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Category Archives: Psychology
Life is a Judgment Call
The bar patron asked the bartender, “Is life worth living?” The bartender replied, “It depends on the liver.”1 In other words, it’s a judgment call. Most of us crave simple patterns to explain life. We crave simple rules to guide … Continue reading
Posted in Human Relations, Life, Psychology
Tagged Driving, Duties, Judgment call, Moral judgment, Moral responsibilities, Risk, Roundabout, Traffic, Traffic accident, Traffic circle
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The Lowered Expectations Dating Service
Utopian schemes try to create a perfect society. They usually cause more suffering than they cure. It’s a bad bargain. Moreover, people seldom agree on what a perfect society would be like. No matter how good it is or in … Continue reading
You See What You Expect
Why do smart, sane, honest people sometimes disagree no matter how hard they try to find the truth? Name an issue: Abortion Feminism Immigration Islam President Trump Racism My friends and I often have stark disagreements about those issues. But … Continue reading
Posted in Human Relations, Life, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology
Tagged Ames room, Assumptions, Constructive disagreement, Disagreement, Illusion, Optical illusion, Perception
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Trick or Treat
Is it okay to “trick people” for their own good? That question comes up early in John Staddon’s book The New Behaviorism. I’ve just started reading it, and it’s a thought-provoking analysis. Behaviorism is a psychological approach that, true to … Continue reading
Posted in Human Relations, Life, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Society
Tagged B.F. Skinner, Behaviorism, Clickbait, Free Will, Freedom, Freedom of choice, John B. Watson, John Staddon, Operant conditioning, Power corrupts, Psychology, Staddon, The Fatal Conceit, Totalitarianism, Utopianism
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Some Comforting Thoughts
Life can be troubling, especially during periods of heated social conflict. Politicians and the media are no help. Most now devote themselves to fomenting hatred and division. Schools are no help. Most now devote themselves to replacing knowledge with superstition. … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Life, Psychology
Tagged Adages, Courage, Optimism, Perseverance, Serenity, Stoicism, Wisdom
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X Marks the Spot
“Latinx?” What the heck is that? I see the word a lot lately. I finally figured out why media people have started using it. A Latino is a male Hispanic. A Latina is a female Hispanic. The words look like … Continue reading
War is the Second-Worst Thing
“Give peace a chance” was what they said back in the Vietnam War era of the 1960s. And what reasonable person could argue with it? War is something to avoid — unless the alternative is even worse. Those thoughts are … Continue reading
Posted in Life, Political Science, Psychology
Tagged Courage, Martial virtues, Memorial Day, Military service, Negotiation, Patriotism, Peace, Perseverance, Persistence, Veterans, War, West Point
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What’s at Issue in the Abortion Debate
Abortion isn’t exactly a “third rail” of American politics, since people yell about it all the time. But it is a third rail of rational discussion. Many people have dogmatic beliefs about it and they react with blind rage to … Continue reading
Posted in Life, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Society
Tagged Abortion, Alabama, Autonomy, Dogmatism, Fetus, Georgia, Heartbeat law, Heresy, Infanticide, Pro-choice, Pro-life, Rational debate, Right to life, State religion
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Follow Courage and Good Sense
I’m an optimistic kind of guy. I can usually find the “half full” in any glass, no matter how empty it is. But even I get discouraged sometimes. Most often, it’s because of human irrationality. The poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow … Continue reading
The Thousand-Year View 