The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads: A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The whole basis for outlawing guns, … Continue reading
Category: Daily Dose of Reason
The Fallacy of Emotional “Fragility”
Dear Dr. Hurd: I found your web site after searching for answers as to why a man I had been dating internalized a comment I made about myself, then fell apart and ended our relationship. The day before he told … Continue reading
Why Violence and Terror are Part of America’s New Normal
Why? Why? Why? The violence keeps coming, and it doesn’t become any less tragic. The Boston bombing is the latest example. What’s tiresome is the same question over and over again: Why? It’s really not all that difficult to answer. … Continue reading
Are Depression and Self-Pity the Same Thing?
A reader asks: Is there a difference between self-pity and depression? Yes, but … I’m uneasy with the premise of the question. I’ll explain. Let’s first define self-pity. Generally, when a person accuses oneself or another of self-pity, it’s an … Continue reading
Happy Taxation Day!
“No taxation without representation.’ According to Wikipedia, it’s a slogan originating during the 1750s and 1760s that summarized a primary grievance of the British colonists in the Thirteen Colonies, which was one of the major causes of the American Revolution. … Continue reading
How Irrational Fear of Error Leads to Bigger Ones
Here’s a new phrase for you: anticipatory regret. It sounds a bit abstract, but it’s a very real problem inhibiting a fair number of people. The (usually subconscious) reasoning goes like this: “I could make a course correction in this … Continue reading
The Only Case for Self-Awareness You’ll Ever Need
When people reject the need for introspection as a ‘waste of time,’ they’re denying objective reality. The objective reality at stake is their consciousness. Consciousness consists of thoughts and feelings. Thoughts and feelings—including ones outside of awareness—are mental events. This … Continue reading
What’s Love Got to Do With It?
It’s drummed into our heads that true friendship and true love are selfless. Nobody attempts to practice this principle consistently. It would be ridiculous. Choosing a friend (or romantic partner) selflessly? Choosing a friend precisely because he shares none of … Continue reading
When Spouses (and Others) Don’t Listen …
You hear it all the time, at least if you’re in a profession such as mine—where people hire you for answers, objective perspective, advice or feedback. One spouse or family member says the following about another: ‘When I tell him … Continue reading
Thatcher: The Lady Who Was Not For Turning
Most politicians aren’t worth the private wealth they confiscate. Let’s be honest: They’re parasites, not producers; they take away from the private wealth and psychological stamina of the population, rather than add anything to it. This wasn’t always true, but … Continue reading
The Problem With Humility
‘Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.’ So says the New Testament of the Bible—the basis for the dominant Christian ethics of our society, and for much of the Western world. I don’t understand … Continue reading
America’s “New Normal”
Obama promised to bring ‘change’ to America. Actually, his policies of taxation, government borrowing/spending, and wealth redistribution/regulation are merely an extension of what the government has been doing for decades. We keep doing the same thing over and over again, … Continue reading