I hear your wish, EEE, not that things were ever really all that harmonious here, but something has changed. I've long thought that texts, email, and yes, message boards, just aren't conducive to properly sharing opinions, much less arriving at a shared sense of the world. Not that I want this board to go away, Dan! I just think we'd be much more likely to respectfully share our views, and respond in kind to others, in a face-to-face setting. 

Back to your question, what brings us inspiration? I have to echo pretty much what you served up, save for the bit about your despicable brother-in-law. Each day, I try to learn something new. It could be Marcus Aurelius, or a letter to the editor from the Economist, or a podcast, or perhaps an old Monty Python sketch, or a conversation with a new acquaintance. Intertwined with the learning is the doing something to improve the world (my teaching, my donations to charity, or perhaps being a sympathetic ear to someone who simply needs to be heard). I can do better. I will do better.

And perhaps here, on the DBIS, we can all do better and hesitate before hitting the Post Message button. Are we really being our best self with this post? Are we positively adding to the conversation? Would our grandparents approve of this? Would our 2034 self be able to nod approvingly when reading the 10 year history at the bottom of the page? 

Peter T.