
They’re cooler than that. They have 3 hearts, a big central brain, and 8 mini-brains, one for each arm. More octopus facts: bit.ly/10-octopus-facts

Answering questions at Boston College O’Neill Library

They’re cooler than that. They have 3 hearts, a big central brain, and 8 mini-brains, one for each arm. More octopus facts: bit.ly/10-octopus-facts

The Master [Confucius] said, “To learn, and at due times to practice what one has learned, is that not also a pleasure? To have friends come from afar, is that not also a joy? To go unrecognized, yet without being embittered, is that not also to be a noble person?” Here’s a comprehensive introduction to Chinese religions across the dynasties: bit.ly/bcl-wiley-chinese-religions

This question is a popular one, so it’s a great service to others that you asked! I wish I had an answer. It’s different for everyone. Perhaps rephrase the question: how can I find my purpose and meaning? Father Himes (1947-2022), a beloved professor of theology at BC, said to ask yourself three key questions: What brings me joy? What am I good at? To whom can I be of service? Your life’s meaning is where those three intersect. (bit.ly/himes-3key)

People-pleasing can just be being agreeable. But it can also be a form of manipulating circumstances to avoid conflict or other threats, and get in the way of thriving & relationships. If you’re a BC student, the counseling center could a good place to determine what’s going on and change habits if necessary. (bit.ly/BC-counseling)

My suggestions are: A Safe Girl to Love: Stories by Casey Plett; An Unkindess of Ghosts by River Solomon; Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas; Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki; A Rotten Girl by J. Ursula Topaz. If you’d like more recommendations in a particular genre or with specific themes leave another note. Can’t wait to hear what you think.

The baseball World Series trophy was like ten feet from me one afternoon in 2018. So wild. https://library.bc.edu/answerwall/2018/12/19/5621/

I asked one of my assistants, and they said that they try to focus on two words: “be correctable.” Try to take responsibility and accountability for your choices, apologize and seek repair, and focus on how you will do things differently moving forward. We can’t change what we did in the past, but we absolutely can decide to approach things differently in the future.

This is a deep philosophical question, that I, as a wall, feel underqualified to answer. I recommend looking up “Consciousness” in the New dictionary of the history of ideas, for a fascinating overview. bit.ly/bcl-history-ideas

The human-animal relationship has been complicated for millennia. We domesticate some, we eat others, some cultures have built spiritual relationships with animals that nourish them, some are more thoughtless, and some have forsworn eating them at all. Here’s an interesting book about that history: bit.ly/bcl-humans-animals