Remember that being someone’s friend doesn’t mean always agreeing with them. And sometimes disagreeing with them means that sometimes, while you’re respectful of their making their own choices, you’re not going to enable or participate in those choices. If a … Continue reading
Category: Daily Dose of Reason
Half a Right Is No Right
Q: What exactly goes through the minds of people who rationalize an unwritten “social contract” to justify having to pay taxes and such? It’s quite obnoxious having that same useless drivel brought up again and again whenever I get into … Continue reading
Conflict–Not So Bad?
Avoiding conflict is never a rational motive, and never leads to a “safe” choice. People lie to avoid conflict. In the process, they do damage to themselves and eventually to others they intended to protect, when the lie is exposed. … Continue reading
Stubborn
Persistence is what you exhibit when you know you’re right, why you’re right, and why you have no choice but to stand firm. Stubbornness is when you feel right, you’re not sure why, but you’re sure not going to let … Continue reading
Lies and White Lies
Q: Considering the different degrees of lying, should you dissociate yourself with someone who white lies? My thought is the leap between white lying and all out major lies is very, very small. If a person will white lie to … Continue reading
There IS a Point to Not Voting
Q: Dr. Hurd, I agree with you that the choice for President is terrible. I want greater freedom and individual rights in both the personal and economic realm, and I want a strong, principled defense against terrorism. But I’m voting … Continue reading
Race Giveth, Race Taketh Away
Racism doesn’t mean hatred of a particular race. Racism means elevating race to a higher status than it deserves. Just as Obama will no doubt have anti-black racists voting against him, he already has sizable numbers of people voting FOR … Continue reading
Earn Your Certainty
The next time you feel uncertain, don’t leap to: “Who can tell me what to do?” Instead, ask yourself, “What do I already know?” Then: “What remains unknown?” Next, focus on how to best answer the questions you don’t know–for … Continue reading
A Nation Missing in Action
America’s original leaders promised–and delivered–on creating a society in which everyone was both free and responsible for pursuing his own interests. Today’s leaders promise to provide medical care, retirement pensions and college tuition, and much more, in unlimited amounts for … Continue reading
How to Spot Confidence
Those with confidence and certainty, think and act. Those lacking confidence and certainty, denounce and manipulate. Confidence comes from the habitual use of one’s mind in a rational, sensible way. Angry, humorless moralism comes from a mind in the habit … Continue reading
Is Lying an Illness?
Is lying a mental disorder–or a choice? Lying is essentially a choice. However, it can become so ingrained and automatic that it no longer functions in the person’s mind—nor seems to outsiders—as a conscious choice. But it still started as … Continue reading
Obama’s Rules of Engagement
“You have nothing to say to us.” “You have nothing to say to us. We object. We do not agree to a relationship with you! We are not prepared to establish relations with powerful world devourers like you! The Iranian … Continue reading