They all agree that some people are insufficiently skeptical, fail to appreciate their own fallibility, and/or are way too swayed by some version of authority (e.g., the consensus, unorthodox thinkers of one’s own choosing, this particular subset of research, gut feeling…).
Of course there are reasons other than I've discussed why healthcare spending is so much higher in the US than other developed countries. Drug costs play a role, as do high administrative costs and patient characteristics (e.g., demanding, non-compliant and obese).
...specialists get paid more in The Netherlands and Australia, but the healthcare systems in those countries use GPs as gatekeepers, meaning to see a specialist, your GP has to refer you to one. Gatekeeping is an important cost-containment measure... Gatekeeping is not nearly as widespread in the US.
...a hospital stay in the US is over $18,000 on average. The countries that come closest to spending as much — Canada, the Netherlands, Japan — spend between $4,000 and $6,000 less per stay.
The imminent dismantling of Obamacare is a shame and an opportunity to do it better next time. Two main challenges: reining in cost and achieving universal coverage. This series will address the cost issue.
Why does this matter? Because losing focus and having attention captured by whatever can enhance creativity, problem-solving, even wisdom.
The problem with sentences is that we rarely know what they mean without knowing what came before and what came after. Not to mention all the background information. Plus all the non-sentence-like stuff going on. Bigger worlds and smaller worlds. All are being spoken to. Or “thought” to.
In none of these articles were there specific references or links to academic papers. Rather, the authors use markers of scientific authority to present their claims as “facts”.
So a thought can be a process, the outcome of a process, capacity, inchoate intention, opinion, state of beholding, state of awareness, tentative belief, or an act of contemplation. Is there a common theme to these definitions?
Why are large farms increasing? Partly because families are better able to handle the logistical and financial challenges of running big operations, thanks to labor-saving innovations that favor scale economies.
Harming others directly through hands-on action is harder on our psyches than causing harm indirectly, either through inaction or action at a remove (e.g., pulling a switch, pressing a button).
Education, healthcare, healthy food, safety, and housing: those are the basic goods governments should strive to provide for all citizens. Plus some type of safety net...
16. Expand captive breeding programs to improve genetic diversity of endangered species and develop genetically viable populations for eventual habitat return...
Authority includes the most tyrannical of masters: our past selves. Just because something was crystal clear at 25 doesn’t mean it holds water now. Just because we were passionate doesn’t mean we were right.
To think is to follow a scent, focused and determined. To think is to pursue. To wonder is to become a vessel. To wonder is to be filled.
Poor farmers often lack the resources to maintain or improve the productivity of their land. As the soil becomes depleted, they will move operations if they can – leaving a used-up landscape behind...
One out of five plant species are threatened with extinction. Almost a quarter of mammal species are endangered. The situation is just as bad or worse for reptiles (21% endangered), amphibians (30%), fish (21%), insects (22%) and mollusks (41%). Birds are doing slightly better (“just” 12% endangered). Habitat loss is the main culprit.
Reality is bigger than matters of fact. Matters of fact are a subset of reality and a product of our attention. Our attention is a product of our concerns.
Patriotism is devotion and loyalty to one’s country. Some say patriotism is the author of all sorts of ills. It easily morphs into its ugly cousin Nationalism, that bully with a superiority complex. By favoring one’s own country over others, patriotism encourages the denigration, hatred or distrust of others, making violations of human rights more acceptable.
Optimism undermines success when it’s based on magical thinking. We engage in magical thinking when we believe happy endings are the result of a will-to-success. Voila! It will happen because I Can Do It.