<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel>
<title>Idea.informer.com RSS - Philosophy In Action</title>
<link>http://idea.informer.com</link>
<language>en</language>
<copyright>UserIdea.com</copyright>
<item>
<title>Should I cheat the system to get my job back?</title>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2015 16:06:05 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://rationallyselfish.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=97785</link>
<description><![CDATA[For my main source of income, I work as a virtual call center agent through a freelance company that hires people as independent contractors rather than employees. I don't love the job, but the flexibility it provides is vital to my way of life and pursuit of my central purpose. The arrangement is totally impersonal; nobody at the company that provides the work knows any of the workers; one pretty much just signs up, submits to a background check, and starts working. I recently got fired from the job for violating a company policy that I thought was unimportant. One you get fired, you can't work through them again. However, there are several ways I could do the job again. One is to create an account using my dad's identity with his permission and have him pay me the wages. The other is to get a new social security number by faking the theft of my own identity, (which I would do without stealing any money from anyone). Once I get a new social security number, I could create a new account and continue undetected. I don't want to be dishonest, but I don't want to change my way of life either. What are the moral and practical implications of what I'm considering?]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Is the lack of racial and sexual diversity in the workplace a problem?</title>
<pubDate>Thu, 30 Jul 2015 13:13:38 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://rationallyselfish.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=96666</link>
<description><![CDATA[Lately, there have been a lot of discussions about the lack of diversity in the tech industry. I have been asked to fill out surveys indicating my gender and race, which I politely refuse to complete. I don't see how my sex or the color of my skin impacts my work as an engineer. Some companies promote diversity statistics on their blog and claim that they're working to improve workplace diversity. In late July, Pinterest posted a similar blog entry (https://blog.pinterest.com/en/our-plan-more-diverse-pinterest), and went even further by explicitly setting goals to hire women and people of "underrepresented ethnic backgrounds."  Is this lack of diversity a problem in an industry? If so, what kinds of measures should be used to address it?]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>What is the difference between familiarity and intimacy?</title>
<pubDate>Tue, 28 Jul 2015 13:00:44 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://rationallyselfish.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=96624</link>
<description><![CDATA[In a recent Facebook post, you wrote: "Lately, I've been thinking about the difference between mere familiarity with another person and the intimacy of a deep connection. By familiarity, I mean that each person knows what the other is up to, how they spend their days, what their concerns are, how they're likely to act, etc. In contrast, the intimacy of a deep connection requires openness, vulnerability, visibility, total trust, generosity with the self, accessibility, etc. (Intimacy often involves familiarity, but not necessarily.) Obviously, I'm thinking here of the psychological aspects of a relationship, although I think that the distinction works for physical and sexual aspects too, if they exist." Can you say more about this difference? How does it impact a person's psychology and various relationships?]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>How can a person use accountabilibuddies to be more productive?</title>
<pubDate>Tue, 28 Jul 2015 12:57:05 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://rationallyselfish.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=96623</link>
<description><![CDATA[Lately, you've mentioned using accountabilibuddies to help break bad habits, cultivate new habits, get more done, or eliminate procrastination.  How does that work? What kind of person do you want as you accountabilibuddy?  What do you do for them? What do they do for you?  What are the major benefits? What are some of the pitfalls to avoid? ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Did Hank Rearden really threaten to beat up Lillian Rearden in Atlas Shrugged?</title>
<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 2015 13:12:21 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://rationallyselfish.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=96334</link>
<description><![CDATA[Consider the following quote from Atlas Shrugged: "'Lillian,' he said, in an unstressed voice that did not grant her even the honor of anger, 'you are not to speak of her to me. If you ever do it again, I will answer you as I would answer a hoodlum: I will beat you up. Neither you nor anyone else is to discuss her.' (p. 530).  Was Hank serious in his threat, or were these just the words he chose to emphasize how important the issue was to him?  Ayn Rand's heroes tend to be very careful and literal in their word choice, but I can't imagine Hank would ever have followed through with this.  As evil as Lillian was, I don't think assaulting her can be justified.  What's the right interpretation of this passage?]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Is collecting and selling organs from aborted fetuses morally abhorrent?</title>
<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 2015 12:41:20 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://rationallyselfish.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=96331</link>
<description><![CDATA[A controversial story about abortion recently arose after some undercover reporters published a video online (https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=273&v=jjxwVuozMnU).  The reporters were pretending to be businesspeople seeking to collect organs from fetuses aborted at Planned Parenthood clinics.  The story has raised strong emotions on both sides.  Is it moral, and should it be legal for these clinics to collect organs and tissue to sell them for either scientific research or medical procedures?  Ought consent from the mother be given before this can happen?  Is it okay for the mother to negotiate a fee with the clinic for any transactions that occur?  
]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Is vulnerability of value?</title>
<pubDate>Tue, 14 Jul 2015 11:23:12 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://rationallyselfish.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=96309</link>
<description><![CDATA[In a recent blog post, you stated "...I’m opting for a “vulnerability through strength” and “strength through vulnerability” route..." Could you please explain this idea? Why is vulnerability something that should be cultivated in the first place? It doesn't seem compatible with rational egoism, given that "vulnerability" and "weakness" are often used interchangeably. ]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>How can I counter the effects of ghosting in dating?</title>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Jul 2015 23:12:41 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://rationallyselfish.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=96297</link>
<description><![CDATA[Ghosting is when one person disappears from a relationship -- suddenly cutting off all contact -- without rhyme or reason or explanation of any kind.  How does that affect the ghoster and the ghostee?  Personally, when I go on dates, it does not matter how well they go. Even if I get my date’s number at the end of the night (if I didn’t already have it), my default assumption is that I will never hear from them again even if I try to contact them. Even if there are second and third dates, I still carry the expectation that I will be ghosted. Currently, being ghosted does not have as much of an emotional impact as it used to for me, but I think that's because I expect it now (which is, unfortunately, justified). When I don't receive a call or text after a 24 hour period, I consider myself ghosted and move on...but I find that that window is getting smaller.  How can I psychologically arm myself against the damage of this increasingly prevalent practice while not simultaneously shutting down my ability to be emotionally vulnerable and open to new relationships? What should ghosters be doing instead of just disappearing?]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Do doctors deserve our trust?</title>
<pubDate>Wed, 08 Jul 2015 18:05:08 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://rationallyselfish.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=96137</link>
<description><![CDATA[It seems that the majority of doctors are extremely second-handed today. Their attitudes toward medicine revolve around what they were taught in school and the edicts of the FDA.They have almost no intellectual independence and would be paralyzed without their structure of authority to tell them what to do. Like most people they are clueless about the free market. How can anyone trust their judgment given this second-handedness?]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>How do we keep good ideas from becoming trite?</title>
<pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2015 20:07:46 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://rationallyselfish.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=95971</link>
<description><![CDATA[Individualism is a big part of American culture, so much so that I think certain aspects of it have become trite. I know that as a kid I would always roll my eyes at such cliches as "be yourself" and "follow your dreams." Even though on reflection they were actually good advice, they always sounded phony to me and I think most people felt the same and continue to feel that way for all their lives. I've been inspired a lot by some of Ayn Rand's writings, but if her ideas were to become more commonplace, I wonder whether the principles of Objectivism would just start to sound like more uninspiring platitudes. How can we prevent this? How can we rescue good ideas from being dismissed as clichés?]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>When is delegation in a marriage irresponsible or unwise?</title>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 Jun 2015 20:11:21 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://rationallyselfish.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=95725</link>
<description><![CDATA[There are some parts of normal adult life that I'm really bad at, in part due to social anxiety.  Examples include calling or meeting with companies (airlines, banks, etc) to make changes, writing emails that involve stress or conflict, scheduling events that we'll both attend, budgeting and finance, driving and navigating, and dealing with mechanical stuff. Should I ask my husband to do those chores? If I ask for help, I worry that I'm being weak, lazy, and avoiding my responsibilities. On the other hand, if I try to do the hard things on my own, I often mess up.  Where's the line between delegating and shirking?]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Should I change my name when I marry?</title>
<pubDate>Sun, 21 Jun 2015 09:14:04 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://rationallyselfish.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=95604</link>
<description><![CDATA[I'm a gay man who is engaged to be married. The question has come up about whether or not either of us would change our last name and historically we've said no.  We have just thought we would just maintain our given names. My fiance doesn't want to change his name and we both think trying to hyphenate our last names would be unwieldy and fussy. But as we've talked about planning a family in the future, it's occurred to me that I actually like the idea of sharing a name with my husband and my children. So, I've been considering changing my name. Somewhat ironically, however, changing my name means giving up a five-generation-old family name in order to take on the name of our new family.  I don't mind this irony very much since my decision would be about taking on a family I choose rather than one I don't. What do you think? What pros and cons do you see for changing your name at marriage? Do you see any additional pros or cons for gay men considering this question?]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Is it wrong to take up a hobby for the sake of dating?</title>
<pubDate>Sun, 21 Jun 2015 05:09:52 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://rationallyselfish.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=95596</link>
<description><![CDATA[I'm single, and I want to meet more women. Is it wrong or unwise to take up hobbies like dancing, acting, painting, singing, or guitar just to have some skill to show and to meet women interested in those activities? I wouldn't take up these hobbies without the dating angle: I'm just not interested in them, at least not right now.  Is that wrong?]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Is loving and excelling at the process of the work enough for a career?</title>
<pubDate>Sun, 21 Jun 2015 04:58:48 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://rationallyselfish.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=95594</link>
<description><![CDATA[In your June 14th, 2015 discussing of choosing a career, you said that a person should love the day-to-day process of doing the work, not merely the effects it creates. What about the reserve problem -- meaning that you enjoy the day-to-day work but you don't feel very inspired by its effects, and you feel like it's not important, inspiring, or real work?  In my own case, I enjoy translation, foreign languages and linguistics. I taught myself French and German, and I am teaching myself several more languages. When I began tutoring others, I realized that I learn instantly what others struggle to master. I'm fascinated by how different languages express the same thought, and I'll lose myself in the process of translation. However, I don't find myself inspired by the results. If I were to translate patents or fiction, I wouldn't feel like I was doing much of importance. Plus, I'd not feel like I was doing any real work because it's like playing to me. Also, it doesn't pay well. I'm also interested in technology and electronics, and I like the process of programming too.  I feel like the effects of programming are more inspiring and have way more potential, but I have more aptitude for languages. Given these factors, how should I decide on a career path?]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title>Is it wrong for a woman not to report a sexual assault?</title>
<pubDate>Fri, 19 Jun 2015 09:03:22 -0400</pubDate>
<link>http://rationallyselfish.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=95544</link>
<description><![CDATA[I harshly judge grown women who do not report or otherwise address sexual assault.  (I say "address" because I'm super picky about bringing in the police on questionable matters, but saying something about it to mutual contacts often might be enough.) I'm missing the empathy component when some douche assaults one lady after another. I do not understand why someone would not address this in some way: assault is a major deal. But maybe I am being too harsh. How should these women be judged?]]></description>
</item>
</channel></rss>