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Author Archives: N.S. Palmer
Believe in the Future
Many people dismiss faith as “believing what you know isn’t true.” But that’s wrong. At its most helpful, faith is believing what might be true: We will be alive tomorrow. The future can be good. Life has meaning and purpose. … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Life, Psychology
Tagged Belief, Believe, Confidence, Faith, Hope, Moral order, Optimism, Set an example, Trust in God, Trust in the future, William James
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Bulletproof Happiness: What You Control
You can achieve bulletproof happiness. But you need to know something first: Bulletproof vests make you look fat. In other words, there are trade offs. And you need to know something else: Bulletproof vests don’t make you invulnerable. In other … Continue reading
Posted in Life, Philosophy, Political Science, Society
Tagged Happiness, History, Serenity, Social Conflict, Social unrest, Stoicism, The Fourth Turning
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What You Can Do About the World
The world can be a scary place. It is now. As one website commenter remarked: “We wake up, have breakfast, send the kids to school, walk the dog, go to work, come home and everything seems just fine, and then … Continue reading
Posted in Human Relations, Life, Political Science, Psychology, Society
Tagged Fake news, Hateful rhetoric, Humility, Hysteria, Inflammatory rhetoric, Intellectual humility, Internet, Live and let live, News Media, Peaceful cooperation, Peaceful disagreement, Propaganda, Rational Argument, Social discord, Social Media
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Evolution and the X Factor
“Oh, God, not another argument about evolution.” That’s how I reacted — somewhat unfairly — to a video posted last week by the Hoover Institution, a conservative think tank located at Stanford University. The video is about “mathematical challenges to … Continue reading
Wise Paths to Happiness
What’s the best way to find happiness in life? In some ways, that’s a silly question. There are many ways to be happy in life. Or unhappy. But despite individual differences, most people can find happiness in similar ways. A … Continue reading
What We Are and What We Do
Would you like to join the Chess Club? It’s for people who like chess, like to talk about it, and like to play it. It’s a human group. You can be a member if you satisfy at least one of … Continue reading
Turn Strangers into Friends
How can strangers quickly become friends? Or at least avoid being enemies? On my way back from vacation, I passed through Miami International Airport. It’s an enormous place, so I spent a half hour walking from one terminal to another. … Continue reading
Posted in Human Relations, Political Science, Psychology, Society
Tagged America, Group identity, Group membership, Group solidarity, In-Group, Leadership, Out-Group, Outreach, Social groups
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Christakis’s Blueprint for Sanity
I’ve started reading Yale sociologist Nicholas Christakis’s book Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society. Christakis is something of a hero not only of free speech, but of sanity itself. His wife Erika, also on the faculty, was denounced … Continue reading
Posted in Human Relations, Political Science, Psychology, Society
Tagged Blueprint, Christakis, Mob hysteria, Nicholas Christakis, Protesters, Psychology, Yale
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When Smart People Get Stupid Ideas
If you want to hear stupid ideas, talk to a stupid person. But if you want to hear incredibly, mind-bogglingly stupid ideas, talk to a smart person. It’s not a new insight. Political pundit William F. Buckley once said that … Continue reading
Distracted
Posting will be intermittent for the next couple of weeks. A picture is worth a thousand words. Check out my book Why Sane People Believe Crazy Things: How Belief Can Help or Hurt Social Peace. Kirkus Reviews called it an … Continue reading
Posted in Judaism
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The Thousand-Year View 