Posted on March 7, 2006 by Robert Ringer
In my article Inferring with Caution, I discussed the dangers inherent in basing one’s premises and assumptions on a priori arguments. An a priori argument is one in which a person’s conclusion is masked as a premise. In finer circles, it has come to be known as an argument that doesn’t pass the kosher test. […]
Posted on March 7, 2006 by Robert Ringer
March 1, 2006 was a sad day for the cause of liberty. Sad because a true ethical giant of our time, Harry Browne, passed away. Browne was the Libertarian Party candidate in the 1996 and 2000 presidential elections. His calm, logical way of expressing libertarian beliefs earned him the respect of many big-name interviewers on […]
Posted on February 21, 2006 by Robert Ringer
In his book Before the Sabbath, Eric Hoffer offered his usual fascinating insights into what he referred to as a priori logic (the logic upon which a priori arguments are based). Among other things, Hoffer wrote: “A priori logic assumes that people will be happier when they have more. The logic of events shows that […]
Posted on January 14, 2006 by Robert Ringer
Like the real estate brokerage business, the form of the stock market continues to change. But the human factors that drive the market — such as greed, self-delusion, and emotion — remain the same from century to century. One of the most dramatic changes in form is scheduled to be finalized about the time you’ll […]
Posted on November 12, 2005 by Robert Ringer
Dr. Andrew Weil is back with another bestseller — Healthy Aging. Weil has probably done more than anyone else to bring so-called conventional medicine and holistic medicine together. Before him, most doctors and the American Medical Association pretty much looked down on the notion of “alternative” approaches to medicine. Time magazine recently did an excerpt […]
Posted on September 3, 2005 by Robert Ringer
I’ve had a surprising number of people tell me over the years that they don’t carry an American Express card, because there are too many businesses that won’t accept it. The reason, of course, is that Amex charges retail establishments an average fee of 2.5 percent of the total purchase for the privilege of accepting […]
Posted on July 23, 2005 by Robert Ringer
Following are some words that Andy Rooney says cause him to toss envelopes in the wastebasket without opening them: Important. Rooney says that if an envelope contains the word important, you can be sure it isn’t. Urgent. Not! Do Not Discard. Intimidating ploy. Open Immediately. This tells you that you need not be in a […]
Posted on June 11, 2005 by Robert Ringer
Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald’s, never grew tired of preaching to his executives that McDonald’s was, first and foremost, in the hamburger business. While it was somewhat of a necessity for the company to expand its menu to include non-hamburger sandwiches and other items such as salads and ice cream, Kroc intuitively understood that a […]
Posted on June 4, 2005 by Robert Ringer
Bill Gates was recently on the front cover of not one, but two major magazines — Time and Fortune. What makes this especially remarkable is the fact that the two cover stories, which came out at virtually the same time, focused on totally different aspects of Microsoft’s business. Imagine having such a great impact on […]
Posted on April 9, 2005 by Robert Ringer
Prominently displayed in the main hallway of my son’s school is a large sign that lists “Life’s Rational Rules of the World.” There are twelve rules altogether, and the first one on the list reads: “The world is not always fair.” From the first time I saw that sign, I was impressed with the school. […]
