The Conversation

                Many things in life are disappointing. More things are disappointing than might be under different circumstances. What we expect to happen often does not meet the reality after we have met that goal. This sense of expectations being far “better” than reality shows life to be creates dissatisfaction, which in turn creates anxiety and a need to reduce the negative feelings. It is this cycle of dissatisfaction that is Grass is Greener Syndrome. This series of emotional and behavioral reactions to unmet expectations are one of the causes of the social ills we find as an affluent society (or at least the sections of society that experience affluence).               We’ve all heard the phrase “the grass is greener on the other side.” In Hardcore Zen, the author points out that we always expect the grass to be greener, but it is never as gre...

              “To refuse a hearing to an opinion, because they are sure it is false, is to assume that their certainty is the same thing as absolute certainty. All silencing of discussion is as assumption of infallibility.” - John Stuart Mill, On Liberty               The nineteenth century philosopher, quoted above, discussed the nature of freedom of speech and its impact on society, among other things. One idea that I have wrestled with is the polarizing opinions that seem to dominate discussion. This problem manifests itself on the freedom and censorship of speech on the internet. This conundrum has led to the digital powers that be to censor those whose opinions seem detrimental to society. I will admit that I agree with their opinion, but as I learn more about the nature of liberty, I know that this action is not moral.     ...