Decades ago, Ayn Rand had already answered the question of why Mitt Romney lost the election: Sensing their need of a moral base, many ‘conservatives’ decided to choose religion as their moral justification; they claim that America and capitalism are … Continue reading
I wanted to say how much I appreciate your insight and ability to package thought, reasoning, and truth into a comprehensible and intelligent delivery. There are only a handful ‘out there’ who can articulate so well what many of us … Continue reading
What does it mean to feel “emotionally safe” with someone? Usually, we think of “safety” as a physical matter. We seek or want safety from a violent criminal, or a terrorist, or perhaps someone who would steal our life’s savings. … Continue reading
Reuters reports: When it comes to power, politics trumps business, according to a new Forbes ranking on Wednesday that found heads of state occupying six of the top 10 spots among the world’s most powerful people, led by President Barack … Continue reading
I ran across a saying (author unknown) recently: “Sometimes when things are falling apart they may actually be falling into place.” In other words: Perspective matters. You cannot lie to yourself. You can’t pretend a bad thing is a good … Continue reading
Alexis de Tocqueville, writing and observing the young American republic in the early 19th Century, had a lot of interesting things to say. For example: “Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: … Continue reading
A reader emails that she has successfully reduced her cigarette intake from 22 to only 6 a day. Now she’s stuck, and asks for advice on how to end the habit altogether. Your mistake, dear Reader, was that you set … Continue reading
In their relationships, many people think they’re avoiding trouble by not fighting. They look at the absence of fighting as indication that the relationship is healthy. This is a dangerous way to approach things. The absence of fighting does not … Continue reading
Lately it has become fashionable to label people who have accomplished great things as being ‘arrogant.’ Why this is happening is best left to another column, but I suspect we wouldn’t be enjoying many of the conveniences and comforts around … Continue reading
Both sides — the hapless Republicans and the taxing Democrats — take it for granted that tax increases will help with the national debt and deficit. They differ only on specifics. Republicans call for “closing tax loopholes,” which is simply … Continue reading
Purpose is an objective requirement of happiness. If you don’t have a sense of purpose, life will start to seem pointless and unfocused. This is why retired people often get depressed. It’s not that retiring is wrong. You just have … Continue reading
Individual rights are not subject to a public vote; a majority has no right to vote away the rights of a minority; the political function of rights is precisely to protect minorities from oppression by majorities (and the smallest minority … Continue reading