It seems humans mostly agree that stealing is Not Good. The problem, like with many things, is the definition. Is it stealing if someone takes something from a deceased person? How long does something have to be left alone before it is considered abandoned? Of course the most interesting and relevant today is the idea … [Read more…]
Trust is a fundamental part of human social reality. It is a requirement for interaction to go smoothly. If you deny that free markets can include the lubricant of trust so you can promote a theory for government being necessary, where violence in favored instead of trust, you have chained yourself with a straw man … [Read more…]
Humans have lived with amounts of aggression in their lives for so long, that currently even to question the practice is seen as backward. Yet aggression can only beget more aggression. Feed a bully or a politician your monies and he’s sure to take more. And what does all this tyranny achieve? Poverty: in mind … [Read more…]
It is not like a lake or a barrel of oil. It does not run out: it is not a scarce resource. Creativity is like a small seed that can grow into a mighty tree. Nurture creativity by making novel connections between distinct things, by studying the ideas you have, by having interesting conversations with … [Read more…]
Do you realize your mind is created by a bunch of nerves in your head? Did you think that it was out of your control? The low-level operations are, but much of what we accept as inherent, such as sadness or joy, are influenced by our desire to feel them. As Aristotle said, you are … [Read more…]
Absolutely live for you. You can’t expect anyone else to do so. It also means not accepting always living for your future self. You live in the present, and that’s all you can experience. If you aren’t happy with your situation, get out of it. Don’t ditch people depending on you. But, if the relationship … [Read more…]
I listened to a TED Talk recently by Steven Johnson. So when I saw he had a NYTimes article published answering the question of whether he was a Communist, I was sure to read it. It’s fascinating. I agree the Fourth-Quadrant he recognizes needs a new term developed. I do think that it fits in … [Read more…]
The key to accomplishment is breaking down goals into smaller and smaller tasks, to the point where they are so inconsequential that putting them off is just plain lazy. This mundane and simple task can be termed a ‘halfstep’. It won’t really count for much, but it’s more than nothing. The tiny adds up. Gradualism … [Read more…]
Sadly, sometimes people seek out arguments they oppose in order to establish straw-men and knock them down. I don’t have things figured out but my experience has been that no one really has a clue about a vast number of mysteries. “Truth can only be hinted at, never known.” And so it frustrates me to … [Read more…]
Imagine you were tasked with creating a new you, but had a limited amount of space to do so. How would you opt to partition your thoughts, memories, and desires? What would you choose as the most important guiding principles? Why would you be willing to leave behind the rest?