Author Archives: jackpelham

This Week in Baltimore: A Showcase of Cognitive Biases

Posted on May 3, 2015 by jackpelham

This past week has provided an excellent opportunity to observe people’s cognitive biases. The situation in Baltimore has prompted many to show those corrupted mini-programs of thinking that run automatically through their minds. We have seen many various biases at … Continue reading →

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Pelham’s Rule of Screaming

Posted on May 2, 2015 by jackpelham

Screaming is for emergencies. It is for situations such as those in which the dad needs to bring the gun, or for which the fire department needs to be called. It is not for play any more than dialing 9-1-1 … Continue reading →

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Assigning Blame in Baltimore

Posted on April 28, 2015 by jackpelham

The Baltimore riots provide the cognitive/moral miser with an excellent opportunity to exercise his bias. He will condemn the evil actions of one party while excusing—at least in a relativistic way—the evil actions of another. And worse, he’ll probably be … Continue reading →

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At The Mid-Life Crossroads of Crotchetiness vs. Usefulness

Posted on April 17, 2015 by jackpelham

I just turned 50, and as I get older, I realize that more and more things about the culture and economy I live in are inauthentic, twisted, harmful, deceitful, erroneous, ignorant, ineffective, inefficient, or just plain stupid. So I reject … Continue reading →

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How Would You Like To Be Executed Over NOT Being Upset About Something?

Posted on April 2, 2015 by jackpelham

Once upon a time, in the day of the prophet Ezekiel, the city of Jerusalem was in great sin, with many abominations being committed in it.  God called for a man and said to him: Ezekiel 9:4  “Pass through the … Continue reading →

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Is Error a Serious Problem For Christians?

Posted on March 30, 2015 by jackpelham

“Everybody makes mistakes!,” someone will say. “Nobody’s perfect!,” chimes in another. At this, most Christians nod along and satisfy themselves that that’s all there is to it.  That is, that making mistakes is simply not a serious problem for the … Continue reading →

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Love and Truth Go Together

Posted on March 30, 2015 by jackpelham

We make many errors in life, so it’s no particular surprise when we make errors in the way we understand the teachings of the Bible.  If you ask some random believers what is the most important aspect of the Christian … Continue reading →

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On The Need For Language

Posted on March 27, 2015 by jackpelham

The more use one has for communicating ideas and comparisons and contrasts, the more use one has for language.  Those who do not learn their own languages to a high degree are those who have no use for it at … Continue reading →

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Impossibility

Posted on March 27, 2015 by jackpelham

In the entire history of the Planet Earth, not once has any person done an impossible thing. The truth of that statement should be self evident. The real trick is in figuring out what it should mean for us. For … Continue reading →

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All-Or-Nothing Judgments About Ourselves and Others Are a Bad Idea

Posted on March 26, 2015 by jackpelham

Everybody knows that Joseph Stalin was infamous as “the Butcher” who directed the slaughter of 25 million people during his reign, but who knows that he would regularly and lovingly spend hour after hour with his daughter, Svetlana, listening to … Continue reading →

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