Category: Ideas
Truth Is Not Absolute, But That Which Works
A common view of truth aims for that which corresponds with reality. Left with nothing but our own interpretations of the world, Pragmatists, like William James and Charles Peirce, argue that the best we can do is to hold to that which works.
Meaning of Life No Longer Matters to Philosophers
Professional philosophers rarely ask 'What is the meaning of life?' and when they do, they often dismiss it as nonsense.
Comfort with Solitude Comes Before The Ability to Think
Freedom entails the capacity to think and to judge in private, where solitude empowers the individual to contemplate their actions and develop their conscience, to escape the cacophony of the crowd. Solitude precedes moral thinking.
Economists with Physics Envy Are Harmful
Observing the acclaim physics was having, economists embraced a physical view of human behavior hoping to replicate similar success. However, unlike physics, the social nature of human beings makes any laws of behavior tentative and contextual.
Self-Esteem, Self-Compassion, or Self-Indifference? Which is Best?
Millennials are the generation who came of age during the self-esteem movement. The concept of self-esteem is losing it's currency, but are self-compassion or self-indifference better frameworks for emotional health?
‘Enlightenment Now’ Demands A New Romanticism
There are many who say that Romanticism is dead. But the tensions between Romanticism and the soldiers of the original Enlightenment are rising up again.
Earth’s Carrying Capacity for Human Life Is More Than You Think
The claim that earth has a carrying capacity of 7 billion is based on old concepts—misunderstanding how fertility rates and consumption work.
In Physics, Beauty Doesn’t Equal Truth
Most of physics' beautiful ideas are hard or impossible to test. When we try to rectify a perceived lack of beauty, we waste time on problems that aren’t really problems. Physicists must rethink their methods, now.
Treating Carbon Emissions Like Trash Collection Could Reverse Climate Change
We already have the technology to reverse Climate Change, but one great obstacle remains—Nori is a company that believes it can solve that problem, succeeding where political activism has not.
Why We Should Still Listen to Award Speeches, Even If ‘They’re Just Celebrities’
Perceived as self-congratulatory or smug acts of virtue-signaling, awards ceremony speeches play key roles in raising awareness for important issues. Celebrities are not political experts. Still, that shouldn't distract the public from reflecting on hot-button issues like minority representation in film, and sexual misconduct.
Workers Can’t Stop Industry Change, But They Can Prepare For It
New technology may erode some industries, but as a whole, it improves lives and productivity; Still, we all have to adapt if we want to withstand the initial shocks resulting from this creative destruction.
We Can Never Know Whether Something is Good or Bad, and That’s Okay
This Taoist parable highlights how our obsession with evaluating outcomes can be a deceiving diversion that distracts us from action and inner peace.
Lost Communication in a Completely Connected World
Like never before has technology been able to bring people together, from all over the world; yet, we struggle to resists its use as a way to alienate ourselves from one another.
How Sports Bridge Our Cultural Divisions
The collective joys and sorrows of sports offer a healthy outlet for our tribal natures, and give us a safer space in which we can bridge gaps pertaining to more divisive societal arenas.
Reboots, Remakes, Revivals: Nostalgia in the Streaming Era
Contemporary popular media seems to be powered by the fumes of nostalgia, and doesn't appear to be changing course anytime soon. When should we let the past go, and when should we re-purpose television series and films to address our current challenges?
Should Parents Admit Having a Favorite Child?
Whether parents admit it or not, most have a favorite child, though they should heavily consider whether admitting it would be in any child’s best interest.
Elvish Has Been Spoken for Centuries In This Small Swedish Community
Experts estimate that one language goes extinct every 14 days. When a language dies, we lose history, culture, and a unique way of viewing the world.
‘Why So Serious?’ Child Abuse in the Dark Knight
The actions, nonetheless, of our parents and the mentors of our youth bear heavily on our psychological, social, and neurological development.