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Category Archives: Life
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
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
3 Comments
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
2 Comments
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
In Defense of Misguided People
Misguided people are all around us. Of course, which people we call misguided depends on how misguided we are, ourselves. So I want to say a few words in defense of misguided people. They might not know the facts I … Continue reading
Posted in Human Relations, Life, Philosophy, Psychology
Tagged Charity, Division of labor, Forgiveness, Honesty, Human motivation, Humility, Knowledge, Limits of knowledge
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Why People Are Not Things
Is it ever justified to treat people unequally? Before you try to answer, notice something about the question: It’s not a factual question. It doesn’t ask what is, but what ought to be. We might include facts in our answer, but … Continue reading
Memorial Day 2020
This is a beautiful video celebrating Memorial Day. I’m proud to be an American. I’m grateful to those who founded our country and fought for it. May it always endure.
Posted in Life
Tagged America, American ideals, Constitution, Decoration Day, Freedom, Memorial Day, Patriotism, Rule of law, United States
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Free Yourself and Live
“You have at least nine months. Perhaps as much as eighteen.” “The first doctor gave me from one to two years.” “I hope he’s right. What are you going to do?” “Well, I have no family. I haven’t taken a … Continue reading
Posted in Life, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Science, Society
Tagged COVID-19, Fear, Freedom, Golden Age of Radio, Golden Age of Television, Lockdown, Overcoming fear, SARS-CoV-2
7 Comments
How to Beat the Social-Isolation Blues
Are you discouraged? Depressed? Fearful? Confused? Unmotivated? Then I’ve got a cure for you. It’s guaranteed. It costs nothing. And it will pay dividends for the rest of your life. You need to know three things. The first two are … Continue reading
Posted in Life, Science
Tagged Evolutionary Psychology, Faith, Hope, Neuroscience, Optimism, Positive attitude, Psychology, Wisdom
3 Comments