Wit & Wisdom with Tom Greene

Guess Who's (Not) Coming to Dinner?

According to a recent survey, we've abandoned one of the great American pastimes: entertaining. Up until 1975, 42% of Americans entertained in their home at least once a month. Today it's just 12%. What happened? Listen to find out.

Justice is not a Spectator Sport

The last public execution in the US happened over 90 years ago. Recently The Pentagon announced the live-streaming of the firing squad execution of Nadal Hassan. Later The White House stepped in and stopped the livestream. Now the country is bitterly divided between those who want to watch and those who think watching is barbaric. Listen to find out why good people generations ago decided against inviting the public to watch executions of the condemned, regardless of the severity of the crime.

Where Was the One Good Man?

A young woman at Cornell University alleges that she was sexually assaulted by seven young men. There is plenty of booze involved and even some prescription Ketamine. A lot of bad decisions were made that night. I'm not interested in adjudicating the case. I'm interested in one thing: where was the one good man?

The Frictionless Life

The Quiet Way of Wisdom

With constant ringing, pinging and noise in our daily lives we often forget that the greatest opportunity to impart wisdom is to stop talking and start listening. The wisest souls that ever lived knew this but we've often confused wisdom with words. Perhaps we got it backwards.

The Cost of Convenience

Trusting as Little As Possible in the Future

The famous quote "Carpe diem" we all translate to seize the day. But the more important part of that passage is "Carpe diem. Trusting as little as possible in tomorrow". See, back when people only lived about as long as a Labrador Retriever, it was important to seize the day. But, today, we seem to have lost sight that tomorrow is far more important than today. Listen to find out why.

The Inflation of Expectations

Have you ever noticed that you never judge what you have against what you used to have? You always judge what you have verses what everyone else seems to have. It's called the inflation of expectations. That is, our expectations seem to rise in direct correlation to how well everyone else is doing. And, suddenly, our picture perfect life doesn't seem so perfect anymore.

Why So Many Older Men are Giving Up

Men aged 75 and over have the highest suicide rate in the US. It's not just retirement. It's a loss of identity and purpose. But, you can help. Learn the warning signs and phrases and how you can help. Might just save a life.

The "Silver" Split

Meaning, Structure and Belonging

What if I had a secret formula that almost guaranteed that your children and grandchildren would get better grades, avoid drugs and pre-marital sex and prevent anxiety and depression. Wouldn't you want to know about it? Listen to find out.

The Quiet Disappearance of Conversation

We are all communicating more. A lot more. But all this communication and technology is killing something off. We are speaking fewer words per day than ever. In fact, between 2005 and 2019 we lost 3,000 words....every day. And, it's only getting worse. Convenience has a habit of quietly replacing things we never intended to lose.

What Do You Want to Want?

We all know what we want: more money, better sex and six pack abs. But, it's much more instructive to understand "what you want to want". Because sometimes we simultaneously desire and reject the exact same thing.

The Paradox of Progress

Would you believe me if I told you that the happiest young adults were in places like Tanzania, Nigeria and other remote parts of Africa? It's true. And the rest of the kids on earth are struggling in clinically significant ways. You'll have to listen to find out why those kids in Africa have it all figured out.

The Road Not Taken

Most regret doesn’t come from making the wrong decision. It comes from simply making a decision.

Everything I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

From chocolate milk and classroom memories to the simple lessons of kindness, wonder, and slowing down, this heartfelt reflection explores why the values we learned as children may be the ones we need most today.

The Quiet Surrender

Our birth rates are crashing all across the planet. And, at the same time, several companies are mass producing robots. So, how do these two things collide? Listen to find out.

What if the American Revolution Never Happened?

As we celebrate our 250th anniversary as a country it's a good time to question what our lives would be like in the US if the revolution had never happened.

We Suffer More in Imagination Than in Reality

Most of the things we worry about never come to pass. Or if they do, they're never as bad as we think.

The Anatomy of Slow Moving Disasters

I'm not gonna lie, there are enough things going on right now in the world to make me question if I was born in the final chapter of the human race. But, then I'm reminded of Adam's Law of Slow Moving Disasters. It's saved us from certain demise hundreds of times. Tune if to find out why you worry too much....and I do too.