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It is not at all uncommon for those of us in the west to take something for granted. We are all guilty of this on occasion.
One of the things we take for granted is cheap and reliable energy. Let's leave California out of the discussion.
One of the key necessities for lifting people out of poverty is the availability of cheap and reliable energy. Every other necessity will prove insufficient if this type of energy is not available.
One of the greatest gifts we can provide underdeveloped...
The second worst type of censorship is self-censorship. It comes about because a person becomes fearful of what might happen to them if they express themselves honestly. Especially if they hold views different than those of the narrative preferred by the overlords and their imbecilic minions.
The worst type of censorship by far however, is assassination. Simply eliminate the person espousing viewpoints you disagree with, consider wrong and perhaps even dangerous.
Both of these are on full...
You and I are not free in the physical world. It is impossible that we should be so. Instead we are forced to choose from limited options all the time. In other words, we are constrained.
The place where we are free is in the metaphysical realm.
By this I mean that we are free to decide what type of person we will become, and bear 100% of the responsibility for who we do become. It will not do to blame others, our circumstances or any other element of our past.
Common sense is understood to mean a practical type of wisdom which enables a person to make prudent decisions and to solve problems successfully.
It is referred to as common because, at least once upon a time, it was the good sense commonly held by almost everyone.
I don't suppose I am the first person to wonder whether or not common sense is all that common anymore.
It is generally believed that altruism and egoism are incompatible and in opposition to one another.
I don't believe that is the case at all.
Both are required for healthy well-being.
No one but the narcistic are concerned only about themselves, and no one is concerned exclusively about others.
Each has its role to play in the life of a well-rounded individual.
Unique: being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else.
I'm currently writing a book about human nature. In the book I'm focused on the things we all have in common.
I am purposefully not addressing the things which make each of us unique.
It strikes me as amazing how many variations there are in mankind worldwide. No two of us are the same.
Probably few topics are under discussion these days as frequently as that of AI.
I wrote about some pros and cons of AI and its usage in another post.
Here I simply wish to call attention to the contrast between artificial (fake) and authentic (genuine).
One of the hallmarks of a quality person is their authenticity or genuineness.
A person of this type may exaggerate occasionally or modify their account of something slightly now then but, for the most part they represent themselves and their...
Transparency when it comes to relationships indicates the desire and practice of being open and honest.
It is a commitment to honesty, even when doing so is uncomfortable or unprofitable.
it is the refusal to pretend in our encounters with our fellow human beings.
The concept of trust leans heavily upon transparency.
I have written here before about 'affective polarization' and the dehumanization to which it generally leads. Here I'm taking up a related but distinct topic, that of 'devaluation'.
My attention was brought to the topic by an article I read in which an explanation was offered for why most of the mass shooters have been white males, and the majority also quite young.
The author cited the trend to devalue young white men. I have noticed that trend for some time myself.
This is not the only...
One of the marks of our time is the effort to depict heroes, and producers as abusers and predators and victims (another category witnessing a massive amount of descriptive creep) as the new champions, and the ones to be honored.
Let me make it clear right here that I believe that persons who have been clearly and objectively victimized deserve our sympathy and help as needed.
It is not this group that I have in mind here. Instead, I am referring to the increasing number of people, many of whom...
There is probably no topic more on people's mind in the west than that of censorship.
There are good reasons for this. Today we are seeing a resurgence and proliferation of efforts to throttle free speech and open dialogue in the marketplace of ideas.
Whether it is the effort to interfere with communication between people in Brazil and people in the US, or the EU's push to coerce Social Media platforms to do their bidding and remove any speech which does not adhere to the leftist policies of...
There is hypothesis referred to as the 'Contagion Effect' which suggests that media's in depth coverage of violent events may in fact encourage copycats to emulate the perpetrators of the violence.
I think there is a way in which news outlets can cover such events but refrain from sharing such details as might encourage such copycatting.
Those who lack facts or a convincing argument are the ones who attempt to justify their resort to violence.
It is no coincidence that these people, almost exclusively occupy one side of the political spectrum.
This is a result of allowing emotions to trump reason.
Focus is all about clarity. When we say that something is coming into focus, we are essentially saying that it is becoming clearer.
Focus and clarity are important elements of any human endeavor. Without them things appear unclear and uncertain thus making decision-making difficult and the results often hazardous.
It has been said that he who aims at nothing usually hits it.
Also, it is difficult if not impossible to hit a target we cannot see clearly. That is the purpose of visualization and...
Apathy is a lack of interest, enthusiasm or concern for some object. The object may be a person, an activity, an event or any number of other things. A listlessness and sense of satisfaction, referred to as ennui often is the result'
I was recently reminded of an observation I came across some time back. 'Many who long for immortality don't know what to do with a rainy afternoon.'
I think it is of the utmost importance that we overcome apathy by discovering something meaningful and worthwhile...
Probably no attitude is more essential to mental and emotional well-being than that of gratitude. A practice of focusing on the man reasons we have to be grateful rather than on the things we don't have or can't achieve is a soothing balm.
If one makes it a practice, as I have, albeit somewhat irregularly, to begin and end the day by mentally listing those people, circumstances and things for which one is grateful, they will be well on their way to contentment and the happiness it affords.
How...
It has been claimed that nothing is more important for achieving success than perseverance. Talent without perseverance is no guarantee of success. There are millions of talented failures around the world. Not even genius will succeed without perseverance.
A former fiancé once gave me a notebook which had a picture attached to the cover. It was a depiction of a large bird swallowing a frog while the frog was choking the bird by the throat. The caption read, 'Never, Ever, Ever Give Up'. That...
Almost every division observable in society is in the end the result of differing appraisals of human nature. Thomas Sowell eloquently and insightfully called attention to this fact is his excellent book entitled 'A Conflict of Visions'.
Early in the book he explains that people fall into one of two very different visions of human nature.
On the one side are those who believe that man is perfectible through education and social programs. These are the Utopian folks who are convinced that we can...
I wrote in another post about 'concept creep' where terms outgrow their original meaning.
There is another type of creep which is both observable and important to understand. That is the concept of 'control creep'.
What I mean by this is the inevitable expansion of governmental control over the population under its charge.
When this nation was in its infancy the government interfered very little in the day to day affairs of men. Today the government has spread like a creeping vine into every...