The following is from an article by Cass Sunstein, writing in The New York Review of Books. It’s a review of “Against Autonomy: Justifying Coercive Paternalism” by Sarah Conly. This quote will give you an idea of why I rarely … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd: You recently quoted the following from Ayn Rand’s novel ‘Atlas Shrugged,’ in the pivotal conversation between Dagny and Cherryl Taggart. “It’s true. Some people do want to destroy it. And when you learn to understand their motive, … Continue reading
You will often hear the phrase, ‘What goes around, comes around.’ I like this phrase, although not for the reasons people usually give. People who like or use this phrase generally mean to imply, ‘There’s a higher being making sure … Continue reading
The new health care law, the ‘Affordable Care Act,’ is actually making it less affordable for employers to provide coverage to employees. Under the Affordable Care Act, large employers must provide health coverage to all full-time workers and their dependents … Continue reading
What’s interesting about these times is not what we debate — but the things we don’t debate. It’s not the things that are said, but the things that are seldom or never said that matter the most. We debate, for … Continue reading
We’re always hearing from politicians that the battle is ‘Wall Street vs. Main Street.’ The politicians promise to protect Main Street from Wall Street. In a fog of ignorance, it might sound appealing and it certainly generates applause. But in … Continue reading
Thanks to a reader, I recently ran across a somewhat cynical yet surprisingly astute commentary on human relationships: There’s a really good chance that the last person who got annoyed with you for seemingly no reason at all did it … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd: It would be interesting to read your thoughts on something. I’m talking about the incident that actually made AOL news, that of the waiter who refused to serve the people in the restaurant. These diners had asked … Continue reading
A university student recently asked me some questions that pertain to my profession. I’m publishing the interview here. How many years have you worked in the field? Since 1988 upon completion of my Master’s degree, when I began working in … Continue reading
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, the heir apparent to the leadership of the badly floundering Republican Party, made the following point after Obama’s State of the Union address. ‘Here’s the bottom line: Presidents in both parties have understood that what made … Continue reading
Marry only when the other person seems lovely to you. Marry when you love, not when you would sacrifice for him, or wish to possess him. When those twin evils, self-denial and possessiveness, enter a human relation, hell comes with … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd: Thank you for writing the piece on handling people who want to validate their irrational emotions. You answered it from your perspective as a therapist. What I also would like to know is what I could do … Continue reading