Q&A Webcast Episode: 7 November 2010
In this 7 November 2010 episode of Q&A Webcast, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered five questions on jobs of necessity rather than passion, contentious objectivist debates, a cheating friend, helping a friend with depression, reminders of death, and more in an hour-long broadcast.
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Segments: 7 November 2010
Question 1: Jobs of Necessity Rather Than Passion (2:17)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on jobs of necessity rather than passion.
We are sometimes forced to choose a professional endeavor out of financial necessity rather than professional passion, leading to difficulty in motivation and decreased creative output. How might one improve effectiveness under those circumstances?
Tags: Business, Career, Finances, Productiveness, Work
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Question 2: Contentious Objectivist Debates (14:25)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on contentious objectivist debates.
Objectivists seem to be disagreeing a lot recently about some hot button issues. Do you have any principles to suggest on how to best handle such disagreements?
Tags: Communication, Etiquette, Justice, Objectivist Movement, Relationships
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Question 3: A Cheating Friend (32:28)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on a cheating friend.
A friend (we were once close, but have grown apart in recent years) confides that she is cheating on her husband and has no plans to tell him. I have no idea what to do – I neither wanted this secret nor want to help keep it from the husband. I'm angry.
Tags: Ethics, Friendship, Honesty, Infidelity, Marriage, Relationships, Sanction
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Question 4: Helping a Friend with Depression (38:31)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on helping a friend with depression.
If you have a dear friend with depression that is honestly struggling, what can you do to help? I've listened. I've recommended a book Mind Over Mood. I've sent a picture each day of a memory and what is says about her i.e. focus on the positive.
Tags: Benevolence, Friendship, Psychology
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Question 5: Reminders of Death (41:47)
In this segment, Dr. Diana Hsieh answered a question on reminders of death.
Why do some habitually project their death as a means of silencing criticisms or getting people to do what they want? E.g. a senior that intimidates his children to answer the phone by stating his next call might be while he's actively dying.
Tags: Communication, Death, Ethics, Relationships
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Conclusion (45:55)
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About Philosophy in Action Q&A Webcast
Every Sunday morning, philosopher Dr. Diana Hsieh answers four meaty questions applying rational principles to the challenges of real life in her live hour-long internet radio show, Philosophy in Action Advice Radio. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers co-hosts the show. The audience can ask follow-up questions and make comments in the text-based chat.
You can listen to Philosophy in Action broadcasts as podcasts by subscribing to the Philosophy in Action's Podcast RSS Feeds. Be sure to sign up for the Newsletter and connect on social media.
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For regular updates, commentary, and humor from Dr. Diana Hsieh, visit her blog NoodleFood, and subscribe to its rss feed.
Dr. Diana Hsieh is a philosopher specializing in practical ethics. She received her Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009. Her dissertation argued that Thomas Nagel's "problem of moral luck" can be resolved by an Aristotelian theory of moral responsibility. She began podcasting in 2009, then webcasting in 2010.
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