On Sunday’s episode of Philosophy in Action Radio, Greg Perkins and I answered questions on confidence in opinions, delegation in marriage, deriving self-esteem from university study, and more. The podcast of that episode is now available for streaming or downloading.
You can automatically download podcasts of Philosophy in Action Radio by subscribing to Philosophy in Action’s Podcast RSS Feed:
- Enhanced M4A Feed: Subscribe via iTunes or another podcast player
- Standard MP3 Feed: Subscribe via iTunes or another podcast player
Whole Podcast: 16 August 2015
Listen or Download:
- Duration: 1:05:40
- Download: Enhanced M4A File (23.6 MB)
- Download: Standard MP3 File (22.6 MB)
Remember the Tip Jar!
The mission of Philosophy in Action is to spread rational principles for real life… far and wide. That’s why the vast majority of my work is available to anyone, free of charge. I love doing the radio show, but each episode requires an investment of time, effort, and money to produce. So if you enjoy and value that work of mine, please contribute to the tip jar. I suggest $5 per episode or $20 per month, but any amount is appreciated. In return, contributors can request that I answer questions from the queue pronto, and regular contributors enjoy free access to premium content and other goodies.
Podcast Segments: 16 August 2015
You can download or listen to my answers to individual questions from this episode below.
Introduction
My News of the Week: I’m recovered from my migraines, thank goodness!
Question 1: Confidence in Opinions
Question: How much confidence should a person express in her own opinions? I work with a woman who constantly makes declarative statements about things for which she lacks sufficient facts and knowledge. The result is that she is often contradicted and people have to tell her, “That’s not true.” She will argue with them and then they have to prove her wrong so that the conversation can move forward. By contrast, I’ve noticed that I often express uncertainty in ways that undermine confidence in my knowledge and experience. The default position I tend to take is that maybe I am missing something and the other people in the conversation can give me that information. How does one learn to strike the right balance between being open to new facts and information but also being confident in one’s own knowledge and experience?
My Answer, In Brief: The problem with your co-worker is not overconfidence, but a lack of concern for the facts but instead having some other agenda. That’s the key to not being underconfident or overconfident: focusing on the facts, including the evidence that justifies your beliefs, and then accurately conveying that to others.
Listen or Download:
- Start Time: 2:32
- Duration: 25:26
- Download: MP3 Segment
- Tags: Certainty, Confidence, Epistemology, Irrationality, Psychology, Rationality, Rhetoric
To comment on this question or my answer, visit its comment thread.
Question 2: Delegation in Marriage
Question: When is delegation in a marriage irresponsible or unwise? 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?
My Answer, In Brief: It’s good to delegate in marriage based on strengths and weaknesses. However, that’s different from one spouse enabling dependence and psychological problems in the other. Instead, use your spouse’s help to overcome these problems so that you’re more competent at life.
Listen or Download:
- Start Time: 27:59
- Duration: 21:08
- Download: MP3 Segment
- Tags: Delegation, Marriage, Psychology, Relationships, Skills
To comment on this question or my answer, visit its comment thread.
Question 3: Deriving Self-Esteem from University Study
Question: Can a person derive any self-esteem or happiness from university study? Study is not a productive activity: it is preparation for future productivity. In light of this, how can I draw any self-esteem from my studies, whether successful or not? Can I consider my learning as “productive achievement” even though I am not making any money from it or creating anything? Do I have to wait until later to start being happy or feeling self-esteem? Should I be working on the side while taking classes?
My Answer, In Brief: You can and should derive self-esteem and happiness from university study – and from every life-serving activity, even if not productive work. If that weren’t the case, a person wouldn’t survive to the point of starting his career.
Listen or Download:
- Start Time: 49:08
- Duration: 8:17
- Download: MP3 Segment
- Tags: Academia, Emotions, Ethics, Happiness, Objectivism, Productiveness, Rationalism, Self-Esteem, Work
To comment on this question or my answer, visit its comment thread.
Rapid Fire Questions
Questions:
- What do you think is the status of the death premise in America? Is hatred of the good for being the good a major force? What are some examples of that premise at work in modern America?
- What do you think of the presidential candidacy of Donald Trump?
Listen or Download:
- Start Time: 57:25
- Duration: 6:19
- Download: MP3 Segment
To comment on these questions or my answers, visit its comment thread.
Conclusion
Be sure to check out the topics scheduled for upcoming episodes! Don’t forget to submit and vote on questions for future episodes too!
- Start Time: 1:03:45
About Philosophy in Action Radio
Philosophy in Action Radio focuses on the application of rational principles to the challenges of real life. It broadcasts live on most Sunday mornings and many Thursday evenings over the internet. For information on upcoming shows, visit the Episodes on Tap. For podcasts of past shows, visit the Show Archives.
