Government does not have the power to make you happy. But it does have the power to make you unhappy. How? Mainly, by interfering with the generally harmonious and, for the most part, rational progress of human civilization that would … Continue reading
Government officials plan to stop young people from smoking, since many young people persist in thinking it’s “cool” to smoke. Forcing movie makers to rate movies “R” if any smoking appears, as well as posting anti-smoking warnings prior to a … Continue reading
Success does not primarily consist of figuring out what others want. Success doesn’t come from a compulsion to please others. Success comes from a higher than usual desire to please oneself — one’s own highest standards. In the process of … Continue reading
Worrying doesn’t work. Rational people sometimes worry because they mistakenly view it as thinking, or planning. It isn’t. Worry is indiscriminate thinking. It’s irrational thinking, thinking that leads nowhere. Thinking is profoundly important. It’s the human means of survival and … Continue reading
Q: Dr. Hurd, what do you think of voting for the Libertarian Party this year? A: I generally avoid the Libertarian Party. First of all, they have no chance of winning. They split the non Obama/Pelosi vote, and ensure the … Continue reading
Barack says that anyone who wants to build a mosque at the site of 9/11 and Ground Zero has a right to do that. We are to infer by this that he means: a Constitutional, individual property right. If this … Continue reading
Somebody recently asked me, “As a therapist, how can you be in favor of capitalism and limited government, and against the welfare state?” My reply was, and always is, as follows. I write columns, books and essays on the psychology … Continue reading
People who take something on and think, “How hard can it be?” almost always find the activity unexpectedly difficult. This is because you can’t take on something competently unless you’re motivated. If you love what you’re doing, it doesn’t seem … Continue reading
Maxine Waters, a powerful Congresswoman, is under fire for her husband’s financial gain from TARP money that went to save his bank. What’s surprising to me is why this is a surprise. When government subsidizes private industry, there’s always a … Continue reading
Reasons people don’t find a romantic partner, husband, wife, spouse, whatever? Here are several: 1) Not looking persistently enough. This means always being on the lookout, and always ‘following a lead.’ Yes, it can include dating services, but it also … Continue reading
When a Republican expands the role of government over the economy, it’s considered ill-advised and stupid (properly so). When a liberal Democrat President does the same thing in principle, only more expansive (and expensive) in scope, it’s called noble and … Continue reading
All I ask from others is their own self-interest. I want them to be rational and self-interested when they drive on the highway, so they don’t hurt me or another. I want them to pay their bills and be productive, … Continue reading