Delusion – A fixed false belief that is resistant to reason or confrontation with actual fact. (Dictionary.com) You know these people – at work, in your family, in your church congregation. They will firmly tell you that Joe Biden “stole” the 2020 election. They will tell you that climate change is a hoax. Some of … Read more
The internet has facilitated an explosion of information. Unfortunately, the information literacy skills of most information consumers have not kept pace. Amidst all the noise online, effectively determining what is true or false requires conscious, deliberate, and thoughtful effort. These days anyone who adopts a belief or makes a claim based on information they have … Read more
In the early days of the Internet there was a great deal of optimism. In a 2010 survey of technology leaders, 85% agreed that the “social benefits of internet use will far outweigh the negatives over the next decade.” Eleven years later, it has become clear just how naïve those opinions were. Anonymity The fatal … Read more
But it is not given that one man should possess that which is above another, wherefore the world lieth in sin. Doctrine and Covenants 49:20 This scripture is very specific about the current imbalance of wealth in America and the world. First it says “it is not given.” This means that God did not set … Read more
Too many Americans still believe the story they were taught in school about our government: the “two-party system,” “free and fair elections,” and “consent of the governed.” If you still believe this fairy tale, you haven’t been paying attention to what has happened to the Republican party in recent decades. To use a common metaphor, … Read more
In 2003, the American Psychological Association published a meta-analysis of 88 studies about the psychology of political conservatism. The literature reviewed compared the “cognitive style” and the “motivational needs” of conservatives with those of other political groups. The authors also reviewed research on “dogmatism and intolerance of ambiguity, uncertainty avoidance, need for cognitive closure, and … Read more
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States The … Read more
A grievance is a real or imagined wrong or cause for complaint. Grievances manifest themselves in the form of people taking offense at, or being upset by, perceived unfair treatment. Aggrieved persons who feel rebuked or marginalized often have unmet needs from their childhoods. Harboring a grievance can actually feel good. People frequently cling to … Read more