Hi. Welcome to my website! My name is Randy M. Herring. I am an author, educator, and independent scholar in fitness, philosophy, and religious thought. I hold an M.A. in Philosophy and a B.A. in Religious Studies, with additional study in Exercise Science. I have taught philosophy, ethical theory, and logic at colleges and universities in Eastern Washington. My interests include ethics, existentialism, and ideological systems.

In addition, I bring nearly fifty years of experience in bodybuilding and fitness training, grounding my philosophical reflections in lived embodiment. I have lived and worked in Japan and traveled extensively in Israel and Palestine.

I am the author of three books: The Fitness Mindset: 7 Habits for Peak Performance to Get Strong, Lean, and Fit (2021); Reflections on Growth: An Existential Journey (2025); and Idols of the Mind: How Systems Shape Our Thoughts, Beliefs, and Behaviors, Book 1: Systems of Science (2026).

The Pursuit of Happiness: Living the Best Possible Life is my current writing project. After its completion, I will resume Book 2: Systems of Ideology, the second book in the seven-book Idols of the Mind series and complete it before moving on to Fitness After Cancer.

My work takes a humanistic approach to exploring the many forces that shape the human condition. A three-time cancer survivor, I offer insights into human flourishing, resilience, and the fragile beauty of life.

I write books on personal development through the lens of fitness, philosophy, and ideologies. My work challenges readers to strengthen both body and mind by pursuing growth through self-reflection, excellence of character, and continually seeking new experiences that expand human potential.

Forthcoming work on Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics (2026). Click the Image to read the Preface.

I explore the psychological and philosophical barriers that limit personal development, encouraging people to question inherited beliefs, societal expectations, and conventional narratives about history, civilization, and human progress. My writing examines humanity’s place within both Earth’s ancient past and the larger cosmos, reflecting on existential risk, mortality, and the fragility of civilization as catalysts for living with greater awareness and purpose.

At its core, my philosophy is life-affirming: do not merely exist—live deliberately. Reject passive conformity and the idea that growth ends with age or “retirement.” Instead, embrace continual self-development, intellectual awakening, creativity, physical vitality, and lifelong re-engagement with living life.