Philosophy

Intro To Philosophy - My Final Project!
Join Me . . .
. . . in my journey through THE FUNDAMENTALS OF PHILOSOPHY, as I try to figure out the answers to test questions in a subject that, by definition, has no answers! Perhaps I should start at the beginning. I am an old, tired person returning to college after 25 years. (Okay, maybe I'm not THAT old!) I am required to take Fundamentals of Philosophy. (Ughhh.) An assignment for this class is a Final Creative Project, so I have chosen to build a Squidoo Lense - which until a few days ago, I had ne...

WHY FINNISH PEOPLE NEVER RAISE THEIR VOICE: GOOD REASONS FOR HONESTY AND POLITENESS
Good reasons for honesty and politeness
If you have had the chance to work or spend a holiday in Finland, you might have noticed that Finns never raise their voice. Finnish men and women are remarkably polite towards friends and strangers and you will almost never see them quarrel. Finns are also known to be extremely honest and this is reflected in their incredibly low crime figures. Most people react with disbelief when they hear these facts for the first time. "Human nature is similar everywhere," they argue. "We are all made ...

How to find a job during a recession
Looking for a job? Here is some practical advice
Thanks to unemployment, newspapers and television are managing to recapture part of their lost audience. Pictures of forlorn job seekers alternate with interviews of puzzled white-collar workers who, until today, had never given a thought to the possibility of finding themselves on the street. In some countries, the number of job seekers is reaching unheard-of proportions. Ireland and Spain, two of the worse cases, are on their way to a 20% unemployment rate. If disasters paralyse, absolute ...

THERE WERE NO ROSES IN THE TIMES OF MOSES
The story of eleventh commandment
I Joshua woke up in the dark with his heart beating wildly. The nightmare had returned to haunt him, as it had done every night for as long as he could remember. It was always the same anxiety and terror. Why did he dream night after night of being stoned by his own people? He took in a deep breath and tried to slow down his heart, when he heard a noise outside the tent. Was a desert lion roaming the camp? He listened attentively and perceived the sound of steps. The first light of dawn was...

John Vespasian - PEOPLE TO DITCH, THINGS TO DUMP, AND RACES THAT YOU SHOULDN'T RUN: SIMPLIFYING YOUR LIFE
Simplifying your life
Choosing conformity is tantamount to wasting your life in the middle of a crowd after having rendered yourself unable to communicate anything of substance. The alternatives, however, are tough, since most of us have been brought up, trained, and drilled to view approval as a requisite of survival. The problem is that proper human life is hardly possible without frequent dissident behaviour.

THE MIRAGE OF A PERFECT WORLD AND WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID IT
Are your plans rational and workable?
One day, human beings will inhabit a perfect world. There will be no violence and no poverty. Productivity will be high and consumption will take place without waste. Everybody will be free and healthy. The environment will always remain clean and nature, most of the time, green. Discussions are ongoing about how long it is going to take us to get there. Some say a hundred years, others speak about seven times seven generations. Giving a precise estimation is a difficult question, since reac...

John Vespasian - WHY ONLY 1 OUT OF 33 PEOPLE READ BOOKS
Why do people read books?
Despite the abundance of cheap visual entertainment, readers' motivation remains strong. The reason why people read books has nothing to do with the demands of society and everything to do with individual psychology.

How to Find a Great Relationship by JOHN VESPASIAN
The key aspect of a great relationship
JOHN VESPASIAN writes about rational living and is the author of the books "When everything fails, try this" (2009), "Rationality is the way to happiness" (2009) and "The philosophy of builders" (2010). He has resided in New York, Madrid, Paris and Munich. His stories reflect the values of entrepreneurship, tolerance and self-reliance.