I think the stress response is a fascinating thing. People spend their whole lives avoiding stress, or thriving on it, living with it, coping with it. The nervous energy that stress inspires in all of us helps us focus, but also takes away our ability to think. It's a kind of paradox ( Read more... )

The idea of the slippery slope argument is a very common form of argumentation as to why a particular practice should be avoided. When considering such an argument, the potential gains for the practice, must be weighed against the potential destruction to be wrecked by the implied threat of a slippery slope. Also, one should note any ways of ( Read more... )

Happy Birthday  beguine
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!

Every moment in life represents a crossroads, something I think many people tend to forget. As we slog through the scheduled tracked lives that we have created for ourselves, we often forget how much of what we do is ultimately a choice. The situation becomes complicated when we examine our choices against the backdrop of the rest of reality, and ( Read more... )

Ultimately, upon careful analysis, all facts that we claim to have knowledge of derive from a system of belief. Indeed, logical arguments require statements from which further facts are derived, and as you trace these statements back, ultimately you end up with qualitative statements that are unverifiable. Really then, knowing is believing ( Read more... )

Generally I've been avoiding political commentary here. Though I find myself reading a lot about it, I wanted to not get caught up in it too much. However, reading bits and pieces of Bush's most recent speech I couldn't really help myself. Below are some quotes that I found with my commentary on them. They all come from Bush's recent speech on ( Read more... )

I am rarely someone who measures my achievements in tangible ways, as I often find that when I get the thing I want, or get close to it, I will tend to become satisfied and start to make mistakes. However, there are exceptions to this general rule, where I have something that I am desperately interested in, and I want a specific thing. Naturally ( Read more... )

I think I need to return to regular journaling if I can find the time to write entries. The generally positive influence that expressing my thoughts and frustrations in a relatively constructive manner is something I realize I cannot understate. Trying to catch control of my ego and arrogance has become a latest focus, or rather something I have ( Read more... )

Nothing is ever perfect. What a relieving thing to be able to say, but because I dislike absolutes I want to say "there are very few things that are ever perfect." The drive to be relentlessly perfect is an understandable, and sometimes admirable, motivation; however, it comes with its own set of pitfalls. Obsession being an obvious one, but ( Read more... )

I was recently watching a movie that hit video recently called What the #$*! Do We (K)now!? which presented a series of observations about the nature of reality based on what we know about quantum physics and neuroscience. I would be very interested in the points of views of others who know about quantum on this movie, but will leave that aside ( Read more... )