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Author Archives: N.S. Palmer
How Captain Marvel Got Mary-Sued
How did blonde Hollywood actress Brie Larson end up getting cast as Captain Marvel? And why do so many movie fans seem to hate her? I hold no brief for or against Ms. Larson. I don’t know her. I’ve never … Continue reading
Posted in Society
Tagged 1941, Actresses, Captain Marvel, Heroes, Movie serials, Movies, Popular culture, Virtues
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The Day After the Fire
Yesterday, of course, my apartment building caught fire. When I posted a photo of the fire, there was no way for me to know how the situation would turn out. The good news: nobody was killed or seriously injured. Most … Continue reading
Priorities, Priorities
Priorities, priorities. I am fine. I am sitting in my car in the carport across from my apartment building. The roof caught on fire for reasons that are yet to be determined. The fire department got here with four firetrucks, … Continue reading
Why “My Truth” Isn’t “The Truth”
Why is “my truth” not “the truth”? My friend Rachel Fulton Brown will on Sunday at 2pm EST participate in a webinar titled “Dialogue with Dignity: Across Liberal-Conservative Divides.” The goal is admirable: people with different viewpoints will engage in … Continue reading
Posted in Psychology
Tagged My truth, Postmodernism, Private experience, Realism, Solipsism, Subjectivism, Truth
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Normies Don’t Care About Ideology
Politically-aware people of all stripes often think about how to talk to “normies:” that is, normal people who don’t pay much attention to politics or other social issues. Normies don’t read The New York Times or Breitbart. They don’t spend … Continue reading
Posted in Life, Psychology, Society
Tagged Civic virtue, Families, Healthy society, Ideology, Morality, Normal people
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A Visit with Esther and Joe
Did you ever wish you could thank some people from your past who helped you when you needed it? For me, two of those people were Esther and Joe. They owned a little “mom and pop” grocery store around the … Continue reading
Posted in Life, Psychology
Tagged Dreams, Family, Gratitude, Happiness, Judaism, Kindness, Moral Choice, Parenting, Psychology
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Utopia’s Biggest Problem
Blogger Marcus Ampe has written a thoughtful essay about utopianism. But he’s realistic about the impossibility of creating a perfect society. He wants, instead, to think about ways we can make society better. That’s a practical goal for which we … Continue reading
Posted in Philosophy, Political Science, Society
Tagged Goals, Happiness, History, Humility, Morality, Philosophy, Social Change, Social harmony, Social Peace, Tolerance, Utopianism
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Self-Esteem Versus Self-Respect
“Self-esteem” means feeling good about ourselves. And it’s nice to feel good about ourselves. It’s a cheap and easy pleasure. But it’s better if we have reasons to feel good about ourselves. That’s an important difference between self-esteem and self-respect. American President … Continue reading
Posted in Life, Psychology
Tagged Abraham Lincoln, Achievement, Self-esteem, Self-Respect, Wisdom, Work ethic
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Things to Know and See
In the famous words of Emil Faber, “knowledge is good.” That’s because it helps us to live successfully and happily. It’s no guarantee. And it’s not always what we want to hear. But in general, it’s better to know the truth … Continue reading
America Will Be (More) Authoritarian
History is full of surprises, but this prediction is a pretty safe bet: In the next 10 years, America will become even more authoritarian. It probably won’t be called “America,” though that change might take a little longer. The continent … Continue reading
Posted in Political Science, Society
Tagged Anarcho-Tyranny, Anarchy, Authoritarian, Authority, Civic virtue, Edmund Burke, Nationalism, Order, Rule of law, Shared culture, Terrorism, Tolerance
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The Thousand-Year View 