Are you an idiot or a maniac? I know, that's a strange way to start a blog post. But, in all seriousness, it's an interesting dichotomy that shows the ethical continuum that we all use when making decisions and then passing judgment on others for theirs. Let's take a look at this through the lens of two famous stand-up jokes from popular
Read MoreReligion is a difficult subject because of how it is tied to deeply held beliefs of the individual. Additionally, most people who analyze it are either making a case one way or another or are providing some sort of critique. (Note: I found this out the hard way for when I wrote that God was a great source of belief when someone doesn’t believe in...
Read MoreCritical thinking is an invaluable tool for testing information and determining what might be true as you make a decision or take an action in the real world. For example, you might be looking for a toaster on the internet and see one that is highly rated. Critical thinking would prompt you to ask yourself, “Is this really the best toaster, or is...
Read MoreHumans are a social species. As such, they are naturally drawn to human interaction. Small talk, for example, is the ultimate example of picking inconsequential topics to discuss to begin conversations and develop relationships with others. As people get to know each other, they can then move into more sensitive or in-depth topics with a greater...
Read MoreMany people think that their emotional state is almost exclusively due to the reality that they are experiencing. After all, basic biology and psychology teach the classic “stimulus-response” model in living organisms where a change in the environment will trigger a response in the affected creature. This is mostly true, as life forms that did no...
Read MoreYou're in a heated argument. You have your list of facts and principles, and so does your adversary. Who wins? Clearly, you believe that you do almost every time. Of course, your adversary thinks that he or she has won almost every time as well. So who's right? Well, it turns out that most people in arguments have already drawn conclusions an...
Read MoreAs most people familiar with the Personal Growth space of a bookstore know, eliminating negative or limiting beliefs is a central focus of helping people feel and live better. Most of those limiting beliefs come from two places: Now, most of those are about you, which is the focus of most self-help. If you believe that you can't succeed at doing...
Read MoreDisagreements can be tough. On one hand, you believe that you are right about your conclusions based on the information you have and the reasoning and ethics you are using to draw those conclusions. On the other hand, the other person believes the exact same thing. The reality is that you have different perspectives, information, and ethics, so...
Read MoreAt some point, all living things die. Why does it have to be that way? Well, it depends on whether you’re asking that question scientifically or metaphysically. Let's take a look at why lifespans are limited from a scientific perspective and then derive some positive meanings that one could find in that fact from a "meaning of life, the universe...
Read MorePeople recommend that you should always be honest with and true to yourself. When referring to being the person you want to be and doing what you want to do with your life, this is important advice. However, there is a hidden interpretation that many people make from this that "honest" means being "real"--i.e., being realistic. Hence, the idea o...
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