Category Archives: Psychology

You Have Been Deceived

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

You have been deceived. There’s no shame in that. You might even take it as an indirect compliment. Fake psychics love to have scientists “test” their powers because scientists are easy to fool. Scientists work with observable facts, so they … Continue reading →

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Powers and Abilities Far Beyond

Posted on August 8, 2020 by N.S. Palmer

“Strange visitor from another planet, who came to earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men.” — Voiceover from the 1950s “Superman” television show I’m going to tell you two stories. The first is known to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Life, Psychology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Priorities, Priorities

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

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 →

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Why “My Truth” Isn’t “The Truth”

Posted on July 30, 2020 by N.S. Palmer

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 →

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Normies Don’t Care About Ideology

Posted on July 28, 2020 by N.S. Palmer

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 →

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A Visit with Esther and Joe

Posted on July 25, 2020 by N.S. Palmer

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 , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Self-Esteem Versus Self-Respect

Posted on July 19, 2020 by N.S. Palmer

“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 →

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Things to Know and See

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

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 →

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Intimidation Is Not Argument

Posted on July 3, 2020 by N.S. Palmer

One aspect of civilized behavior is that we try to settle disputes by rational argument, not by violence and coercion. Sadly, many people don’t know how to make a rational argument. Their first choice is to use the “argumentum ad … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

You Broke It, You Bought It

Posted on July 1, 2020 by N.S. Palmer

“You broke it, you bought it.” It’s called the Pottery Barn Rule. If you you pick up a piece of store merchandise and you break it, then you have to pay for it. What’s left of it, anyway. It’s not … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology, Society | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments