Double standard
I am sorry to be going back to the same well, but...
I wrote about The Washington Post's Shankar Vedantam last week, and this week he has another interesting, meaningful column. The quote to think about comes at the end. He's quoting George Loewenstein, a professor of economics and psychology at Carnegie Mellon University.
"Most people have their own vices," he said. "When we are dealing with our vices, we are shortsighted, impulsive and make ridiculous sacrifices to satisfy our vices. But when we see other people succumbing to their vices, we think, 'How pathetic.' "
| | Permalink |
Comments
Where you stand depends on where you sit.
Posted by: Jamie Notter | August 6, 2007 10:44 AM
I appreciate you outlining this point. I have often thought that people spend much of their time in what they read and listen to as a way of supporting the beliefs that they hold. This article explains that tendency. So it sounds like it would be beneficial for each of us to take a look at our "prejudices" and try to have an open mind toward other positons. It would be fun to discuss deep philosphical issues with people who could bring this perspective to the table.
Posted by: Tony Rossell | August 7, 2007 12:22 PM