Defending Utah

The Century of the Self: How Psychology Reshaped Human Desire, Consumer Culture, and Democracy (Part Four: The Managed Self) "The True Test of Civilization “The true test of civilization is… the kind of man the country turns out.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson Every civilization produces a certain kind of human being. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, every society forms the character, habits, beliefs, and aspirat…

The Century of the Self: How Psychology Reshaped Human Desire, Consumer Culture, and Democracy (Part Three: The Liberation of the Self) "How the Search for Authenticity Transformed Consumer Culture, Identity, and Modern Society “There Is a Policeman Inside All Our Heads; He Must Be Destroyed.” Introduction From Adjustment to Liberation The first two parts of The Century of the Self traced one of the twentieth cen…

The Century of the Self: How Psychology Reshaped Human Desire, Consumer Culture, and Democracy (Part Two: Engineering Consent) "How Psychology Moved from the Therapist’s Office into Government and Society From Selling Products to Managing Society The first part of The Century of the Self ended with a profound transformation. Sigmund Freud had introduced the idea that hidden unconscious forces shape human behavior.…

The Century of the Self: How Psychology Reshaped Human Desire, Consumer Culture, and Democracy "Why The Century of the Self Matters More Today Than Ever We often assume that the greatest struggles for freedom are fought on battlefields, in legislatures, or in courtrooms. Throughout history, nations have fought over territory, wealth, religion, and political power. Yet beneath every one of those conflicts lies anothe…

https://youtube.com/shorts/f-91m7P-BLQ?is= That empty nursery at church-it's not an accident. It's the harvest of the values we've been celebrating for decades. That's the argument Greg Matson makes in his newest article, "The Vanishing Future. You see, America doesn't have a baby problem; we have a values problem. Greg writes, "Quote: A society cannot spend 50 years elevating autonomy, consumption, sexual freedom, …

The Mental Health Doctor: How Phone Screens, Sitting, and Chronic Stress Are Destroying Your Brain "The Modern Stress Crisis Dr. Aditi Nerurkar begins with a warning that feels deeply familiar in modern life. Stress is no longer affecting only a few people in high-pressure jobs. It is everywhere. She says 72% of people are struggling with stress, and about 70% have at least one feature of burnout. We are seeing r…

What Is Over-Parenting—and Are You Doing It? (Dr. Aliza Pressman on Raising Good Humans Without Controlling Every Outcome) "Dr. Aliza Pressman on Raising Good Humans Without Controlling Every Outcome Parenting is one of the most consequential responsibilities a person can take on, yet it is also one of the few major roles in life for which people are often given almost no formal preparation. We study for degrees. We…

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Your Phone Is Destroying Your Sense of Meaning: Arthur Brooks on Escaping the Digital Simulation "The Hidden Crisis Beneath the Culture War Modern civilization is facing a crisis. It is commonly described as a political crisis, a cultural crisis, a crisis of values, or a crisis of social trust. Arthur Brooks argues that all of those descriptions contain some truth, but they do not reach deeply enough. Beneath the…

Master Your Emotions: From Emotional Chaos to Emotional Wisdom "Mel Robbins and Dr. Marc Brackett Explain the Skills of Emotional Intelligence Most people were taught how to read, write, solve equations, and perform their jobs. Far fewer were taught how to understand what they feel. We experience anger, anxiety, disappointment, shame, envy, frustration, sadness, pressure, and fear, but we are often left to interpr…

Why People Say They Love Freedom but Support Authoritarianism "A Metacognitive Look at the Psychology of Liberty, Safety, and Power Always listen twice: first to what’s being said, then to who said it.” — John Sherman Cooper One of the great paradoxes of human history is that many people sincerely proclaim, “I love freedom,” while simultaneously supporting policies that expand surveillance, increase government pow…

Programming, Self-Government, and the Road to Liberty "Why the Founders Believed a Republic Depends on Independent Thinkers “You’re either aware of the programming, or you’ve been programmed.” “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” — often attributed to Thomas Jefferson, though more reliably associated with John Philpot Curran" https://ironcountynews.org/programming-self-government-and-the-road-to-liberty/

The Man Between the Government and the People: Redcoats in 1776 and Police in Modern America "The Same Moral Question Every government eventually reaches a moment when its laws become controversial. At that moment, principles written on paper are no longer enough. Someone must decide whether those laws will actually be enforced. In 1776, that responsibility largely rested upon British soldiers—the Redcoats. Toda…