Author Archives: N.S. Palmer

About N.S. Palmer

N.S. Palmer is an American mathematician.

Don’t Live Thoughtlessly

Posted on February 19, 2021 by N.S. Palmer

The American philosopher John Dewey argued that for most people, most of the time, thinking is a last resort. They only think when a problem or obstacle blocks their path. And he wasn’t wrong. Most of the time, we live … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Political Science, Psychology, Society | Tagged Conformity, Cruelty, Customs, Groupthink, Herd behavior, Independent thought | Leave a comment

Beware of “Exceptions” to Freedom

Posted on January 30, 2021 by N.S. Palmer

Yale University historian Timothy Snyder wrote a short book called On Tyranny that’s quite good. Each of its 20 chapters explains a way to preserve freedom and civilized society in the face of attacks by tyrannical government. The book came … Continue reading →

Posted in Political Science, Psychology | Tagged America, American ideals, Community, Courage, COVID-19, Emergency powers, Freedom, Lockdowns, Patriotism, Tyranny | 3 Comments

For The Chinese, Context Is Everything

Posted on January 23, 2021 by N.S. Palmer

It ain’t much, but it’s the first story I’ve written in Chinese. I’d wanted to write about Chinese political philosophy, but I found that my vocabulary was too limited to do it. Surprisingly, some Chinese ideas about governmental legitimacy are … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Psychology | Tagged China, Chinese, Culture, Diplomacy, Language learning, Languages, Mandarin | 3 Comments

Character Is Destiny — For Nations, Too

Posted on January 14, 2021 by N.S. Palmer

China is our geopolitical adversary, but the ancient Chinese philosopher Mencius had some advice that might help us in these difficult times. He said: “Only after a person has demeaned himself will others demean him. Only after a great family … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Political Science | Tagged America, Anarcho-Tyranny, Anarchy, George Washington, Mencius, Rules of Civility, Self-Respect | Leave a comment

Kathy Shaidle, R.I.P.

Posted on January 11, 2021 by N.S. Palmer

Blogger Kathy Shaidle died yesterday, but she lived long enough to write her own obituary. It’s a classic of class. R.I.P., Kathy. I hope to meet you someday (but not too soon): “Kathy Shaidle 1964 – 2021 Following a tedious … Continue reading →

Posted in Life | Tagged Blogger, Courage, Faith, Humor, Kathy Shaidle, obituary, Smart women | Leave a comment

Don’t “Other” Other People

Posted on January 10, 2021 by N.S. Palmer

Most people aren’t familiar with the idea of “othering,” but they are familiar with what it is. They’ve seen it. They’ve done it to other people, and they’ve had it done to them. To “other” a group of people is … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Life, Political Science, Psychology, Science | Tagged Evolution, Group bias, In-Group, Kin Selection, Othering, Out-Group, Partisanship, Social Conflict | 1 Comment

Be a Winner in 2021

Posted on December 31, 2020 by N.S. Palmer

Life is like a game of chess. I was going to say “life is like a box of chocolates,” but apparently someone else has used that already. In high school and college, I played a lot of chess. A chess … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Psychology | Tagged Carpe diem, Courage, Life, Losing, Meaning of life, Personality, Psychology, Risk, Winning, Wisdom | 2 Comments

The Christmas Conundrum

Posted on December 24, 2020 by N.S. Palmer

(The photo shows the Japanese pop music group E-girls, which disbanded in 2020 but reunited for a Christmas farewell video.) At Christmas, it’s natural to think of Jesus, whose life and example inspired the Christian faith. Christians believe that in … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Judaism | Tagged Christianity, Christmas, Duty, Hillel, Jesus, Judaism, Morality, Negative duty, Particularism, Positive duty, The Golden Rule, The Sermon on the Mount, Universalism | Leave a comment

Minding Our Own Business

Posted on December 16, 2020 by N.S. Palmer

I’m pretty sure that the Dalai Lama quote is fake, but it’s still true. “Not my effing problem” can be a path not only to inner peace, but also to social peace. Think for a moment about what it means … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Life, Political Science | Tagged Arrogance, Humility, Liberty, Life, Respect, Respect for others, Social Conflict, Wisdom | Leave a comment

Hope and History

Posted on December 12, 2020 by N.S. Palmer

A review of Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story, by Wilfred M. McClay Originally published on May 25, 2019 here. What is the purpose of history? Is it merely a record of facts—of dates and kings, … Continue reading →