The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are. — Joseph Campbell
Life’s Privilege (Joseph Campbell)
Category: Daily Dose of Reason
The Mayor of New York Gets Mugged by Reality
A few decades ago, there used to be a saying that a law-and-order conservative was a formerly soft-on-crime liberal — who had recently been mugged. The idea was that the tendency to not hold criminals responsible for their actions disappeared … Continue reading
“White Privilege”: Nobody Ever Defines It
I frequently hear the phrase “white privilege” bandied about as if it’s a self-evident truth. Yet nobody ever asks what it means. That, to me, seems more interesting than anything intended or implied by the phrase itself. Latest example: LET … Continue reading
Why the Elusive Political “Center” is So Elusive
“Now he [Obama] needs to talk to us. And that’s good, because when the American people elect divided government they’re not saying they don’t want anything done,” the new U.S. Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell (a Republican) said. “What they … Continue reading
What’s Love Got to Do With Romance?
In yesterday’s column, I wrote that love does not really require work — or the miserable sacrifices so many people claim. I received some interesting responses. One reader wrote: Good relationships require some self-sacrificial love. If the balance is off … Continue reading
“Good Relationships Take Constant Work”: Myth or Truth?
Is your romantic relationship or marriage, on the whole, smooth and effortless? Or is there a constant sense of walking on eggshells, and trying not to offend the other? It’s a myth that good relationships take constant work. They don’t. … Continue reading
Being “Normal” Won’t Substitute Self-Esteem
“Is this normal?” “Am I normal?” Psychotherapists hear this question all the time. The question is based upon a flawed premise and a flawed definition. Normal is not a substitute for “rational.” Normal refers to a statistical concept—essentially, to what … Continue reading
Is Grammar “Mean” and Racist?
If you think our police have problems, take a look at academia. After all, this is where our top-level leaders — presidents, governors, mayors, senators — are trained. It’s where all the trouble starts. On 11/26/13, Daily Caller.com reported: “Racial tensions are inflamed … Continue reading
The Fuel of Excellence (Confucius)
The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence. — Confucius
Obamacare’s Hangover: 40 percent Pay Cuts for Doctors/Hospitals
Obamacare relies heavily on Medicaid as a means to ensure universal coverage. Medicaid needs doctors, and to lure doctors into Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act temporarily increased reimbursement rates to doctors and hospitals — for 2013 and 2014 only. The … Continue reading
NYC Police: Act of Civil Disobedience?
Hundreds of police officers outside the Queens, N.Y. church Saturday where the funeral of Officer Rafael Ramos was being held turned their backs on Mayor Bill de Blasio as he eulogized the fallen officer who was ambushed last week along … Continue reading
The Pros and Cons of First Impressions
Changing negative first impressions is difficult. A person who forms a negative impression of another person will be less inclined to meet that person a second time because that person has been judged in a negative light. Without subsequent meetings, … Continue reading