Category Archives: Character

Voices of Reason Doing More Harm than Good

Posted on January 8, 2015 by jackpelham

It does very little good to attempt to be a voice of reason in a society that is not given to sound reasoning.  In fact, in an irrational culture such as ours, reasonable commentary on particular points of religious or … Continue reading →

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A Major Shift in Strategy

Posted on February 16, 2014 by jackpelham

For years I have been re-thinking my beliefs and learning that many of them have been wrong.  I have tried regularly to convince others along the way, but have failed almost without exception.  Generally speaking, it is as if I … Continue reading →

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Merrily Posteth the Fool!

Posted on September 29, 2013 by jackpelham

Here’s one of the best Shakespeare quotations ever!  And my, how it applies to our modern hearsay/Facebook culture! “Merrily posteth the Fool, yet vetteth not, that which he wast but told I had said.” Shakespeare ~ Twelfth Night, Act II, … Continue reading →

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On the Folly of Specialism

Posted on September 12, 2013 by jackpelham

So where did we ever come up with the idea that the ideal achievement in knowledge is to become a specialist? A generalist knows how a thousand things fit together, but the typical specialist knows only his particular specialty, and … Continue reading →

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My Constant Frustration

Posted on August 17, 2013 by jackpelham

I live my life under the constant frustration that things of fundamental and preeminent importance must so frequently take a back seat to the practical business of being a worker/consumer cog in the prevailing economic machine.  And the machine does … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, Ambitions, Character, Consumerism, Dysrationalia | Leave a comment

One in One Hundred Thousand

Posted on July 25, 2013 by jackpelham

Do you see the white speck in the black field below?  I picked these colors for maximum contrast.  There are about 100,000 pixels in this square and only one of them isn’t black. I estimate that about 1 in 100,000 … Continue reading →

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You Are Only Half Right About Bias

Posted on July 19, 2013 by jackpelham

bi’·as noun an inclination of temperament or outlook; especially : a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment : prejudice ——————————— I observe that you are only half right about bias, friend.  You are spot on with what you think already, but … Continue reading →

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What Intelligence Tests Miss

Posted on July 7, 2013 by jackpelham

These are my notes for: What Intelligence Tests Miss:  The Psychology of Rational Thought by Keith E. Stanovich This book is profoundly important as it highlights a crucial deficit in the American awareness of its own cognitive health.  I found … Continue reading →

Posted in Character, Dysrationalia, Logic, Reading, Science | Leave a comment

What is My “World View”?

Posted on July 6, 2013 by jackpelham

Every once in a while, someone inquires about my “world view”.   Here it is: There is nothing unreal in the entire known Universe, with the one exception of what happens in the imaginations of humans. Humans often get trapped in … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, Character, Consumerism, Dysrationalia, Economy, Ethics, Fallacy, History, Logic, Paradigms, Pelham's Laws, Philosophy, Politics, Religion, Science | 1 Comment

30-Year Class Reunion: Finally Ready for High School!

Posted on July 5, 2013 by jackpelham

I hate that I’m missing my 30-year reunion today, it being 2,136 miles away and coming at a time when I just can’t break away from work.   But it’s had me thinking for several weeks now: How was high school?  … Continue reading →

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