About Me
I grew up in one of those families that always seemed to be discussing the things you should not discuss at Thanksgiving dinner (politics, religion etc). Ever since I was young I was immersed in ideas about the world and having been in public, private, evangelical, catholic and even home schools I have for most of my life come into interaction and discussion with people from various backgrounds. So from a young age I have been passionate about ideas because it became very apparent that more than anything else, it is ideas that shape our world. This blog and its related forums and channels are a continuation of that exploration and passion. With that said, I am a man with many passions and I embrace the notion that life is first and foremost to be lived, not just thought about.
I grew up in a Latter Day Saint (aka Mormon) home. My childhood was immersed in playing football, baseball basketball, boxing, hunting, fishing, trapping and riding horses as I grew up 10 miles down a dirt road outside of Sparks, Nevada. I grew up a country kid, the son of a Plumber and a stay at home Mom who taught me and my 7 siblings to value faith, work, education and our country. They wanted us to go out and make an impact on the world and they led by example. My Dad, a blue collar worker who never went to college is one of the most well read men I have ever met and now serves as a State Senator in the Nevada State Senate. My mother, who grew up in a trailer park also had love for public service. So after raising her 8 children and sending them all to college she used her sharp mind, talent and charisma to be elected to the Nevada State Assembly.
I served a 2 year mission for my Church in Argentina where I became deeply committed to my faith and fell in love with the people, the country and became (and still am) fluent in Spanish. I attended both BYU and BYU-Hawaii, eventually graduating from the latter with a degree in Operations/Supply Chain Management. While in college (after a storybook Hawaiian romance including every island adventure we could think of) I married my college sweetheart Erica and we now have 4 beautiful children that are the love of our lives. Shortly after our marriage I partnered with another recent BYUH grad and after much effort our company (Rental Advisor) now manages hundreds of vacation homes from Hawaii to Florida. Our team has grown to over 30 employees and we continue to expand.
My passion first and foremost is my family and my faith but I am a man of many passions. I love sailing, surfing, hunting, travel, sports and just about anything that take me on an adventure. Ultimately this blog is a place for another of my many passions. My passion for the exploration of the world of ideas. I would love your feedback and for you to join in this exploration with me. Feel free to join my discussion forum to get on our email list. I also do accept guest posts if you feel so inclined. You can reach me at hansenj6@gmail.com
Why Southpaw?
So I love boxing and I happen to be a left-handed boxer (southpaw). A southpaw is a fighter who at opponents from a different angle and my hope is that I can hit issues from angles people have not considered. In addition, not all ideas are compatible. So there is bound to be a conflict of ideas. In boxing having a good sparring partner is key. The idea is that by engaging with others you test your ideas. The intend (like with sparring) is not to make it personal. My philosophy is to be hard on ideas but soft on people. I love to find good sparring partners. People who don't think like me and are capable (like a good sparring partner in boxing) to really test my ideas but also someone with the emotional maturity to (after the match) shake hands, remain friends and appreciate a good battle of ideas. So while I may attack your ideas, and you might attack mine, just remember... some of my best friends are people who think very differently than me, and thats a good thing.
