Tag Archives: Social Conflict
Grokking Our Disagreements
I finally got around to reading Robert Heinlein’s science fiction novel Starship Troopers. When I was growing up, I read two or three science fiction novels a week. How I missed Starship Troopers, I don’t know. And one of my … 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
How To Be Crazy — Constructively
A while back, I wrote about “How Not To Be Crazy.” And if you must choose between being totally crazy and being totally sane, it’s better to be sane. But let’s face it: total sanity is kind of a barren … Continue reading
I Did Something Stupid Today
I did something stupid today. I got mad at my phone. And that’s a big part of what’s wrong with the world. Not the fact that I got mad. I’m obviously not that powerful. And thank goodness that I’m not: … Continue reading
Don’t Be Seduced By Hate
We’re all a mixture of good and bad impulses. That’s not new. Alexander Pope observed in 1734: “Virtuous and vicious every man must be, Few in the extreme, but all in the degree, The rogue and fool by fits is … Continue reading
Help Wanted: Wise Leaders
I won’t be watching the State of the Union address on television tonight. It’s nothing against Trump, who will tell us about all the YUUUUGE things he’s accomplished. Nor against Pelosi, who will be sitting there stone-faced with her minions. … Continue reading
Can You Feel the Love?
Can you feel the love? It’s kind of a cliché, sometimes said as a joke. But it points to a real problem. For any society to survive, its people need to cooperate. That requires at least a minimum level of … Continue reading
Job and Culture
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
Detoxifying Social Media
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