In traditional education, lying is universally abhorred. Children are
taught that one should tell the truth under any circumstances. Such
paradigm is usually reinforced with morality tales of liars who suffer
terrible punishments. However, when children grow up and become
adolescents, they realize that some details do not match in the story
they've been told.
Why emotional stability is so difficult
The extreme emotionality of teenagers is
linked to their moral awakening. At thirteen, they complain that people
don't follow the principles they preach. At fourteen, they point out
inconsistencies between ideals and facts. At fifteen, they long to see
alignment between purpose and means, but where should they find it?
In
this context of straight virtues and twisted reality, becoming an adult
frequently leads to disillusionment, cynicism, or sectarian
self-delusion. As a result, truth is reduced to the realm of talk,
actions become unpredictable, and promises unreliable. What an ethical
mess, what an intellectual nightmare.
The solution to the problem
The moral confusion of our
age is the natural consequence of contradictory premises in our
thinking. You cannot expect people to tell the truth while you overwhelm
them with equivocations and misrepresentations. There is no excuse for
eluding the issue. There is no answer to this dilemma except for that
provided by logic and evidence:
1. The ethical requirement to
tell the truth under any circumstances does not hold water and there is
no evidence that it has ever worked. Such requirement lacks solid
grounds, since it fails to acknowledge the difference between good and
evil.
2. When dealing directly with nature, it is in our own
interest to remain faithful to acquired data and confirmed observations.
Machines and chemical processes operate according to the laws of
identity and causality. In those cases, if you lie, you will simply get
different results or none at all.
3. When dealing with other men,
truth is morally due to those who are themselves authentic and
reliable. The proportion of genuine and benevolent individuals in your
life might include, depending on the context, a few or most people.
Indisputably, you should be loyal and faithful to those who are honest.
What
about the rest of your social contacts? How should one face individuals
who are evil or misinformed, in numbers large or small? For those
cases, we need to define clear guidelines for ourselves and our
children. For instance, when we have a duty to provide accurate
information, what we should do in case of doubt, and so on.
How to achieve emotional stability
No
morality should demand individuals to tell the truth to those who are
trying to do them harm. Equally, no ethical system should require people
to disclose private details to random strangers. Contradictory ideals
lead to random reactions. The key to emotional stability is ethical
consistency.
We have seen too often what prejudice has to offer.
We have experienced too frequently how chaos arises from contradictions
and waste from inconsistencies. Let us place our principles under reason
and our actions under logic, for no other approach can ever meet the
demands of reality.
For more information about rational living and personal development, I refer you to my book The 10 Principles of Rational Living
[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]
[Image by Chi King under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]
Sunday, 9 September 2012
How to get peace, ways to get happy: Free e-book presentation about Rational Living
A free e-book presentation of my work “The 10 Principles of Rational Living” can be downloaded in this link
Labels:
General messages,
Personal Development,
Philosophy,
Psychology
How to be rational: how to overcome fear, overcome anxiety, and manage stress
Adults living in industrialized countries spend more than 300 hours per
year watching news on television, listening to commentators on the
radio, and reading newspapers. That time exceeds what they devote to
reading books or acquiring knowledge in any other way.
Keeping your serenity in difficult environments
The greatest part of the information that is absorbed during those hours consists of catastrophes, disruptions, violence, poverty, divorce, vengeance, dishonesty, criminality, incompetence, hostility, complaints, abuse, and decay.
In view of the messages that fill the airwaves and newspapers, it is no wonder that many people suffer from anxiety or depression. If a man is convinced that the overall situation is deteriorating and that he is doomed, he won't be motivated to improve his life.
Should reporters be blamed for the negative bias given to daily news? Is it not true that those are the sort of reports that people want to read? If television news focus on negative events, are they not responding to their audience? If debates on talk radio are conducted in a harsh tone, it is not because this is what listeners want?
Do not let negative news get you down
The media deliver negative news to those who are thirsty for them. Depressing television programmes confirm the views of those who believe that man cannot improve his lot. Bitter discussions on talk-radio reinforce the listeners' conviction that life consists primarily of conflict.
Dispiriting messages attain their targets with the precision of a laser. No discouraging word is wasted and no gloomy prediction remains ignored. The machine that destroys hope and inspiration works with outstanding efficiency.
Those who love dire forecasts expect to find them in the media. Those who want to hear about poverty and dereliction want television stations to cover those subjects. Those who believe that the next crisis is going to destroy the world expect their favourite talk-radio host to share that view.
Nevertheless, despite the massive barrage of depressing messages, other individuals remain unaffected by anxiety and depression. Instead of seeking out alarming news, these persons read newspapers sparingly. Instead of watching calamities on television, they prefer to devote their energies to improving their own lives.
How did this minority arrive at their independent thinking? What is the key behind their psychological stability? How can we protect our serenity against the negative bias of daily news?
How to protect your peace of mind
The following ideas can help you preserve your peace of mind:
[1] Transform risks into numbers: Most reported threats refer to events that, most likely, will never happen. For instance, every few years, newspapers discuss anew the possibility of an asteroid hitting the earth and killing millions of people.
Such calamity would be terrible, but you should not allow vague menaces to disrupt your tranquillity. Instead of losing sleep over risks, you should transform them into numbers or percentages. What are the actual chances of an asteroid hitting the town where you live? If the result of the calculation is one in a million, how much are you willing to worry?
[2] Set a limit to damages: Companies operating in consumer markets inevitably incur risks of civil liability. If you deliver products to millions of people, an accident will occur sooner or later, for example due to the failure of an electrical component.
No one is exempt from occasional mistakes and this is why liability insurance exists. Entrepreneurs who wish to limit their risks can purchase insurance coverage so that, if the worst happens, their financial losses will be limited.
Similarly, if you live in an area with a high risk of floods, you should insure yourself against damages caused by water. The rational approach to dealing with potential catastrophes is to reduce risks. By setting a limit to damages, you can protect your peace of mind against gloomy forecasts aired by the media.
When commentators predict a stock market crash, you can protect yourself by converting part of your investments to cash or by purchasing other assets, such as gold or real estate, whose performance is not correlated to the price of shares. In general, if you set a cap on potential losses, you will be able to stop worrying about catastrophes.
[3] Face problems by taking action: Uncertainty, more than any other factor, is what causes anxiety and fear. The feeling of not knowing what to do can render you insecure and lead you to make mistakes. Indecision causes physical tiredness and disrupts sleep at night. The solution is not to ignore risks, but to face them by taking action.
If your neighbourhood is becoming increasingly dangerous, you can choose between taking action or worrying yourself to death. Assess the problem and see what alternatives you have. Should you install an alarm system at home? Does the situation justify that you move to another part of town?
As soon as you make a decision, your preoccupation levels will diminish. People who lead serene lives tend to be incredibly proactive and organized. Those persons are always the first to adopt measures to prevent problems.
[4] Use only quality information: This is a key factor for maintaining your peace of mind. Why would you want to read gloomy articles in newspapers and magazines? What's the point of devoting your time to watching depressing reports on television?
Negative information is highly addictive and, without a strong will, the habit is difficult to break. You have to make a firm decision and stop paying attention to distorted news. You have to make the effort to filter out the noise and focus on quality information.
In most cases, you can keep yourself well informed by spending a few minutes a day on a few selected websites. If you make yourself deaf to nonsense and discouragement, you will have more time for pursuing your primary objectives.
Conclusion
Protect your peace of mind against negative news by transforming risks into numbers, setting limits to damages, facing problems with action, and using only quality information. Every minute of anxiety that you eliminate from your life will add positively to your well-being.
For more information about rational living and personal development, I refer you to my book The 10 Principles of Rational Living
[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]
[Image by OliBac under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]
Keeping your serenity in difficult environments
The greatest part of the information that is absorbed during those hours consists of catastrophes, disruptions, violence, poverty, divorce, vengeance, dishonesty, criminality, incompetence, hostility, complaints, abuse, and decay.
In view of the messages that fill the airwaves and newspapers, it is no wonder that many people suffer from anxiety or depression. If a man is convinced that the overall situation is deteriorating and that he is doomed, he won't be motivated to improve his life.
Should reporters be blamed for the negative bias given to daily news? Is it not true that those are the sort of reports that people want to read? If television news focus on negative events, are they not responding to their audience? If debates on talk radio are conducted in a harsh tone, it is not because this is what listeners want?
Do not let negative news get you down
The media deliver negative news to those who are thirsty for them. Depressing television programmes confirm the views of those who believe that man cannot improve his lot. Bitter discussions on talk-radio reinforce the listeners' conviction that life consists primarily of conflict.
Dispiriting messages attain their targets with the precision of a laser. No discouraging word is wasted and no gloomy prediction remains ignored. The machine that destroys hope and inspiration works with outstanding efficiency.
Those who love dire forecasts expect to find them in the media. Those who want to hear about poverty and dereliction want television stations to cover those subjects. Those who believe that the next crisis is going to destroy the world expect their favourite talk-radio host to share that view.
Nevertheless, despite the massive barrage of depressing messages, other individuals remain unaffected by anxiety and depression. Instead of seeking out alarming news, these persons read newspapers sparingly. Instead of watching calamities on television, they prefer to devote their energies to improving their own lives.
How did this minority arrive at their independent thinking? What is the key behind their psychological stability? How can we protect our serenity against the negative bias of daily news?
How to protect your peace of mind
The following ideas can help you preserve your peace of mind:
[1] Transform risks into numbers: Most reported threats refer to events that, most likely, will never happen. For instance, every few years, newspapers discuss anew the possibility of an asteroid hitting the earth and killing millions of people.
Such calamity would be terrible, but you should not allow vague menaces to disrupt your tranquillity. Instead of losing sleep over risks, you should transform them into numbers or percentages. What are the actual chances of an asteroid hitting the town where you live? If the result of the calculation is one in a million, how much are you willing to worry?
[2] Set a limit to damages: Companies operating in consumer markets inevitably incur risks of civil liability. If you deliver products to millions of people, an accident will occur sooner or later, for example due to the failure of an electrical component.
No one is exempt from occasional mistakes and this is why liability insurance exists. Entrepreneurs who wish to limit their risks can purchase insurance coverage so that, if the worst happens, their financial losses will be limited.
Similarly, if you live in an area with a high risk of floods, you should insure yourself against damages caused by water. The rational approach to dealing with potential catastrophes is to reduce risks. By setting a limit to damages, you can protect your peace of mind against gloomy forecasts aired by the media.
When commentators predict a stock market crash, you can protect yourself by converting part of your investments to cash or by purchasing other assets, such as gold or real estate, whose performance is not correlated to the price of shares. In general, if you set a cap on potential losses, you will be able to stop worrying about catastrophes.
[3] Face problems by taking action: Uncertainty, more than any other factor, is what causes anxiety and fear. The feeling of not knowing what to do can render you insecure and lead you to make mistakes. Indecision causes physical tiredness and disrupts sleep at night. The solution is not to ignore risks, but to face them by taking action.
If your neighbourhood is becoming increasingly dangerous, you can choose between taking action or worrying yourself to death. Assess the problem and see what alternatives you have. Should you install an alarm system at home? Does the situation justify that you move to another part of town?
As soon as you make a decision, your preoccupation levels will diminish. People who lead serene lives tend to be incredibly proactive and organized. Those persons are always the first to adopt measures to prevent problems.
[4] Use only quality information: This is a key factor for maintaining your peace of mind. Why would you want to read gloomy articles in newspapers and magazines? What's the point of devoting your time to watching depressing reports on television?
Negative information is highly addictive and, without a strong will, the habit is difficult to break. You have to make a firm decision and stop paying attention to distorted news. You have to make the effort to filter out the noise and focus on quality information.
In most cases, you can keep yourself well informed by spending a few minutes a day on a few selected websites. If you make yourself deaf to nonsense and discouragement, you will have more time for pursuing your primary objectives.
Conclusion
Protect your peace of mind against negative news by transforming risks into numbers, setting limits to damages, facing problems with action, and using only quality information. Every minute of anxiety that you eliminate from your life will add positively to your well-being.
For more information about rational living and personal development, I refer you to my book The 10 Principles of Rational Living
[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]
[Image by OliBac under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]
Labels:
Personal Development,
Philosophy,
Psychology
4 comments:
The best investments, what to invest in, stocks to buy in the stock market today
- Metro (Germany)
- Medtronic (United States)
- Arcelor Mittal (Luxembourg)
- Ericsson Telephone Company (Sweden)
- Delhaize Group (Belgium)
- IBM (United States)
- Baidu (China)
- Ford Motor Company (United States)
- eBay (United States)
- 3M Co (United States)
- Bank of Nova Scotia (Canada)
- Market Vectors Africa ETF
- iShares MSCI Russia Capped Index ETF
- Kraft Foods (United States)
Disclaimer: either I already own shares of these companies or I am currently considering to add them to my investment portfolio.
How to build your self-confidence and self-esteem: Free e-book presentation about Rational Living
A free e-book presentation of my work “The 10 Principles of Rational Living” can be downloaded in this link
Labels:
General messages,
Personal Development,
Philosophy,
Psychology
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