You’ve probably seen the phrase decision tree before. It’s become a frequent element in op-ed columns such as this one. While it looks forbiddingly formal and technical, it refers to one of the most pedestrian things in human life: our priorities and how we use them to make choices. Everyone has priorities. However, …
Category: trust
Aug 02 2021
The Paramount Social Principle
Way back when the world was, if not new, still only gently used, I wrote a rather melancholic piece about the loss of trust. It evoked a range of reactions from “C’mon!” all the way to “It’s even worse than you think, Fran.” But I was mostly right. Where I failed was in noting …
Jul 03 2021
Formerly Unconscionable Connections
News item: Former Police Officer Recounts Witnessing ‘Industrialized’ Organ Harvesting in China The following are questions our society would almost certainly have insisted be asked in another era. Have you asked what is the source of your life-saving organ? To what soul or grieving family may you direct thanks for it? If you asked, did …
Apr 08 2021
Authority Versus Evidence
It’s risky to reflexively attribute actual knowledge to persons who represent themselves as “authorities.” More Americans have been led badly astray by such “authorities” than have contracted the Wuhan Virus. Speaking of which, courtesy of Ragin’ Dave at Peace or Freedom, here’s a contemporary example: Last month, when Texas Governor Greg Abbott axed …
Mar 10 2021
Rejoining One Another
A passage in Bookworm’s piece for today resonated powerfully with me: One of the things that has helped me be a nicer person is discovering that, if you ask the right questions, everyone has something interesting to tell. For that reason, I always start conversations with people — clerks, gardeners, guard gates, whomever. …
Mar 10 2021
What Comes Of The Loss Of Trust
“A thousand truths do not mark a man as a truth-teller, but a single lie marks him as a damned liar….Lying to other people is your business, but I tell you this: once a man gets a reputation as a liar, he might as well be struck dumb, for people do not listen to …
Fran’s Recent Novels
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