Abductive Reasoning and the Pursuit of Truth Through Imperfection

Abductive reasoning is a form of logical inference that starts with observations and seeks the simplest, most likely explanation, embracing uncertainty and iteration. It thrives on generating and refining hypotheses, often leading to surprising yet plausible conclusions, as seen in Sherlock Holmes’ investigative approach. Abductive iteration is the cyclical process within abductive reasoning where initial imperfect hypotheses are proposed, tested against evidence, and refined or discarded in repeated loops. It […] Read more »

Connecting the Character Traits of Pride, Humility, and Dignity Together

Pride, humility, and dignity emerge as authentic virtues when they arise from an internal locus of identity, shaped by self-awareness and rational integrity. These internalized traits stand in sharp contrast to their externalized distortions—arrogance, pretentiousness, and a superficial mimicry of dignity—which depend on an external locus of control or identity for validation. Ayn Rand, the creator of Objectivism, extolled pride as a moral summit, while rejecting humility as a flaw. […] Read more »

Tariff Wars! Sociocentrism, Balkanization, and the Fracturing of Society

I have observed that Donald Trump is taking a lot of mostly non-aggressive, aka defensive, measures around the world in relationship to America and her interests, and that is what is tweaking everyone’s anger at him. This happened to us personally in the micro while living in the Europe; it was our protective actions around our family that got us into trouble, actions that would have been unnecessary had the […] Read more »

Modesty: the Faux Humility

I often joke around and tell people “I’m the most humble person I’ve met, but I’m not modest”, but I say this to poke at them because I also know that society doesn’t encourage people to develop their inner humility in a quest for unerring truth like I do, nor do most people approach life through the lens of the Socratic paradox of “I know that I know nothing” as […] Read more »

A Philosophical Understanding of What it Means to Invite Jesus into One’s Heart

The Christian experience of conversion, such as inviting Jesus into one’s heart to be “saved,” begins with an act of humility that reflects the recognition of a need for Divine understanding. This initial step, akin to the “grammar” phase of the Trivium where foundational knowledge is acquired, involves a willful acknowledgment of human limitation and a turning toward God’s grace. It aligns with Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace […] Read more »

Inner Character and Good Faith Conversations

Holding a conversation in good faith, which is a conversation that places the truth above one’s desire to win and be right, requires at least five (of the eight) intellectual character traits developed within the individual: intellectual humility, because an awareness of one’s limitations is necessary to engage free from the Dunning-Kruger Effect. Arrogant people assume to know way more than they actually do, whereas humble people are keenly aware […] Read more »

Equality & Equal Outcome is a Myth

‪Equality between people is a myth; those who want to feel equal actually want to feel special, to feel that their uniqueness can contribute and add value in some way. Those who don’t feel special feel inferior, and they try to find ways to compensate for their feelings of inferiority by trying to feel equal, but one cannot reach equality from inferiority, one can only flip into its dualistic counterpart […] Read more »