8 Jun, 2023
Until recently, I didn't appreciate this topic. In my view, it was a hobby horse (Dutch: stokpaardje) of the liberal-left. Today, my perspective is shifting following its drivers, being: (i) increasing life expectancy or demographics, (ii) being irrelevant to society, (iii) declining religion, and (iv) urbanisation. In many countries, the average age of the...
5 Jun, 2023
Recently, I noticed this strange question above in an Aeon-Psyche article: Do we have good reasons to believe in beliefs? A radical philosophy of mind says no. Last Saturday, a new friend said the following: "Believing is in the nature of mankind; it's a clear feeling. You're almost born with it." I couldn't agree more with what he said. It was in a slightly...
31 May, 2023
Recently, Belgian newspaper De Standaard published an article stating that a feeling of impoverishment pushes voters towards extremist sides. Hence, more inequality is responsible for more polarization in our societies. Also see my April 12 blog: Politics, a belief in (in)equality. For some time, I have noticed an increasing radicalization in the beliefs of...
26 May, 2023
Recently, someone asked me the above question. She was serious, while I hardly know her. Our geographical distance prevents a quick visit. I answered her by using a quote from Dutch statesman Johan Rudolph Thorbecke (1798-1872): “Trust comes by foot and leaves on horseback.” The question above is often abused by scammers. Once you reply with a “Yes” then you will be...
12 May, 2023
My blog title is borrowed from a 2023 Aeon essay on Known unknowables. Known unknowns is another term for human beliefs and our related 7 Belief systems (ie, 2015 original, 2019 update, 2023 update). Beliefs are the "things" we know that we do not know but still believe. "They thought of their scepticism as a way of life – as a way of reaching ataraxia or...
11 May, 2023
I've always viewed the moral hazard problem as a macro rather than a micro issue (eg, too big to fail, privatizing profits, socializing losses). I was wrong. Recently, I realised I also have a moral hazard problem. I prioritize my integrity over opportunism. Hence, I get less reward by taking less (opportunistic) risk. One could argue I'm walking the moral high...
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