Mike reminds me a little bit of the philosophers version of the "most interesting man in the world" (sorry if that old Dos Equis ad reference doesn't land). He has managed high-end restaurants, taught English, was the vice principal of a private language school, indexed books, published five novels, played in a professional rock band, visited all fifty states and more than 30 countries-- among many many other things. I was excited to talk to Mike because it is one thing to study or talk about philosophy, it is another thing to actually live it in its pure form. Mike is a philosopher through and through.

That became apparent very quickly in our conversation as he explained his value of integrity, which he defined as acting in accordance with your own standards. Mike believes most, if not all, of the problems we have in the world today are because most people either 1. don't define what their standards for living are, 2. don't act consistently in accordance with them, or 3. don't do both of those two things. That thesis opens the door to so many fascinating discussions, and Mike and I tried to get into all of them. We talked about how you figure out your standards, why it is so hard to act in accordance with them, what happens when your standards conflict with others, if the "golden rule" actually works, and lots more.

In short I think I may have found a new best friend. Mike has spent much of his time on earth searching for more understanding of himself and the world we live in. He thinks and writes about topics like murder, suicide, love, astrology, drugs, and the environment; not because they are trendy or lucrative, but because he is genuinely curious about them. This was one of the most intellectually and philosophically enjoyable conversations I've had in a while; and hopefully through all the philosophical ramblings and bromance, you guys find some insightful nuggets that might help you have a better day today than you had yesterday.