1) “True ignorance is not the absence of knowledge, but the refusal to acquire it.” 2) “The attempt to make heaven on earth invariably produces hell.” 3) “Whenever a theory appears to you as the only possible one, take this as a sign that you have neither understood the theory nor the problem
READ MORE“Risk compensation” is the theory that adopting certain safety measures can actually increase risky behavior by unduly increasing people’s sense of security. In a Washington Post article earlier this month, Terence McCoy reported on a man who wants to apply the theory to football. Erik Swartz, a University of New Hampshire professor of kinesiology, believes
READ MOREYou know the PC culture has gone too far when schoolchildren are prohibited from being good or doing good to others. Unfortunately, recent news has offered two prime examples of such behavior. The first incident occurred when a Minnesota high school girls’ basketball team was banned from playing in their league’s tournament. Their crime? They
READ MOREIt is often said that the measure of a civilization is how it treats its weakest members. But when it comes to education, historically, the opposite is true: one can often judge a civilization’s staying power by its most highly-educated members. In Education and Culture in the Barbarian West, historian Pierre Riché notes that classical
READ MOREIn the news, we often hear distressing statistics about how few books Americans read in a given year. As a result, we tend to be ecstatic if people simply read at all. But intellectual growth requires more than that; it requires that one becomes not only a reader, but a mature reader. In his famous
READ MOREAccording to Gallup, less than 1 in 5 Americans believe that drinking alcohol can benefit your health. But studies are showing that not only can moderate alcohol consumption benefit your physical health, it is also linked with better emotional health. When Gallup compared nondrinkers (0 drinks per week) and heavy drinkers (15+ drinks per week)
READ MOREOver the years, my sister has produced beautiful handicrafts: an intricate crocheted baby afghan, perfectly knitted mittens, and lovely crocheted lace. I, on the other hand, have a handful of quilt squares, a crochet hook stuck in a barely used spool of thread, and a partially finished embroidered pillowcase to show for my efforts. As
READ MOREThe Brits traditionally have a reputation for being prim and proper in any occasion. But apparently, that reputation has gone by the wayside – so much so, that British parents are regularly showing up to their children’s school events looking like they just rolled out of bed. Such actions, however, went too far for teacher
READ MOREEveryone has a conscience. But most psychologists think that people with “antisocial personality disorder” don’t. For example, Robert D. Hare, a Canadian expert on psychopaths and the author of Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us, says they are “completely lacking in conscience and feelings for others,” so that they “selfishly take
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