On the next Philosophy in Action Radio, I'll answer questions on body acceptance, the reliability of memory, the meaning of induction, and more. The live broadcast begins at 8 am PT / 9 MT / 10 CT / 11 ET on Sunday, 16 March 2014. If you can't attend live, be sure to listen to the podcast later.

Feeling Unproductive, Horror Movies, and More

Q&A Radio: Thursday, 6 February 2014

I answered questions on feeling unproductive, the value of horror movies, and more on Philosophy in Action Radio on Thursday, 6 February 2014. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers was my co-host. You can listen to or download the podcast below.

Remember, Philosophy in Action Radio is available to anyone, free of charge. That's because our goal is to spread rational principles for real life far and wide, as we do every week to thousands of listeners. We love doing that, but each episode requires our time, effort, and money. So if you enjoy and value our work, please contribute to our tip jar. We suggest $5 per episode or $20 per month, but any amount is appreciated. You can send your contribution via Dwolla, PayPal, or US Mail.

My News of the Week: I've been very busy training horses in Aiken, South Carolina, including a jumping lesson today with Olympian Will Coleman. Remember, live broadcasts will be on Thursday evenings for the rest of February!

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Segments: 6 February 2014


Question 1: Feeling Unproductive (4:29)

Question: How can I overcome feeling like a slacker? I am a very productive person, with multiple projects going on simultaneously, both personal and professional. Generally, I handle juggling things pretty well, and accomplish quite a bit. I can usually attain most of my goals, and I like that about myself. (I'm also a pretty ambitious person so I have many big goals.) However, I also often feel like a complete slacker. I can see all of the things I accomplish, but I often feel like I could be doing more – one more thing, one more project. Sometimes, when I look at the things I've accomplished, all I can see are the things I wasn't able to do and it can be easy to feel defeated and negative about that. How can I reconcile the gap here? How can I get better at feeling the sense of accomplishment I think I should – and deserve – to feel? Do you have any ideas for getting rid of this mantle of slackerness I've saddled myself with – unfairly, I think? I've been making some changes that have helped, such as writing down my accomplishments each day, but I'm looking for more ideas.

Answer, In Brief: If you're the kind of person who unjustly thinks himself a slacker, you should (1) arm yourself with the facts by collecting data, (2) be realistic about what you can reasonably do, (3) introspect and monitor yourself to find ways to be more efficient, (4) beware of overcommitment, and (5) be kind to yourself!

Tags: Emotions, Introspection, Objectivity, Productiveness, Productivity, Psychology, Values

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Question 2: The Value of Horror Movies (36:32)

Question: Do horror movies or books have any redeeming value? In The Romantic Manifesto, Ayn Rand argued that horror was the worst genre of art, "belonging more to psychopathology than to esthetics." Is that right? Might a rational person find some value in a horror film or book? Don't some horror movies have heroic characters – such as Arnold Schwarzenegger in Predator?

Answer, In Brief: Horror movies aim to arouse intense feelings of fear via unknown and unmanageable dangers. Many are malevolent and unbounded, but not all. Some people might enjoy them to experience and overcome fear, or simply as a background for good plot and characters.

Tags: Aesthetics, Art, Emotions, Ethics, Film, Psychology, Psychology, Values

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Rapid Fire Questions (53:45)

In this segment, I answered questions chosen at random by Greg Perkins impromptu. The questions were:
  • What would you say to the idea that the desire to pray is a form of obsessive compulsive syndrome? So, a person basically thinks, "I must do this irrational thing x (in this case praying) otherwise I will see bad consequence y."
  • Is it a sign of collectivism that people use words like "we" when talking about history to refer to their racial or national ancestors? (e.g. "We really helped out the French in World War I.")
  • Is it a breach of a child's privacy for a parent to disclose their names on social media? What is the best way to go about protecting a child's future interests while having a life on social media?

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Conclusion (1:01:36)

Thank you for joining us for this episode of Philosophy in Action Radio! If you enjoyed this episode, please contribute to contribute to our tip jar.


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Remember, Philosophy in Action Radio is available to anyone, free of charge. That's because our goal is to spread rational principles for real life far and wide, as we do every week to thousands of listeners. We love doing that, but each episode requires our time, effort, and money. So if you enjoy and value our work, please contribute to our tip jar. We suggest $5 per episode or $20 per month, but any amount is appreciated. You can send your contribution via Dwolla, PayPal, or US Mail.

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About Philosophy in Action Radio

I'm Dr. Diana Hsieh. I'm a philosopher specializing the application of rational principles to the challenges of real life. I received my Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009. My first book, Responsibility & Luck: A Defense of Praise and Blame, is available for purchase in paperback, as well as for Kindle and Nook. The book defends the justice of moral praise and blame of persons using an Aristotelian theory of moral responsibility, thereby refuting Thomas Nagel's "problem of moral luck."

My radio show, Philosophy in Action Radio, broadcasts live over the internet on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. On Sunday mornings, I answer four meaty questions applying rational principles to the challenges of real life in a live hour-long show. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers co-hosts the show. On Wednesday evenings, I interview an expert guest about a topic of practical importance.

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For regular updates, commentary, and humor, read my blog NoodleFood and subscribe to its Blog RSS Feed. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter and connect on social media too.

I can be reached via e-mail to [email protected].

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