Like many things in life, extreme or absolute thinking can be detrimental. One more recent example is the idea of inclusion—everyone should feel included. Now, this idea comes from a well-meaning place, as before groups of people were excluded for the arbitrary reason of their race, sex, or country of origin. However, there is a trade-off to...
Read MoreThere is a popular debate* on social media these days between morale absolutism and moral relativism. The idea is that you either believe there is such a thing as objective morality or if you think it’s relative to a culture. There’s the extreme example of people saying, “Hitler thought he was doing good,” to point out the fact that morals are...
Read MoreThere is something that humans call “reality”—when referring to that, people usually are referring to: The great news is that you have a lot of control over these three things. You can change your mindset and instantly feel better or behave differently in your life. You can move to a place you like better and with people, customs, etc. that match...
Read MoreI know this is a hot topic, but I’m going to address this as objectively as possible (meaning that I’ll, as I often do, write a post that pleases no one). We all have our personal beliefs about the world, people, the universe, and what happens before and after we die. There are many mysteries about reality that we will likely never be able to...
Read MoreDo you have a bad habit that you wish you could kick? Maybe you smoke, drink, eat, gamble, or self-gratify too much? What is causing that, and what can you do about it? Before explaining the causes and what you can do, I have to preface this post with the fact that there are dozens and dozens of techniques to eliminate bad habits. Professionals...
Read MoreCivilized society is an interesting concept. Social animals thrive by cooperating with each other for everyone’s benefit. Foundational ethical behaviors include not harming each other, protecting each other, and helping each other. Then, there are social norms, such as wearing clothing, saying, “Hello,” to people you know when you see them, and...
Read MoreIt’s the most famous ethic in all of human history and the one that guides good decision making when interacting with others in most situations: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Also known as the Golden Rule, it is a moral foundation for interacting with other
Read MoreI went to the gym about a month and a half ago and forgot my key card to scan in. For years, I have simply walked up to the counter, smiled, scanned my card, and walked into the locker room to put my back in a locker. One of the ladies at the counter said, “It’s okay, you can go in.” A month and a half later, I am waving and saying, “Hello,”...
Read MoreA big question on the internet—especially between the religious and atheist communities—is where morality comes from. The debate stems from the fact that the former think that you need religion/God to have morality and the latter think it comes from not wanting to hurt people. But, from my research for the book, The Meaning of Life: A guide to...
Read MorePerforming an unethical act for others’ benefit does not make it right. However, this is a difficult ethical conundrum because it is the ultimate “ends justify the means” argument when you’re doing something wrong because someone needs it. This is the “would you steal a loaf of bread to feed your family” kind of situation that most people would...
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