in martial arts. But unwavering commitment and maximum effort are synonymous with perseverance above. Whereas for me, my destination is the journey. I build narratives. It is in my nature to learn, and I share that by being courteous to the personalities, honest with the facts, persevere to an insight, and moderate self-control to effectively deliver the story. It begins and ends with an inquisitive spirit.
In Other News…
Two weeks ago, I began repeating the weather reports of David Lynch from 2020. I explained the meaning in last week’s newsletter, but it occurred to me you might not know the artist, and how his values informed his art. So let me provide that for you.
The comedian Dana Gould pops up a couple times in my Future Indicative episode on the business of stand-up comedy, in reference and quotation. Mr Gould provides a fitting tribute to David Lynch in his own podcast, from June 2025:
At the end of the first year of the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC), the historian Thucydides records an oration by chief Athenian, Pericles, as a part of the annual public war funeral. Their Memorial Day. When praising their dead, Pericles talks of the values of those perished as a reflection of Athens. And Athens as a reflection them. He concludes:
“For where the rewards of virtue are greatest, there live the worthiest men.”
May we all live somewhere that rewards the worthiest for their virtue.
My thanks to the virtuous.
Alex Effgen