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Tag Archives: Rationality
The Basic Truths Are The Same
My mentor Brand Blanshard, a philosophy professor at Yale, said that “the basic truths of life are the same for every honest mind, whether atheist or devotee.” My grandfather, a Methodist minister, said that “Every person you meet knows something … Continue reading
Posted in Life, Philosophy
Tagged Blanshard, Freedom, Meaning of life, Rationality, Serenity, Tolerance, Truth, Wisdom
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Humility and Tolerance Go Together
Name an issue: Immigration. Abortion. Free speech. Lockdowns. Riots. Race relations. Many people are absolutely sure that they know what the problems and solutions are. If you don’t agree with them, then they think you must be ignorant, stupid, or … Continue reading
Posted in Human Relations, Life
Tagged Arrogance, Benjamin Franklin, Humility, Intellectual humility, Intolerance, Rational disagreement, Rationality, Tolerance, Wisdom
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A Moment from the Middle Ages
Let’s consider a moment from the Middle Ages. Of course, people in the Middle Ages didn’t think they were living in “the Middle Ages.” That term was invented during the Renaissance to denote the era between Late Antiquity (after the … Continue reading
Posted in Psychology
Tagged Courage, COVID-19, Fear, Freedom, History, Propaganda, Psychology, Rationality, SARS-CoV-2
2 Comments
Don’t Be Misled by Biased News
Note: With a presidential election coming up, the news media are full of misleading headlines, biased reporting, and less often, outright lies. Here’s how to avoid some of the most common traps. (Originally posted on my other blog in 2018.) … Continue reading
Wise Paths to Happiness
What’s the best way to find happiness in life? In some ways, that’s a silly question. There are many ways to be happy in life. Or unhappy. But despite individual differences, most people can find happiness in similar ways. A … Continue reading
Don’t Mistake Hate for Logic
We’ve probably all made the error of mistaking hate for logic. Of course, we didn’t realize it at the time. But that’s what we were doing. Yesterday’s blog post got me thinking about the problem. On my “Top 10” list … Continue reading
Posted in Epistemology, Human Relations, Life, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology
Tagged Affirming the consequent, Belisarius, Bias, Byzantine Empire, Empress Theodora, Hate, Hatred, History, Justinian, Logic, Logical fallacies, Loyalty, Modus Ponens, Ostrogorsky, Rationality, Reason, Social Conflict, Syllogism
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Advantages of Getting Older
I got some reading glasses today. However, they’re not actually for reading. I can do that fine except with paperback Hebrew dictionaries, whose print is almost microscopic. I gave up on those a long time ago, and got a magnifying … Continue reading
Posted in Life, Psychology, Society
Tagged Aging, Millennials, Older, Optimism, Positive thinking, Presbyopia, Rationality, Reading glasses, Skepticism, Tolerance
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You’re Responsible for You
When you’re a small child, you feel that everything is about you. Your parents often encourage that delusion. They try to create a bubble where your needs are satisfied, your feelings are considered, and your safety is ensured. It’s a … Continue reading
Posted in Human Relations, Life, Psychology
Tagged Acceptance, Courage, Humility, Mental Health, Rationality, Realism, Self-Respect
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Remain Calm, Even If All Isn’t Well
It’s easy to remain calm when everything is going well. But it’s more important to remain calm when everything isn’t going so well. One way I’m lucky is that I have friends and family members who disagree with me about … Continue reading
Respect the Other Person
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
The Thousand-Year View 