Tag Archives: Open-minded

What You Don’t Know

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

“Every person you meet knows something that you don’t know.” That was one of my grandfather’s favorite adages. He died when I was quite young, so I don’t remember him well. I remember his appearance, his book-lined study, his beloved … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Life, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Society | Tagged Adages, Ancient Athens, Ancient Greece, Antigone, Brain Trust, Courage, FDR, Justice, Law, Moral Law, Open-minded, Sophocles, Wisdom | Leave a comment

Can We See Past Our Own Foundations?

Posted on October 15, 2018 by N.S. Palmer

You can’t understand anything in terms of nothing. That much is obvious. What’s less obvious is that it’s a barrier to communication and understanding. Each of us has a foundational viewpoint that biases how we see the world. It includes … Continue reading →

Posted in Epistemology, Philosophy, Political Science | Tagged Debate, Disagreement, Open-minded, Rationality, Truth | 2 Comments

What Tolerance Requires

Posted on June 19, 2016 by N.S. Palmer

My latest blog post for The Jerusalem Post: My father had a lot of favorite adages. One was: ”Smart people learn from their mistakes. Smarter people learn from other people’s mistakes.” Learning from other people’s mistakes is easier said than … Continue reading →