Poverty is Relative

Facts from the U.S. Census Bureau's Annual Report on Income and Poverty in the United States (1998):

• About 30 million Americans are living in poverty.
• In contrast to poor people who are not fortunate enough to live in the United States, more than half of the U.S. poor own their own homes.
• Nearly 2 million of the U.S. poor own homes worth more than a quarter of a million dollars.
• Over 70 percent of the U.S. poor own their own car, and 30 percent own two cars.
• Of the U.S. poor, 98 percent own a color television, and over 50 percent own two.
• Of the U.S. poor, 75 percent own a VCR, and 20 percent own two.

From Thou Shall Prosper, Second Edition by Rabbi Daniel Lapin, p. 148 ©2010

Happiness Is A Serious Problem

Here are some random thoughts from Dennis Prager's excellent book, Happiness Is A Serious Problem.

"The greatest frustration in life takes place when we believe that something unattainable can be attained." p90

"Desires have no memory, only the mind does." p92

"Attaining happiness means doing constant battle with our nature. To do that we must first know what our nature is, and then we must control it. It is never easy." p92

"To be a happy person, it is necessary to ask before acting, 'Is is meaningful?'" p 106

"Having a passion for something is not enough. It must have intrinsic value and meaning." p108

"Wisdom may be defined as understanding as opposed to merely knowing." p110

"Without a philosophy of life, we do not know how to react to what life deals us." p116

"Each of us has a flat tire quotient." p114

"Everything has a price - know what it is. The rule applies to everything." p130

"Great character is defined by our struggle with the worst parts of our nature rather than by not having these parts." p137

The People's Pottage

If you're looking for The People's Pottage By Garet Garrett, you're in luck. While copies of the book are selling for extravagant prices at multiple sellers, the book is now available in hardback from Amazon. The book has been renamed Ex America: The 50th Anniversary of the People's Pottage. Ex America is actually the name of the second essay of the three contained in the book. If you're a political conservative, you should read this book.

The Mere Exposure Effect

The mere exposure effect is the development of an emotional preference for previously unfamiliar material due to frequent exposure to that material; that is, subjects express greater liking for familiar stimuli than for unfamiliar stimuli.

Psychwiki.com Entry