In Defense of Interruption
No one likes to be interrupted. You're making some argument, or explaining yourself, and maybe you're not even entirely sure what you think. Through explanation, you're finally putting words to…
Political Hypnosis
Hypnosis is generally defined as a "mental state of highly focused concentration, diminished peripheral awareness, and heightened suggestibility." It goes without saying that someone in a hypnotic state is not capable…
Review: The King’s Curriculum
This is a fascinating and powerful little book. That said, it is not a book for everyone. "The King's Curriculum" is by Johnny Mannaz, a hypnotherapist and master-practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic…
Quarantine Queasiness
Today was the first day of Spring for my bike. I had to open the choke with a carabiner (the lever is wedged between the air filters, and is almost…
On Homer (Part 1): What Makes Homer Special?
After reading Homer extensively over the past six years, in multiple translations and with the addition of a number of commentaries and analyses, I think it is time to begin…
The Question of Consciousness
After studying religion for a while, I have discovered that one useful way of categorizing different varieties of religion is how they answer the question of consciousness. I am not…
A Critique of Nietzschean Nobility
I have to begin this argument with an asterisk. Nietzsche uses the concept of "noble" in different senses, depending upon the work in question. Across all of his works, two…
Monty Hall Arrogance
"What you're going through is a phase." "You'll understand when you get older." Since I was a teenager, I have hated the condescension of the elderly. This post is going…
Courtesy of Boris D. Ogñenovich
Living on Autopilot: Internet Use and Depersonalization-derealization Syndrome
"You know how you sometimes feel like you're on autopilot?" "Sure. If I'm really sleep-deprived anyway." "I feel like that a lot." Recently, my 28-year-old friend, whom I will call…
The Thin Line Between Love and Hate
Ellie Goulding's new hit "Hate Me" touches on an interesting subject related to hatred in the context of romantic relationships. It is a topic I didn't address in my book In…