Batman has the Joker. Superman has Lex Luthor. Pre-1990s America had the Soviet Union.

Whether we like it or not, our own identity as "us" depends on having an "other." Every time we define an in-group of "our people," we unavoidably define an out-group of "their people." We define ourselves not only ...

Often, it's not what you see that misleads you. It's what you don't see.

In economics, it's called "the broken window fallacy." Broken windows create jobs for people who replace windows. Therefore, a casual observer might conclude that broken windows are a good thing. They create jobs. We should break as many windows as ...

"To every man there openeth
A Way, and Ways, and a Way.
And the High Soul climbs the High way,
And the Low Soul gropes the Low,
And in between, on the misty flats,
The rest drift to and fro.
But to every man there openeth
A High Way, and a Low.
And every man decideth
The Way his soul shall go."
-- ...

We spend a lot of our lives on automatic pilot. We act out of habit, without thinking about what we're doing.

That's not always a bad thing. If we had to think our way through everything we did, we couldn't get most of it done.

Suppose you're driving to work and another car abruptly cuts in front of you. You don't have time to think ...

Suppose that Joe believes he's a parakeet. Is that okay?

It depends.

If Joe goes to work, obeys the law, fulfills his responsibilities, and doesn't drive people nuts by making bird noises, then I'd say it's okay. The belief makes him happy. It doesn't hurt anyone else. We should leave Joe alone.

However, if Joe eats only seeds, ...