If self-interest (rationally and objectively defined) is healthy and virtuous (as this column regularly claims), then what can we say about the person who lies, cheats, or otherwise exploits others via fraud and/or coercion? Such a person is at war … Continue reading
I hear horror stories all the time about bad experiences with service providers. I find it hard to believe that there can be so many tradespeople out there who are rude and/or routinely do shoddy work. And, sure enough, when … Continue reading
Sometimes, when children act up or adults become emotionally distraught, the question arises: Are they just doing it for attention? I would say yes, this is often true. But the issue isn’t ‘attention’ so much as visibility. People have an … Continue reading
The U.S. Senate has passed its first budget in four years. This in itself is a pathetic commentary on the inability and unwillingness of our government to do even its minimal, Constitutionally mandated duties. The budget, while not binding as … Continue reading
[U]nderlying the gun control struggle is a fundamental division in our nation. The intensity of passion on this issue suggests to me that we are experiencing a sort of low-grade war going on between two alternative views of what America … Continue reading
Most people assume that problems in the Middle East — such as Iran, and Israel — are about religion and oil. Actually, the main issue involves freedom and individual rights. No nation on earth, at present, consistently upholds individual rights. … Continue reading
A few months back, the owner of a popular specialty store in my town got into a little conflict with the owner of a neighboring store. The neighboring storeowner initiated the conflict with a rude and abusive phone call, rife … Continue reading
Across the country, there are movements afoot to outlaw the death penalty. My former home state of Maryland recently ended the death penalty, and my current home state of Delaware is likely to follow suit. What troubles me the most … Continue reading
It’s no secret that marital counseling and couples therapy often fail. Even with a skilled therapist, two factors usually stand in the way of success: First, the partners usually wait until one or both have decided it’s too late. It’s … Continue reading
I received an email from a reader regarding a recent column where I wrote that a fear of success could be a fear of being ‘found out’ as a fraud — whether you earned the success or not. The writer … Continue reading
Q: I am working towards going to medical school, and as part of that process need to take some college classes as prerequisites for med school. I am a 6-year military veteran and therefore qualify for the GI Bill, which … Continue reading
Q: How can I approach someone about their beer drinking without having them go on the defensive and possibly turning their back on me? I feel it is increasing because he lives alone and at present is not working regularly … Continue reading