What’s wrong with your intellectual opponents? One of the most popular answers is that they’re “stupid and evil.” Most of the thinkers I respect go out of their way to disavow this facile answer. Indeed, most of the thinkers I respect go out of their way to praise their opponents’ intelligence and virtue. They don’t merely opine, “We can disagree without being disagreeable.” They put those who disagree with them on a pedestal. My respect notwithstanding, this seems odd. If your opponents are so great, why are they still your opponents?
Tag: values
Know Your Statists
They are all the same, in that they believe governing others to be legitimate, but although I have said a statist is a statist, and “left” and “right” are not relevant, there are times it helps to know how the statist sees itself.
Government Involvement Not Helping
It’s a wonderful thing when someone decides to help the community. I might even join them if their efforts align with my values. I’m somewhat less thrilled when someone mistakes running for office, getting a government job, or passing a law for helping. A government position or job is nothing to be proud of. It’s not honorable or praiseworthy. Everything is better without the threat of law or punishment, and when funded voluntarily. Worthwhile ideas don’t require arm twisting.
The Values and Traits Behind My Best Relationships
What are the values you most look for when forming relationships? Great question! Any answer I give here will be incomplete, but I have come to notice some patterns in my most valuable relationships. Certain values and traits also help me quickly pick out people I want in my “tribe.”
Building Walls
We can’t keep up with our infrastructure needs, yet we are committed to building thousand of miles of walls on highways and along borders. Your tax dollars at work.
The Students Being Promoted in the Media
These kids opinions are being marketed as if they are knowledgeable and representative of reality. They aren’t. They represent themselves. However, the reason we are hearing them is because their opinions are opinions that people in the media desire for you to hear. The narrative wasn’t created due to the shooting (like is being inferred). The students were chosen for the narrative.
That’s Not Feminism: 3 Ways Women Advocate For Their Own Oppression
Something I often see in the feminist movement (and I am a feminist!) is women demanding for something that appears on the outside will liberate them, but in reality, it only furthers their oppression. Usually, the very nature of the thing they are asking for, the very concept of it is bred from patriarchal ideals and ways of thinking.
Yes, and … A Parenting Idea
In most live shows (improv, radio, skit shows, etc), they teach you that the main rule is “yes, and”. What this means is that when working with other people you work off of each other, build off what the other person does, never contradict the other person (some exceptions are allowed in certain situations), and with this simple rule you are able to often form a cohesive show as a team.
Brandon’s Journey, Defiant Personalities, & Open-Mindedness (1h19m) – Episode 104
Episode 104 welcomes Brandon McKean to the podcast for a chat with Skyler. Topics include: working with his hands, childhood and adolescence, employment at a young age, woodworking, managing a crew, Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers and David & Goliath, property rights and his Scottish ancestors, crime in society, responsibility, schooling, Christian values and agnosticism, Murray Rothbard, voting, freemasonry, open-mindedness toward the possibilities of deity, the afterlife, past life regression, and the paranormal, and more.
Self Regulation Should be a Higher Value
Another topic I have been thinking about recently however is, protesters are demanding the likes of Apple and Facebook make their products and services less enjoyable/provide less value. These protesters claim that Apple holds them captive or Facebook is too addictive and hurting social cohesion. I don’t disagree with this view but I don’t see this as a reason we need to protest.