Most of us embrace the truth of the “theory” evolution. But nonetheless we act and think as if evolution is an evil. A natural part of evolution is that species go extinct – and in two important respects we want to deny this. Continue reading
Why do companies advertise? Because advertisement makes people buy their products. And we are far over the original intention of “informing” people of a products’ existence. Ads today are means of influence, based on solid psychological research, made specifically to influence us the most possible. But why should we accept this? Why should we allow people to purposefully manipulate others – us – into spending money and destroying their health?
We have to realise that the question “is there is a right to advertisement” – which initially we all would like to answer “of course” – has a twin, and they always come together: “Is there a right to be unmanipulated?” or “Is there a right to be able to make decisions in one’s best self-interest?”
Somehow we happen to hide our sexuality. We hide our bodies under clothes, prevent our children from encountering nudity and feel, in most cases, that it is despicable to show yourself with less clothes than everybody else – and a crime, when with none. But this is an interesting fact: If you look at the media, at advertisements, at clothing, dancing, sport or the internet: Sexuality is nonetheless all-pervasive in our lives. Clear, in gestures, movement, sounds, words and pictures – plain obvious to see for everyone. I would even dare to say: everything we humans do out there is full of sex or sexuality, of good looking men and women presenting products – or themselves – to inform, entertain or influence us. A recent study even found that 37% of the internet is porn – and, to be honest, I’m surprised! I’m surprised it is not more… Continue reading
Much of how we live today is shaped by a massive illusion. It is not an illusion that somebody implanted, purposefully, into our heads. No – it is an illusion that made us, that is part of the stock of ideas that shapes our way of thinking. I want to examine and explain in the following article why (I think) this is so – and argue that the only way to live our life fully is to accept that part of our beliefs is just an illusion. Continue reading
Tolerance means accepting other’s opinions and beliefs no matter how wrong we think they are. Why should we tolerate beliefs that in our eyes are simply plain false? Isn’t it obvious that [choose one] is idiotic and just ridiculous? Drawing on a famous philosophical argument I want to elaborate here on why other’s beliefs can and must seem false to us and why we are, nonetheless, rationally obliged to be tolerant. Continue reading
