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Just my thoughts #0531

Adam Smith, the author of The Wealth of Nations, believed that “empathy is an intellectual activity that takes into account circumstances, motives, luck, social status, and human character of the person.” The moment we blame another person’s actions, we examine the appropriateness of those actions. Adequacy is a state of neither excess nor understatement. If everyone else thinks a person is bad but I advocate for that person by saying, “I can understand,” then I approve of their actions. This situation is called “mutual sympathy.” In our lives, we can be egocentric in some cases and relation-centric in others. The more mutual sympathy exists, the more relationship-oriented our thinking becomes. Both too much and too little can lead to tiredness or dissatisfaction. Pursuing happiness means finding this adequacy. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Just my thoughts #0044

Wine contains "polyphenols," which are antioxidants, but it also includes ethyl alcohol, which is a Class 1 carcinogen according to the World Health Organization. Wine sellers emphasize "polyphenols" for their benefit. Nutritional supplements, such as vitamins, are marketed by highlighting their benefits. The explanation is very appealing. But let's look at it this way. We'd laugh if the function of a car were redundantly described as "saving people from heart disease," "promoting tourism," or "robbing banks" instead of simply "moving people around quickly".  Beyond the idea of trying to sell something unreasonable with all sorts of health claims without knowing exactly what they are, there is the hidden deception of fooling others or being fooled by oneself, and greed. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”