Category Archives: Rationality

Fear Breeds Superstition

Posted on March 22, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Superstition, then, is engendered, preserved, and fostered by fear.  If anyone desire an example, let him take Alexander, who only began superstitiously to seek guidance from seers, when he first learnt to fear fortune in the passes of Sysis (Curtius, … Continue reading →

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Atheism 2.0: Religious Benefits for the Secular Life

Posted on March 20, 2012 by AJ Kessler

The video, embedded below, is difficult to quote, but touches on some of the issues we’ve discussed before.  Definitely worth soaking in:

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What You Want

Posted on March 18, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Alain de Botton with a good reminder: One of the interesting things about success is that we think we know what it means. A lot of the time our ideas about what it would mean to live successfully are not … Continue reading →

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Unimaginable Sameness

Posted on March 12, 2012 by AJ Kessler

What’s the worst part about prison? One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich is all you need to know about Ivan Denisovich, because the idea that anyone could live for a minute in such circumstances seems impossible; one day … Continue reading →

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All You Can Do?

Posted on March 11, 2012 by AJ Kessler

John Mayer was supposed to release a new album six months ago.  A granuloma near his vocal chords required surgery and prevented him from finishing the record.  Once the surgery was completed and his throat given a month or so … Continue reading →

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Regret

Posted on March 10, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Interesting explanation for something we have all experienced: Imagine that you have a flight at 8:00 in the morning. Which would be worse, arriving at the gate, breathless, at 8:02, just after they’ve closed the door, or at 10:00, thanks … Continue reading →

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The Only Motivation Tip You’ll Ever Need

Posted on March 5, 2012 by AJ Kessler

San Franciscans and New Yorkers spent years fighting to get nutrition information like calorie counts listed on menus.  After all, if people only knew what kind of crap they were shoveling into their maws they’d surely change their behavior, right? … Continue reading →

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god Is Not Great

Posted on March 4, 2012 by AJ Kessler

I recently reread Christopher Hitchens’ magnum opus against religion, and thought I’d share some of the excerpts I found most interesting on this pass.  No matter what you believe in, the book is fascinating, and littered with the venomous prose you’d expect … Continue reading →

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Why Sharing Your Goals Dooms You To Failure

Posted on March 3, 2012 by AJ Kessler

If you want to accomplish something, it makes sense to tell people about it.  After all, you might be able to collaborate with someone already working on something similar, or gain some ideas and insights from someone who has done … Continue reading →

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Kafkatrapping

Posted on March 2, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Excellent way to describe this fallacy: One very notable pathology is a form of argument that, reduced to essence, runs like this: “Your refusal to acknowledge that you are guilty of {sin, racism, sexism, homophobia, oppression…} confirms that you are … Continue reading →

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Selfish Expression

Posted on February 12, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Certain words or phrases, or demeanors, or attitudes convey certain things.  Your every action makes an expression, either bolstering or betraying you.  Stand up straight, look people in the eye, speak clearly and without hesitation, and people are inclined to … Continue reading →

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Mind Control

Posted on February 10, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Free will exists, right? We are in control of our own minds and thus our own actions? That’s what most of us like to believe, but what if a simple parasitic organism robbed us of at least part of that … Continue reading →

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The Tim Ferriss Falacy

Posted on February 5, 2012 by AJ Kessler

We’re now deep into the fourth generation of the self-help guru.  This generation shares much with its predecessors, including fondness for the shortcut.  People like Tim Ferriss have  made their name on finding and exploiting these shortcuts, or “hacks” as … Continue reading →

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Make Life Easier By Not Deciding

Posted on January 23, 2012 by AJ Kessler

When starting something, whether it’s an exercise routine or a new sleep schedule, or quitting something, like cigarettes or whiskey, conventional wisdom says to do it slowly.  Cut back, or build up, gradually.  Eat 100 less calories each day, or … Continue reading →

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The Trouble With Expertise In Complex Fields

Posted on January 21, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Fresh out of law school, it’s easy to forget that, compared to the general population, you are already something of an expert.  You have the tools to search for, read, and understand just what the hell that legalese actually means.  … Continue reading →

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