Tag Archives: Wisdom

Roll the Dice

Posted on November 5, 2024 by N.S. Palmer

Common wisdom gives us a lot of contradictory advice. There’s: And there’s: But I think the best advice comes from the Bible: “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Life, Philosophy, Psychology | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

We Are All Pythagoreans Now

Posted on October 31, 2024 by N.S. Palmer

“We are all Keynesians now.”— U.S. President Richard M. Nixon, 1971 If you took geometry in school, then you probably know the Pythagorean theorem: “in a right triangle, the square of the longest side equals the sum of the squares … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Human Relations, Life, Philosophy, Psychology, Science | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Publication Day for Why Sane People Believe Crazy Things!

Posted on October 29, 2024 by N.S. Palmer

Today is publication day for the second edition of my book Why Sane People Believe Crazy Things: How Belief Can Help or Hurt Social Peace! The new edition adds a chapter about the foundations of morality, as well as various … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Human Relations, Life, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Science | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wisdom to Face Life’s Challenges

Posted on October 25, 2024 by N.S. Palmer

Stoicism is the belief that we should try to be serene and rational. It seems totally alien to our hyper-emotional culture, where people can get rich by crying and complaining without actually doing anything worthwhile. A crucial part of stoicism … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Philosophy, Psychology, Society | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Always To Be Blessed

Posted on September 10, 2021 by N.S. Palmer

It’s seldom that a two-line passage from a poem can explain so much that’s wrong with the world. But Alexander Pope’s Essay on Man (1732) has just such a passage: “Hope springs eternal in the human breast, Man never is, … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Political Science, Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Basic Truths Are The Same

Posted on August 8, 2021 by N.S. Palmer

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 , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Be a Winner in 2021

Posted on December 31, 2020 by N.S. Palmer

Life is like a game of chess. I was going to say “life is like a box of chocolates,” but apparently someone else has used that already. In high school and college, I played a lot of chess. A chess … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Psychology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Minding Our Own Business

Posted on December 16, 2020 by N.S. Palmer

I’m pretty sure that the Dalai Lama quote is fake, but it’s still true. “Not my effing problem” can be a path not only to inner peace, but also to social peace. Think for a moment about what it means … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Life, Political Science | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

If You Have Courage

Posted on December 4, 2020 by N.S. Palmer

Rudyard Kipling was a Nobel prize-winning British writer. He is best known today for writing The Jungle Book. His poem “If” has been a source of strength and inspiration to many people around the world. I can’t improve on it, … Continue reading →

Posted in Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Read, and Use Common Sense

Posted on December 2, 2020 by N.S. Palmer

“Neither a borrower nor a lender be: For loan oft loses both itself and friend; And borrowing dulleth the edge of husbandry.”      — “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare One of the greatest crimes of contemporary schooling is that it keeps … Continue reading →

Posted in Life | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment