New Beliefs, Strategic Default, Swearing, and More
Webcast Q&A: 10 July 2011
I answered questions on announcing life-changing new beliefs, the morality of strategic default, swearing before strangers, letting friends fail, and more on 10 July 2011. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers was my co-host. Listen to or download this episode of Philosophy in Action Radio below.
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.
My News of the Week: While in Los Angeles and Palm Springs, I've mostly been enjoying spending time with family and friends. I've also been working on programming for this webcast, as well as my updates to Explore Atlas Shrugged.
Listen or Download 
- Duration: 1:05:15
- Download: Enhanced M4A File (23.7 MB)
- Download: Standard MP3 File (22.4 MB)
You can automatically download that and other podcasts 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
Share This Episode
Segments: 10 July 2011
Question 1: Announcing Life-Changing New Beliefs
Question: When a person adopts a life-changing set of beliefs, how should he present that to family and friends? The point would not be to try to convince them to follow, but to say "look... this is what I believe, these are the principles by which I now live my life now, and please respect my choice to do so."
Answer, In Brief: You need to focus on what you can do – namely be clear, be firm, and be kind about your change in views and practices.
Tags: Communication, Conflict, Family, Friendship, Philosophy, Relationships
Listen or Download 
Comments
Question 2: The Morality of Strategic Default
Question: Is it moral to strategically default on your mortgage? Suppose that you could continue to pay your mortgage, but you're underwater: you owe more than the house is worth. You realize that you'd save tens of thousands of dollars by defaulting. Would it be morally wrong to default, assuming that you don't engage in any fraud or other dishonesty in doing so? Would it make a difference if you do that in today's highly regulated market versus in a fully free market?
Answer, In Brief: Strategic default is morally wrong: it's dishonest and unjust. It's your job in life to ensure that you borrow money sensibly and then repay those loans.
Tags: Bankruptcy, Business, Ethics, Finances, Honesty, Integrity, Law, Responsibility
Listen or Download
Relevant Links
Comments
Question 3: Swearing Before Strangers
Question: Should you swear in front of strangers? Swearing is sometimes a great "exclamation point" when you're telling a story or having an intense or extraordinary conversation. But, is it appropriate to swear in front of people who don't know you very well? Is that poor manners? Would "being yourself" conflict with "putting your best foot forward" in this case?
Answer, In Brief: Swearing is a minor point of style that a person should use or not depending on his circumstances.
Tags: Communication, Communication, Ethics, Integrity, Relationships
Listen or Download
Comments
Question 4: Letting Friends Fail
Question: Are there times when you shouldn't help a friend? If you see a friend taking some action which may be ultimately self-defeating or self-destructive, but you are pretty sure they don't have the knowledge or experience to understand the future consequences of their actions, should you allow them to learn on their own or stop them from making a mistake that you know will be disastrous?
Answer, In Brief: When a friend seems to be making a mistake, don't shoot first then ask questions later. Instead, ask questions first, then think about their answers, then give your advice if it's wanted, and then see what happens.
Tags: Communication, Conflict, Ethics, Friendship, Moral Wrongs, Relationships
Listen or Download
Comments
Rapid Fire Questions (47:30)
- What do you think of interventions?
- What is bankruptcy? Should a person's debt expire?
- What if you approached the bank with a speculative loan and were upfront about it (accepting a higher interest rate, etc.)? Is it OK to default if the property value crashes?
- Why are some words considered bad – and is that right?
- Does the fact that Tourettes sufferers involuntarily spew "bad" words indicate a low level psychological acceptance of social language norms?
- If a person just thinks destructive thoughts, does that make the person evil?
- Where's the line between sharing new ideas and information with friends and family – and proselytizing to them?
- What is your opinion of the Suicide Girls?
- Do adult children have an obligation to maintain a relationship with their parents?
- Does the failure of an incorporated business - say an S corporation - impose moral obligations on the owners to pay those debts from other income?
- Should pediatricians ask their patients about guns in the house?
Listen or Download
Comments
Conclusion (1:03:58)
Thank you for joining us for this episode of Philosophy in Action Radio! If you enjoyed this episode, please contribute to contribute to our tip jar.
Support Philosophy in Action
Once you submit this form, you'll be automatically redirected to a page for payment. If you have any questions or further comments, please email me at [email protected].
Thank you for contributing to Philosophy in Action! You make our work possible every week, and we're so grateful for that!
If you enjoy Philosophy in Action, please help us spread the word about it! Tell your friends about upcoming broadcasts by forwarding our newsletter. Link to episodes or segments from our topics archive. Share our blog posts, podcasts, and events on Facebook and Twitter. Rate and review the podcast in iTunes (M4A and MP3). We appreciate any and all of that!
About Philosophy in Action
I'm Dr. Diana Brickell. I'm a philosopher specializing in the application of rational principles to the challenges of real life. I received my Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009. My book, Responsibility & Luck: A Defense of Praise and Blame, is available for purchase in paperback and Kindle. The book defends the justice of moral praise and blame of persons using an Aristotelian theory of moral responsibility, thereby refuting Thomas Nagel's "problem of moral luck."
My radio show, Philosophy in Action Radio, broadcasts live over the internet on most Sunday mornings and some Thursday evenings. On Sunday mornings, I answer questions applying rational principles to the challenges of real life in a live hour-long show. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers co-hosts the show. On Thursday evenings, I interview an expert guest or discuss a topic of interest.
If you join us for the live broadcasts, you can ask follow-up questions and make comments in the text-based chat. Otherwise, you can listen to the podcast by subscribing to our Podcast RSS Feed. You can also peruse the podcast archive, where episodes and questions are sorted by date and by topic.
For regular commentary, announcement, and humor, read my blog NoodleFood and subscribe to its Blog RSS Feed. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter and connect on social media too.
I can be reached via e-mail to [email protected].
Copyright Diana Brickell | Web | Email | Twitter | Facebook