Should We All Have Equal Right to an Opinion?

Whenever we have opposing opinions that cannot coincide then we are in a situation where there are only three possible realities: either I am right, you are right, or we both are wrong. But we cannot both be right. For example, let's say I believe a colour to be red and you believe the same...

We Are Nothing But Our Memories

Without memory a person cannot act like the person they consistently seem to be. Our actions are anchored in our past experiences that are in our memory. There is no I, no Sam, that is consistently carried from one moment to next or from childhood to adulthood. There is an idea of Sam that is based on the memories and...

You Do Not Know When You Are Biased

It is very difficult for us to tell when we are likely to favour one way of looking at things or when we favour one type of information over another. For example, take the fact that many people have similarly described spiritual experiences regardless of their religion. Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and even Atheists alike have...

On Suicide and Religion

The first time I thought about killing myself I was eight years old. We were at a small church gathering and the topic was Hell. It’s hard to remember clearly but I do remember two things: crippling fear and a conversation with a preacher. While my mother was talking with the preacher she held my...

You Should Be Able To Say Why You Believe What You Believe

Several times a day, usually every day, we state our beliefs about the world to other people. It could be small things like, “My work sucks/is awesome” or “Pewdiepie is the best YouTuber”, or perhaps bigger things like, “We should all have freedom of speech” or “I like/dislike what the current government is doing with...

Everyone Is Playing The Same Game of Make-Believe

We are all playing the same game of make believe. We are expected to, and expect others, to act in accordance with the societal norms. But these norms are fixed relatively. Anyone who has been to other countries knows that, in general, they will have a very different experience in Mexico than in Japan. Going...

We Dislike What We Don’t Understand

Personal preference is a part of what makes us all unique. We all have different likes and dislikes. But could we dislike things simply because we don’t understand them?The philosopher John Stuart Mill theorises that if one has experienced both higher and lower pleasures then they will always choose the higher pleasure. One would always...

The Problem of Knowledge

When we have a comprehensive understanding of a topic we often think that we would also be the best person to teach that topic. If you know a lot about physical training and diet then your friends might ask you frequently how to get fit or lose weight. Whatever your job is, people will ask...

The Problem of Consensus

Having a very strong opinion about something while having people agree with you is intoxicating and a lot of motivation and energy can be derived from this experience. But having people agree with you does not make you right. There are many preachers that think evolution is a hoax and have large congregations of followers...

Passing on Ideas

Whenever we find ourselves attempting to explain an idea that we do not quite understand we will be putting that idea into words that we understand and not into words that best describe that idea. If one person has a comprehensive understanding of an idea and explains it to another who does not, perhaps due...