Q: What do you advise people who want to quit smoking? I successfully reduced the number of cigarettes from 22 to 6 a day, but now I am stuck and I can’t get any further. I would welcome your advice. … Continue reading
Category: Daily Dose of Reason
“Gotcha!”
Q: Dr. Hurd, can you please explain the psychology of “gotcha”? By this I mean the type of person who’s always ready to point out something you did wrong, or may have done wrong. I see it in the newspapers, … Continue reading
Governed by Those Who Don’t Know What They’re Governing
Obama says that the government can eliminate “burdensome” rules, but America’s businesses must recognize the “good” that regulations do. What is the standard of “good” here? Good to whom, and why? If regulations are good for businesses and customers, then … Continue reading
The Psychology of Snobbery
There are two ways to be an achiever. One type of achiever is trying to impress others; the other is simply trying to achieve. The second type gets more done. Why? Because his focus is exclusively on getting the job … Continue reading
Business Owners Are People Too
Fox News reports: “Government has a responsibility to make the U.S. the best place in the world to do business, but companies have a responsibility to invest in the nation’s future by keeping jobs here, hiring American workers and paying … Continue reading
Self-Determination, Obama Style
Barack Obama says that it’s up to the Egyptian people to decide what form of government they want. But what if the Egyptian people wanted a Hitler? Or apartheid, the racist government that once controlled South Africa? Is something right … Continue reading
The Root of Liberty
People write in and ask me: “How can it be liberating to identify your contradictions? It’s painful!” In all honesty, this is the same as asking: “Why is it better to face reality? I’d rather live outside of reality, because … Continue reading
Michelle Obama: Individualist?
Michelle Obama stunned many of her supporters when she recently said, “Charlotte [NC] is a city marked by its southern charm, warm hospitality, and an ‘up by the bootstraps’ mentality that has propelled the city forward as one of the … Continue reading
Noncontradictory Identification: The Key to Mental Health
My field is psychology, but I owe a debt of gratitude to the field of philosophy. My two favorite philosophers are Aristotle (from early Greece) and Ayn Rand (from the 20th Century.) These two philosophers taught me that the underlying … Continue reading
ObamaCare: Gone Today, Here Tomorrow
In another blow to ObamaCare, U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson has declared the new socialized medicine law null and void. Good news? Not really. As with so many decisions that come out of our courts, the government giveth — and … Continue reading
How You Know What You Think You Know
Two unfortunate, and undesirable, qualities in many human’s natures are: arrogance and naivet Let’s get this straight: Arrogance is not self-confidence. Arrogance is a form of pseudo-confidence. It comes from belief in one’s mind — not as a reasoning, thinking … Continue reading
Liberty Is More Than Overthrowing a Tyrant
Many reports coming out of Egypt suggest the battle is not one for Islamic fundamentalist rule — so often the case in the Middle East — but rather one in favor of “liberty” and freedom from the rule of a … Continue reading