What do rising IQs really show? I remain undecided, but here’s an argument that strongly inclines me to pessimism. To wit: When I read the smartest thinkers from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, they seem roughly as smart as the smartest thinkers from the 20th century. In fact, the same goes for the smartest Greeks from the 4th and 5th centuries B.C.
Tag: world
Why Do People Get Bored?
Why do people get bored? I’m really asking. That’s not rhetorical. It cannot be lack of access to interesting ideas. The world is pregnant with wonder.
Education and Its Discontents
What is taught to the students at school is basically: “You have no choice in where you will be. If you do not do as I tell you, worse things will happen to you. If you follow orders, better things will happen to you.” The subject here is learning to accept the basic context of being in a prison and to follow orders to escape a worse fate. The kind of learning environment that I support can more or less fit under the category of unschooling.
Happy Holidays; Yes, All of Them
Like it or not (personally, I like it a lot), America IS a multi-religious and multi-cultural country with holidays galore. So what if you don’t celebrate them all? Why not just congratulate those who do? Shut yer griping, Trump. Merry Christmas AND Happy Holidays!
Finite and Infinite Games for Liberty
If you care about human freedom, you might be playing the game of “abolish the state/this or that state agency.” After all, the collective framework we call the state is most responsible for the abuse of power in the world today. This is the game most people on the libertarian spectrum have chosen for a life end. As noble as this cause is, it suffers from the drawbacks of all finite games.
A Meditation on Internet Bullshit, Avoiding It, and Finding Truth
The internet is not an easy place to find truth. Truth and nuanced reporting is at a distinct disadvantage in a world of viral sharing. Bullshit is far more appealing, far more polarizing, and far more lucrative – in the short term – than reality.
The Truth Comes
The truth does not break natural laws to come upon us unforeseen. If the truth is unforeseen, it is because we did not look.
Good Escapism, Bad Escapism
I love escapism. But there’s a good kind and a bad kind. The good kind is when you escape from a narrow world into a broader one. You allow your mind to take you where your body, for whatever reason, cannot go. The bad kind is when you escape from the possibility of a broader world into a narrower, “safer” one.
The Case for NAP Parenting
We live in a society where parents and guardians promote and use aggression towards children that would be considered immoral and criminal if inflicted on other adults.
Be Brave Enough to Roar Your Truth!
Two songs in particular give me goosebumps when I consider their implications in the life of a voluntaryist: “Brave” by Sara Bareilles, and “Roar” by Katy Perry. Everybody should find the bravery to roar their truth to the world, in every way they can!