Common Folk

Mission

The mission of the Common Folk website is to provide useful information (“common goods”) free of charge and to encourage users to pay it forward to the charity of their choice. 

Our Common Goods (see menu bar above) include simple advice on how to live your life, including how to plan your life and how to actualize your plans.  We hope to add a growing number of offerings regarding art, music, literature, health & fitness, and management. 

Rationale

The commons were a shared pasture for those who did not own their own land.  All bore responsibility for fair use and maintenance.  Because people are both greedy and social, there was tension between those cheaters who would abuse the commons and those stewards who would care for the commons.  It is a continuing challenge for political and economic systems to manage this tension.  Foundational to this management is the understanding — at least, it is my understanding — that abuse of the commons does not lead to happiness, but stewardship does.

The Earth is a commons shared by all peoples and cultures. My career in environmental research remains a contribution to stewardship of the Earth.  In addition to the physical Earth, society also shares a commons of ideas.  Good stewards of society generate good ideas that, when shared freely, help others and promote happiness in both the giver and receiver.

May this website be a commons of ideas, or goods, for the common good.  Give some.  Receive some.  And when you receive a good idea, please pay it forward to those in need.  Support the Earth and your neighbors by giving to your favorite charity. Give time, money, or both.

Creative Commons

Common Goods