I want to know people I can respect, and I want to know people with whom I agree. Ultimately, the first matters more to me than the second. If I agree with people but cannot respect them — then who cares? … Continue reading
Category: Daily Dose of Reason
The Futility of Nagging
Nagging comes from anxiety. It’s based on a false belief that repetition will create motivation. It never does. In fact, it lowers respect for the one who nags. Nagging reveals weakness. It’s a way of confessing, “I have failed to … Continue reading
Tax Collectors for the Welfare State
Colin Powell has blasted the Republican Party for failing to be more like Democrats. He says that Americans want more government, not less. “Americans do want to pay taxes for services,” he said. “Americans are looking for more government in … Continue reading
There Are No Mysteries
There is a good mental technique called ‘demystifying.’ The starting premise is: ‘There are no mysteries. There ARE unknowns, but the unknown can become knowable. The method is to break it down and figure out how.’ Demystifying lowers anxiety because … Continue reading
Shut Up and Think
In marital relationship problems, the most overlooked area of communication is listening. Most people assume listening is for the sake of the other partner. “Yeah, yeah, I should listen–for his [or her] sake.” That’s not it! Although your partner may … Continue reading
Probably Not the “Empathy” Obama Has in Mind
I agree with the President that we need a Supreme Court justice with “empathy.” I’d like this justice to have empathy for the individual over the brutality, insensitivity and bureaucracy of the state. I’d like this justice to have empathy … Continue reading
I Hate the Rich–Rich Socialists, That Is
It has been said that liberals and socialists with a lot of money who hate capitalism are simply self-loathing. This is undoubtedly true, in many cases. My message to such people — speaking on behalf of those of us who … Continue reading
Self-Responsible Means Self Interested
Before you say, “I don’t have the time,” make sure to answer the question, “Do I MAKE the time?” You can “make time” in different ways. The most overlooked way is to CUT something you currently do in favor of … Continue reading
What Makes a Friend Supportive
Being a supportive friend doesn’t mean always agreeing with your friend. It means supporting that his mind reached a certain conclusion — or decision — and you respect him for it. You support a friend by respecting his mind, his … Continue reading
Parental Claims
No parent may say to the child, once grown, in effect: ‘I sacrificed for you; therefore you owe me.’ A sacrifice means giving up a greater good for a lesser good. If your mother or father means to imply this, … Continue reading
A Major Root Cause of Depression
A lot of the reason people underachieve — or even get depressed — is because of a false belief that there’s “something better.” Sometimes this false belief is in an afterlife. Only the most fervent believers can buy into this … Continue reading
Living Life
You can best predict a person’s behavior by behavior displayed in the past. Keep the focus on behavior — not words. This is because very few people have strong integrity. By “strong integrity” I mean when a person’s words and … Continue reading