Category Archives: Psychology

Lukianoff & Haidt, THE CODDLING OF THE AMERICAN MIND

Posted on Sunday 1 September 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Here’s a book that was published six years ago this month, and which I read one year ago last month. Subtitle: “How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting Up a Generation for Failure” (Penguin Press, Sept. 2018, 338pp, including … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Culture, Human Nature, Psychology | Comments Off on Lukianoff & Haidt, THE CODDLING OF THE AMERICAN MIND

Steven Pinker: THE BLANK SLATE, post 10

Posted on Friday 2 August 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Finally: the last topic chapter, about The Arts, and then the final chapter. Earlier posts about this book: post 1, post 2, post 3, post 4, post 5, post 6, post 7, post 8, post 9. – – – –Ch20, … Continue reading →

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Steven Pinker: THE BLANK SLATE, post 9

Posted on Thursday 1 August 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

This time: Children. The old nature vs. nurture debate is too simplistic and binary. Given implications of our innate human nature, the (by now unsurprising) takeaway here is that parents have far less influence on their children than people have … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Children, Culture, Human Nature, Psychology, Steven Pinker | Comments Off on Steven Pinker: THE BLANK SLATE, post 9

Nostalgia, Weird Ideas, Joy vs Grimness, Prayers

Posted on Tuesday 30 July 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Tom Nichols on how nostalgia for the past tells us lies; More on JD Vance’s tribal morality and short-term thinking; Robert Reich on Kamala’s joy and Donald’s grimness; And the meaning of why Trump rallies open with Christian prayers. —— … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal history, Politics, Psychology, Religion | Comments Off on Nostalgia, Weird Ideas, Joy vs Grimness, Prayers

Subjective Worlds

Posted on Sunday 21 July 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

First of all, I updated yesterday’s post to include the initial list of falsehoods in Trump’s RNC acceptance speech as compiled by CNN, and read off on TV by its fact-checker in the minutes after the speech ended. For today, … Continue reading →

Posted in conservatives, Politics, Psychology, The Gays | Comments Off on Subjective Worlds

On This July 4th

Posted on Thursday 4 July 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

It’s worth paying attention from time to time what conservatives really want, and more importantly, their rationales. NY Times, Ruth Graham, 4 Jul 2024: Why a New Conservative Brain Trust Is Resettling Across America, subtitled “Pro-Trump professionals aren’t just talking … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, conservatives, Psychology, Religion, Social Progress | Comments Off on On This July 4th

Narrative Drives, Reality, and Nothingburgers

Posted on Wednesday 12 June 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

More conservative reactions to Hunter Biden’s conviction, and how they are examples of humanity’s drive to fit any new evidence into pre-existing narrative; Heather Cox Richardson on how reality defies Trump’s narrative; How the extreme conservative worldview includes stoning gays … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, conservatives, Politics, Psychology, Religion | Comments Off on Narrative Drives, Reality, and Nothingburgers

Steven Pinker: THE BLANK SLATE, post 2

Posted on Wednesday 5 June 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

(Advisory: I’m traveling to Austin TX tomorrow through Sunday, and so will not be posting here until next Monday, likely.) A key point about this book is that Pinker shows how the facts (the science) of human nature undermine both … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, MInd, Psychology, Steven Pinker | Comments Off on Steven Pinker: THE BLANK SLATE, post 2

Steven Pinker: THE BLANK SLATE, post 1

Posted on Tuesday 4 June 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Subtitled: “The Modern Denial of Human Nature” (Viking, Oct. 2002, 509pp, including 75pp appendix, notes, references, and index) This is an enormous, thorough book on a topic already covered to some extent by several of the other major books I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, MInd, Psychology, science fiction, Steven Pinker | Comments Off on Steven Pinker: THE BLANK SLATE, post 1

Incoherence, Lies, Getting Even, and an Apology

Posted on Monday 3 June 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Back to items about conservative politics from the last few days. Trump’s incoherent press conference speech, following his New York City conviction; His lie about never saying “Lock her up” and Fox News’ casuistic excuse; The priority of Republicans to … Continue reading →

Posted in conservatives, Politics, Psychology | Comments Off on Incoherence, Lies, Getting Even, and an Apology