Dear Dr. Hurd, My long-time friend from high school has been married for about ten years. I’m also good friends with the husband. Several weeks ago I saw her husband in a restaurant with another woman. It was obviously an … Continue reading
I write a lot about how reason trumps emotion, when the two conflict. One reader wrote me with the following question raised by a friend, a question he can’t answer: ‘If reason and intellectual focus are the tools to change … Continue reading
In an article entitled, ‘The Truth About SwedenCare,’ Klaus Bernpaintner wrote the following on 7/10/13 (see mises.org): Free universal healthcare came about [in Sweden] in the 50s as part of the Social Democratic project to create the ‘People’s Home’ (Folkhemmet). … Continue reading
You have to wonder if these politicians even hear themselves. Particularly ones who say things like Barack Obama. On Friday, in response to the George Zimmerman acquittal in the death of Trayvon Martin, Obama stated if a “white male teen” … Continue reading
One of the biggest mistakes people make in their relationships is taking things personally—things which are not personal. In cognitive psychotherapy, we call this error ‘personalizing.’ Personalizing is usually defined as: ‘Attribution of personal responsibility (or causal role or blame) … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd: How would you recommend overcoming a fear of something? What steps should you take to combat a phobia? And should you do something as extreme as what G. Gordon Liddy said he did as a youth to … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd: Your previous column [on how Obama does not own the private wealth he redistributes] reminds me of how I tried to communicate the concept of property to someone time and time again, and failed. This individual seemed … Continue reading
It’s heresy to some, but I’ve never understood the distinction between ‘civil rights’ and individual rights. The recent verdict in the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin case comes to mind. Predictably, the NAACP and others have demanded that the federal government become … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd, Regarding your article, ‘An Unexpected Way to Cope With Anger and Temper’ [Daily Dose of Reason July 14]: This seems like a dangerous way to deal with something. I can understand if you live in a prison … Continue reading
Here’s a technique for coping recently described by someone I know: ‘When you’re really upset at someone, imagine what you want to do to them. It might be something completely wrong or irrational to do in reality; but visualizing it … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd, My husband’s father recently passed away from a heart attack. He wasn’t a particularly healthy eater, but he wasn’t obese, either. Suddenly my husband has completely changed his eating habits. Everything is ‘organic’ and supposedly healthy. Frankly, … Continue reading
In a complex world, we often rely on the knowledge of others—auto mechanics, computer technicians, brain surgeons, etc. Does this mean it’s no longer possible to define self-confidence as trust in your own judgment? No. To rely on the expertise … Continue reading