Category Archives: Life

Why Common Sense Is So Uncommon

Posted on September 25, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

Why is common sense so uncommon? I’ve been reading Robert Curry’s excellent new book Reclaiming Common Sense. It got me thinking about why I and many other people often lack common sense. For example, in college I was a libertarian. … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Life, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology | Tagged Anarcho-Capitalism, Claremont Institute, Common sense, Libertarianism, Non-aggression principle, Political realism, Robert Curry, Utopianism | 2 Comments

One Way to Reduce Fake News

Posted on September 21, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

Regardless of their political views, most Americans think that “fake news” is a real problem. And it is. Often on purpose. Partisans flood the media with so much disinformation that it’s hard for anyone to know what’s happening. Even the … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Political Science, Psychology, Society | Tagged Chyrons, CNN, Disinformation, Fake news, Infotainment, Misleading, MSNBC, News Media, Propaganda, Rhetorical question, The New York Times | Leave a comment

How to Get a Healthy Society

Posted on September 18, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

In my previous blog post (“What’s Your Choice?”), I said that the main question of morality is not “what’s right or wrong” but “what kind of people we choose to be.” At first glance, that statement seems absurd, bordering on … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Life, Political Science, Society | Tagged Civil religion, Culture, Good society, Healthy society, Moral Choice, Moral reasoning, Moral relativism, Social beliefs, Social Conflict, Social harmony, Social Peace, Walter Bagehot | 3 Comments

What’s Your Choice?

Posted on September 12, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

Some people might get mad at me for saying this, but I’m against kicking puppies. I’m also against being mean to children and old people. I like democracy but I agree with Winston Churchill that “it’s the worst form of … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Life, Psychology, Society | Tagged Belief, Choice, Decline of violence, Evolutionary Psychology, Existential choice, Foundations of morality, Genetic influences on belief, Group beliefs, Moral Choice, Morality, Retributive justice, Steven Pinker, The Better Angels of Our Nature | 2 Comments

Compare and Contrast

Posted on September 5, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

“Compare and contrast.” It’s a staple of essay questions on college final exams. But be careful about applying it to life. Many people make themselves unhappy by comparing themselves to others who seem better off. They think that the other … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Life, Psychology | Tagged Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Comparing self to others, Comparisons, Optimism, Petula Clark, Positive thinking, Self-esteem, Self-Respect, Serenity, The other man's grass | 2 Comments

Facing Moral Dilemmas

Posted on August 27, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

What makes things moral or immoral? People have lots of different views about it. My own view is that what’s moral: maximizes human happiness, minimizes needless suffering, and avoids doing things that are almost universally considered wrong. But even if … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Philosophy | Tagged Back to 1989, Greatest happiness principle, Income distribution, Moral decisions, Moral dilemma, Morality, Offshoring, Trolley Problem, Utilitarianism | 4 Comments

In Defense of Taylor Swift

Posted on August 25, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who think that Glenn Miller’s 1941 song “Chattanooga Choo-Choo” absolutely rocks, and those who don’t. I think that the song absolutely rocks, which explains why I don’t know much about … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Psychology, Society | Tagged Big Band music, Gay, Glenn Miller, Leftist, LGBT, Life of Brian, Never satisfied, Party Line, Political correctness, Pop culture, Pop music, Taylor Swift, Woke | 2 Comments

Believe in the Future

Posted on August 21, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

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 | 2 Comments

Bulletproof Happiness: What You Control

Posted on August 16, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

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 | Leave a comment

What You Can Do About the World

Posted on August 7, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

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 →