Q: Dr. Hurd, Do you think all morality is subjective or personal? Or do you think there is objective right and wrong? A: The only thing I really understand to be truly immoral is evasion—that is, refusing to acknowledge as … Continue reading
Category: Ethics
A Comment on Self-Centeredness
A self-centered person is not guilty of too much concern with self. We all are, or at least should be, the most important thing in our lives. Get real. Is a stranger more important to you than yourself? Of course … Continue reading
Give Intolerance a Chance
I once heard of a lady who left her husband after thirty years of marriage. She was tired of his nasty attitude and controlling behavior. When he realized she was serious about leaving, he told her, “You won’t be able … Continue reading
Greatness and Excellence
It isn’t necessary or possible to be great at everything. In fact, you cheapen the concepts “greatness” or “excellence” by expecting them as the rule rather than the exception, in yourself or others. Greatness and excellence are, by definition, the … Continue reading
What is Loyalty?
Honestly speaking, it’s not a person you’re loyal to — it’s your value system. When a person represents something important to you, then you’re loyal to that person because of who he or she is. In this sense, loyalty is … Continue reading
The Individualist Work Ethic
Work is not a duty so much as a responsibility we all have to ourselves IN ORDER TO BE HAPPY. The traditional work ethic tells us to work for others, or for God, or for society. Religionists and socialists see … Continue reading
Good, Bad and Indifferent
In any conflict between good and bad, you ought to of course pick the good. In any conflict between bad and bad, you ought not to pick either. Instead, you ought to root for their mutual destruction. All of this … Continue reading
Converting Believers
Q: I’m an atheist and my family are all true believers. How can I convince them not to believe in God. A: If someone else believes in God and you don’t, you can’t convince them there is no God. This … Continue reading
You Aren’t Always What You Think
Just because you don’t like to think of yourself as exhibiting a certain characteristic doesn’t mean you aren’t. Being objective about yourself means being honest. It means being willing to consider that a particular action or attitude of yours conflicts … Continue reading
Driving Over the Bridge of Life
When you drive over a bridge, you don’t say, “Oh, I hope the engineers were not too rigid in their approach to building the bridge correctly. That would be ideological, and extreme.” When you cook or eat a meal you … Continue reading
Who Are You Angry At?
I blame a lot of anger management problems on supernaturalism. Yes, you read that right. Supernaturalism refers to any variation of the belief that reality has a will and consciousness of its own. All of religion is based on this … Continue reading
Achievement and Power
Achievement does not mean unfair power over other people. It’s simply proof of the power the achiever already has, over his own mind and actions. If someone exercises power improperly, they’re not achieving anything — and all they’re displaying is intimidation.