Everyone knows that breaking up is hard to do. But few know how to do it right. What behaviors are rational under the difficult circumstances of a breakup? And what sort of thinking is required to make it possible to … Continue reading
Category: Daily Dose of Reason
Following a Bloodbath, Some Thoughts on Forgiveness
I don’t know about you, but I am sick of Obama, and I am sick of the Pope, talking about forgiveness for the guilty. Mass murder on school grounds? More government funding! And ban guns — for the nonviolent! Punish … Continue reading
Fix It!
Colorado Rep. Cory Gardner: ‘I’m frustrated, [and] my constituents are frustrated, because they see Washington doing the same exact thing,’ he said. ‘This was the most predictable crisis anybody could ever imagine. So, months ago we knew this was going … Continue reading
Badness and Mental Illness: Not the Same Thing
A reader asked me to comment on an article written by the mother of a would-be killer, a violent young person with no conscience whom the mother felt should be entitled to mental health services to correct his low character. … Continue reading
Faith-Based Freedom: No Such Thing
Dear Dr. Hurd: I disagree on your definition of Republicans’ religious authoritarianism. Religion is a way of life. Our belief in ethical values and our conscientiousness to do what’s right and being honest. We have concern to do what helps … Continue reading
The Mindset That Pulls the Trigger
We shouldn’t give ruthless killers undeserved dignity by asking “why” they do what they do. But the mindset behind the pulling of the trigger is not that difficult to identify. Stanton Samenow, author of the classic ‘Inside the Criminal Mind’ … Continue reading
Therapy/Life Coaching: Not Friendship
Q: Isn’t coaching by phone (or email, or online chat) a bad idea, since the therapist/coach is unable to see the facial expressions and body movements of the client? A: According to a cognitive-behavioral therapist, the basic purpose of … Continue reading
Washington DC Has Literally Gone Insane
As Margaret Thatcher once noted, sooner or later socialists run out of other people’s money. Obama and his Democratic Party deny they’re socialists. But they’re no different in principle or practice from socialists, so the label doesn’t matter. Their premise … Continue reading
Three Persisting Misconceptions About Psychotherapy
The following is an excerpt from Dr. Michael Hurd’s most recent book, “Bad Therapy Good Therapy (And How to Tell the Difference)” available on this webiste: From Oprah to Dr. Phil, from Venus to Mars and all the other self-proclaimed … Continue reading
ObamaCare Advocates Won the Battle, But Not the War
Democratic lawmakers have joined with Republicans in raising alarm about a looming ObamaCare-tied tax on medical devices, saying the additional tax is causing “uncertainty and confusion for businesses” and should be delayed. The previously obscure tax has, over the last … Continue reading
Obama’s “Recovery” is a Government Recovery
CNSnews.com reports: The unemployment rate for civilian government workers plunged from 4.2 percent in October to 3.8 percent in November, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as government added 35,000 to its taxpayer-funded payrolls during the month. In October, … Continue reading
The Moral Equivalent of Oxygen
Past or present, old-fashioned or “progressive,” most parents still agree on one thing: Teach your child not to be selfish. If you ask me, this is the single biggest mistake a parent can make. Telling a child not to be … Continue reading