Category Archives: Society

Understanding Control and Perspective

Posted on November 7, 2018 by N.S. Palmer

It helps a lot if we understand two principles: control and perspective. First, there are some things we can control and other things we can’t control. When we get upset, it’s often because we mistake one kind of thing for … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Psychology, Society | Tagged Mindfulness, Perspective, Positive attitude, Reframing, Serenity, Stoicism | Leave a comment

The Way to Go

Posted on November 2, 2018 by N.S. Palmer

“To every man there openeth A Way, and Ways, and a Way. And the High Soul climbs the High way, And the Low Soul gropes the Low, And in between, on the misty flats, The rest drift to and fro. … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Judaism, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Society | Tagged Concepts, Generalization, Justice, Number, Poetry, Us versus Them, Wisdom | Leave a comment

Job and Culture

Posted on November 1, 2018 by N.S. Palmer

In yesterday’s blog post, I referred to “automatic pilot.” And as often happens when I write, I wondered if I needed to explain what it was. Any readers who didn’t understand “automatic pilot” would have missed my point. Suppose that … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Judaism, Political Science, Society | Tagged Book of Job, Communication, Community, Cooperation, Culture, Diversity, Heritage, Social Conflict, Trust | 1 Comment

Get Help from Your Automatic Pilot

Posted on October 31, 2018 by N.S. Palmer

We spend a lot of our lives on automatic pilot. We act out of habit, without thinking about what we’re doing. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. If we had to think our way through everything we did, we couldn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Human Relations, Judaism, Psychology, Society | Tagged Bible Study, Habit, Learning, Observance, Practice, Prayer, Religion, Skill, Virtue | Leave a comment

The Trouble with Politics

Posted on October 29, 2018 by N.S. Palmer

Americans disagree about a lot. But there’s one point on which we are unanimous: Our politicians are awful. Let’s be honest: Except in the haze of partisan fervor, can anyone truly believe that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were the … Continue reading →

Posted in Political Science, Psychology, Society | Tagged Followers, Hierarchy, Partisanship, Politics, Power, Primate societies, Propaganda | 2 Comments

Oh Say, Kin You See?

Posted on October 25, 2018 by N.S. Palmer

Football player Colin Kaepernick refused to stand during the American national anthem. And people on all sides of the political spectrum went nuts. Why? The most obvious reason is that they either endorse or dispute his complaint: “I am not … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Political Science, Psychology, Society | Tagged American Flag, Evolution, In-Group, Kaepernick, Kin Selection, National Anthem, Psychology, Tribal behavior, Tribe | Leave a comment

Achievable Good Is Better Than Impossible Perfect

Posted on October 20, 2018 by N.S. Palmer

You’ve probably heard the joke about why a ham sandwich is better than eternal happiness: Nothing is better than eternal happiness. And a ham sandwich is better than nothing. A ham sandwich isn’t perfect, but it’s better than having no … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Political Science, Society | Tagged Achievable goals, Ideology, Perfection, Social realism, Utopia, Utopianism, Voltaire | Leave a comment

Detoxifying Social Media

Posted on October 18, 2018 by N.S. Palmer

Social media started as an enjoyable way to chat with people who shared our interests. But it soon developed a dark side. It started to generate hostility and hysteria. Crazed mobs started to harass and threaten people who made social … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Philosophy, Political Science, Society | Tagged Facebook, Mass communication, News Media, Social Conflict, Social Media, Twitter | 2 Comments

Respect the Other Person

Posted on October 17, 2018 by N.S. Palmer

When you disagree with someone, how can you keep the argument focused on the issues? You don’t want to get sidetracked, and you especially don’t want the discussion to turn into a screaming match. The previous blog post (“How to … Continue reading →