I recently encountered a psychologist who said, in essence, “People are doing the best they can; and they’re getting something out of what they’re doing.” He maintained, and he’s right, that psychologists and therapists especially should keep this in mind. … Continue reading
Category: Daily Dose of Reason
It’s the Spending, Stupid
Politicians like Mitt Romney and Barack Obama insist that there should be middle class tax cuts. Obama goes further and insists that these tax cuts be paid for by “the rich” (those making over $250,000 a year, his definition). The … Continue reading
The Power You Don’t Know You Have
If you want to have more success, stop caring about what others think. And stop feeling that you’re obliged to do anything for another, aside from a responsibility you freely took on. These two errors undercut people more than any … Continue reading
President Newt or President Mitt?
Gingrich or Romney? Which is better, from a pro-freedom, limited government and individual rights point-of-view? The question relies upon a false premise. The false premise is that either one of these men even claims to be in favor of limited … Continue reading
Thinking in Absolutes: Healthier Than You Realize (Part 3 of 3)
Back to the case of Henry Judd Gray. Let’s assume that Mencken’s assessment of Gray was correct, that he failed to rationally distinguish ‘sin from sin.’ What would then be the rational way out of his psychological predicament? It would … Continue reading
Thinking in Absolutes: Healthier Than You Realize (Part 2 of 3)
Mencken writes: ‘What is the chief mark of such a good man? That he cannot differentiate rationally between sin and sin—that a gnat gags him as badly as a camel. So with poor Gray. His initial peccadillo shocked him so … Continue reading
Thinking in Absolutes: Healthier Than You Realize (Part 1 of 3)
According to the principles of cognitive therapy, black-and-white thinking is a major cause of emotional problems such as depression and anxiety. Also known as all-or-nothing thinking, many cognitive therapists define it as seeing things in black-or-white categories. If a situation … Continue reading
The Food Police and “Occupy Wall St.” Are Similar
The First Lady shrieks about American obesity every chance she gets. (Maybe she should get her husband to quit smoking first.) Some child and nutritional advocates are pushing for legislation to require fast food chain restaurants with at least 20 … Continue reading
ObamaCare: The “Final Solution” for the Enslavement of Medicine
A DrHurd.com reader writes: Sometime in 2012, the Supreme Court will have an opportunity to strike down the corrupt and unconstitutional ObamaCare law. Will they? There’s no way of knowing. In theory, the 5-4 conservative majority should strike it down. … Continue reading
The Game of Government Monopoly Has Got to End
When it comes to health care and education, conservatives like Newt Gingrich and socialist liberals are really on the same page. Yes, the conservatives want parents of school-aged children to have “choice.” But the federal education system is, by definition, … Continue reading
Honk if You Love Communism
Occupy Wall Street protestors scream about “unfair advantages.” They claim it’s unfair for some people to make a profit, while others do not. Everybody should be equal, regardless of effort, ability or anything else. Yet Occupy Wall Street, as a … Continue reading
Therapists Who Lie to Their Clients and The Clients Who Pay Them
I recently heard of an attack on cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy which I’ve heard before, although not recently. The reminder inspired me to write this column. First, to readers unfamiliar, let me remind you of what cognitive-behavioral therapy is. It’s the method … Continue reading