When I was a kid, I often worried that my lifespan would not include any epic or cool events. Life punished me for that thought. I’m rewarded with a front-row seat to the collapse of one of the most powerful empires in history. Unfortunately, this also means that much of what I do is doomed [...]
Posts Tagged ‘individualism’
Rules for being a soulless modern person
Rules for Being a Modern Person 1. Something else is always to blame. Good targets: gods, systems of government, other demographics that oppress you. 2. It’s all about you. 3. You must have something to contribute on every topic, and it must be ironic, unusual or a unique combination or you’re not really that interesting. [...]
Repeat after me: individualism is good
They found that places where individualism is valued over the collective good also tend to be places where a lot of beer is consumed. The researchers also found they could take a group of college students and manipulate those individualist-versus-collectivist impulses a bit, which in turn influenced how thirsty those students were for beer. “Previous [...]
Lowest common denominator, path of least resistance
“Prostitution causes deep psychological harm,” says Melissa Farley, Ph.D., a research and clinical psychologist and founder and executive director of the nonprofit group Prostitution Research and Education in San Francisco. “The words that are said to these women on the job, the names they are called by their [customers] and pimps hurt them emotionally. They [...]
This man speaks the truth: the truth is unpleasant and therefore unpopular
On internet forums, you have one change to summarize your beliefs and worldview and tag every opinion you post with it. It’s called your signature file, and they’re generally 250 characters or less to make a synopsis of everything you believe in. One gent used this: “The truth is unpleasant and therefore unpopular.” BWBK The [...]
Our emotions led us to a false paradise
As I drive to work every day in my fully paid for 2002 CRV with 110,000 miles, I have plenty of time to observe my surroundings. Sitting in traffic on the Schuylkill Expressway, I have noticed that the number of luxury Mercedes, BMW, Cadillac and Lexus vehicles seems out of proportion to the number of [...]
Infantilism and domestication
If you adopt an animal after he or she has spent some time in the wild, the animal will be mostly what a domesticated one is, but will lack the constant sense of being aware of consequences to the feelings of others. A wilder animal is more likely to scratch, or break things, or crap [...]
Dealing with the irrational voter…errr… patient
Half of all American doctors responding to a nationwide survey say they regularly prescribe placebos to patients. The results trouble medical ethicists, who say more research is needed to determine whether doctors must deceive patients in order for placebos to work. The study involved 679 internists and rheumatologists chosen randomly from a national list of [...]
The new flat earth: equality Is Magical
Referring to columnist Thomas L. Friedman’s contention that a globalized society flattens economic and cultural differences, Fink said: “Parents are very aware that their children will be living in a flat world. So the more experiences they have with children who are different than them, the better.” MSNBC Just like when people thought the earth [...]
High Gas Prices = The End of Plastic?
In days of high gas prices, we don’t feel bad for proprietors of gas stations. While this article demonstrates that proprietors don’t make a lot of money in certain areas (I don’t see this happening in, say, Massachusetts), it also shows that our plastic-based economy has a long way to go before the “convenience” of [...]
