John’s Journey, Rationality, Principles of Rational Living (59m) – Episode 437

Episode 437 welcomes John Vespasian to the podcast to chat with Skyler on the following topics: living all over Europe; the worldwide COVID-19 moment; the abundance of irrationality in the world today; the timeless commonplace of information manipulation; remaining rational in the face of extreme opposition; defining rationality (logical conclusions from relevant facts); developing a rational mentality; never accepting a single point of view or opinion; everyone has their blind spots and biases; the problem with positive thinking; among his many published books is 10 Principles of Rational Living, including: Think Like an Entrepreneur, not a Crusader, Accept the Inevitable Hassles of Life, and Acquire Effective Habits; the importance of keeping a lifetime perspective when making decisions; and more.

Aaron W. Returns, Leaving California for Texas, & Child Protective Services Ordeal (57m) – Episode 435

Episode 435 welcomes back Aaron White to the podcast to chat with Skyler on the following topics: leaving California and the many reasons for doing so such as living expense, new Democrat Party supermajority in local politics, and the charter school crackdown; moving to Texas, specifically the Dallas / Ft. Worth metro area; social justice and woke ideology verse unschooling and free schooling principles; he and his family’s recent experience with California’s Child Protective Services; why every lawyer he talked to advised him to comply with CPS as thoroughly as possible, the opposite advice they give when dealing with police officers (ie. keep your mouth shut); how child protective services may exist in a free society and the question of “skin in the game” for these kinds of allegations; and more.

Why Unity is Bullshit

“Unity” is usually a message to merely shut you up and to get you to go along with bullshit. It is a message of social intimidation. Once a person and/or their values can be justified in defining the group, they perpetuate their power by telling everyone that unity is doing what authority wants. It is perpetuated by those with power and dim people looking to merely get along, and is used to otherize dissent. It is used to make people look at dissenters as disunifiers and for people to make them outcasts.