Q: Dr. Hurd, how can I combat social anxiety? People think I’m strange and weird. I wonder if people even regard me as a human being. I feel like such an outcast! I always have. Any ideas? A: You really … Continue reading
Outcast
Category: Daily Dose of Reason
Spoiled Children
To “spoil” a child does not refer to treating the child well. To spoil someone means to create a sense of entitlement where none exists. To spoil a child means to create and maintain the impression in a child that … Continue reading
“There Ought to Be A Law…”
Nearly everyone says, about anything they deem unpleasant, “There ought to be a law!” For example: “There ought to be a law requiring people not to use their cell phones while driving.” Will the law be enforced? Does it punish … Continue reading
Just Ask
In life, ask for what you want. Don’t expect it, as if you’re entitled — unless you are entitled (i.e. you paid for it, a contract was signed). Don’t refrain from asking unless there’s a valid reason not to do so. … Continue reading
Undercutting Obama, Pelosi and the Czars
Dear Dr. Hurd, I SO agree with you about the ultimate inversion (See The Daily Dose of Reason 7/17/10). My friends, family and lots of seniors totally agree with doing “something about it” other than attending tea parties, but what?? … Continue reading
How to Not Care About What Others Think
To not care what other people think, you need an alternative. Your emotions are not enough; they’re not really an alternative at all. A strong alternative to what other people think is the notion of objectivity. Objectivity consists of what … Continue reading
“A” for Failure
A school district in Massachusetts is reportedly instituting an “honor roll for effort.” In other words, students who are seen as trying hard get on the honor roll even if their performance is mediocre or they fail. For a school … Continue reading
The “Independent Middle” Has No Ideas
“Cutting spending” — whether in a household or a government — implies value judgments and priorities. Value judgments and priorities imply ideas about what is and is not appropriate for spending. Those who say “we have to cut spending” without … Continue reading
Strike
Investor’s Business Daily, The Wall Street Journal and other publications are reporting that businesses are still making profits — perhaps in the trillions, collectively. The problem is, they’re afraid to spend. This includes spending on hiring. Their hope is that … Continue reading
Self-Respect–Remember That Concept?
Self-esteem refers to how you feel about yourself. Self-respect refers to how you treat yourself. Many talk a good game about self-esteem. Fewer actually put into practice the ideas that: “life is worthwhile, therefore I am worthwhile and my life … Continue reading
The Ultimate Inversion
“We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human … Continue reading
Is Shame Beneficial?
Shame is like static or interference in a radio, computer or television transmission. It serves no purpose. It gets in the way. Shame is not responsibility. Responsibility is adherence to reality and the willingness to hold in mind all the … Continue reading