The principles of responsible driving are the same principles as those required for living your everyday life — or at least they should be. In this 8-minute commentary, Dr. Hurd explores the prevailing theories of psychological/moral development and shows where … Continue reading
Category: Daily Dose of Reason
How to Prevent Spoiled Rotten Kids in an Age of Plenty
Many parents report having problems with their grown kids. More often than ever before, I hear of grown children moving in with their parents, not for specified reasons or defined periods of time (e.g., to attend graduate school), but because … Continue reading
Whatever Happened to Feminism?
Brandeis University has announced reversal of its decision to award an honorary degree to Ayaan Hirsi Ali, following complaints from faculty, an online petition, and pressure from the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Hirsi Ali is a Somali-born American (formerly Dutch) … Continue reading
Look Out … It’s the Obamacare Police!
When Congress was passing the Obamacare law in 2010, some members of Congress suggested observers ignore the ugliness of the legislative “sausage-making” process in favor of the final result. But it turns out that enforcement of this law may prove … Continue reading
The Reasonable Side of “Road Rage”
We hear a lot about “road rage.” What we generally hear is that it’s something that overpowers you, something you cannot control, something that some external agent must “treat” to rid you of. That’s part of what I mean by … Continue reading
Why Labor Laws are Anti-Labor
As President Obama ordered new changes for federal contractor compensation practices in a bid to boost transparency surrounding women’s pay, his top spokesman defended the pay disparities that still exist between men and women working at the White House. The … Continue reading
Dealing With an Angry Person
The following is an excerpt from “How to Deal With Difficult People and Difficult Situations” available in the DrHurd.com Shop: Here are the kinds of things the angry person says: You just don’t get it, do you? What’s wrong with … Continue reading
“Persuasion” by Intimidation? Forget It
In response to my recent article on how alcoholism is not a disease, it’s less interesting to learn that some people disagree than with how they disagree. When somebody disagrees with me, I try to identify where they find the … Continue reading
The Myth of Criminal Mental Illness
There’s a prevalent fiction that mental health treatment can be “forced” on unwilling participants and, in the process, eradicate or diminish irrationality — including homicidal intentions — within a person, even without that person’s consent. Whenever there’s a shooting, as … Continue reading
Remember Me (Ben Franklin)
If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do things worth writing. — Ben Franklin
Fort Hood: The Sequel
There’s little to say about the second Fort Hood massacre that wasn’t said about the first. A mad man decided to take his issues first out on other people, then on himself. Mental health professionals and other excuse-mongers will say … Continue reading
Beware of the Faulty Retirement
Dear Dr. Hurd, My wife and I retired to a nice, waterfront area about a year ago. In a nutshell, I’m just not very happy. It doesn’t have to do with anything specific; I love my wife, we adore our … Continue reading