Those that are capable of summary judgments report higher rates of excellent mental health.

Republicans are significantly more likely than Democrats or independents to rate their mental health as excellent, according to data from the last four November Gallup Health and Healthcare polls.

Is it possible that nuanced understanding comes from insecurity? Out of fear of being incorrect the nuanced thinker refrains from assertion until they are certain of not being incorrect. The more generalized thinker is less concerned with being incorrect and happily asserts irrespective of being correct.

One thing for sure is that democratic ideology emphasize non-judgment while conservative ideology emphasize it. Many that are democratic no doubt find it compelling to join a group that is more interested in understanding then judging. Disinclination from being judged indicates insecurity about that which you are to be judge on. Well then, is it any wonder that the party of judgment has a higher rate of self reported excellent mental health? They have the confidence to judge themselves as excellent.

I turn thirty and Bettina gets me a nail filer. Well at least I’m self actualized.

Recently Jamie posted a comment defining racism as:

In reference to classifying the human species, race is now under dispute among modern biologists and anthropologists. Some feel that the term has no biological validity; others use it to specify only a partially isolated reproductive population whose members share a considerable degree of genetic similarity. In certain broader or less technical senses race is sometimes used interchangeably with people. People refers to a body of persons united usually by common interests, ideals, or culture but sometimes also by a common history, language, or ethnic character: We are one people; the peoples of the world; the Swedish people. Nation refers to a body of persons living under an organized government or rule, occupying a defined area, and acting as a unit in matters of peace and war: the English nation.

What I find interesting is that his definition is so broad that you could land 3 jumbo jets simultaneously on it. Where is the outrage from my readers? Where is the deductive argumentation showing 24 permutations as to how thats wrong? When I make broad arguments y’all jump at the opportunity to show how I’m wrong mostly because its to general. When Jamie defines race in such broad terms that literally any group of people could be called a race I hear nothing but crickets.

Please have the integrity to criticize all poor arguments on my site. Not just the arguments from the guy you mostly disagree with politically.

Bettina responds to my post on Kissing via email:

This whole story once again made it very clear that your expectations are very elitarian, exclusive - that applies to grad-school selection as well as to your partnership ordeal - you have very specific, clear expectations of where you want to study and whom you want to fuck, you have a very specific and detailed picture of the society you want to live in, of the people you want to be around, even how those people “should” be like. On the other side, you give a shit of whether your shower curtain is moldy, or whether you eat crap all day long, you give a shit about the unnecessary details of life. It just doesn’t seem to fit together. At least to me, it doesn’t fit. In your set of mind, your life is elitarian and well-thought of, high-aimed, ideal on one side, and, in reality it is nothing like that. It’s all bubbly, and you’re coughing and biting fingernails. And, of course, are still waiting for the “look” to reoocur in your life.

I eagerly await the look. Everyone should.

The well thought world that I describe and aspire to does not mesh well with the day to day details of my life. So while I write and hope for this great love my shower curtain is covered in mold. I excessively chew my nails while dreaming and working towards acceptance at upper echelon graduate program. I cough. I dream.

Implicit in your argument for my incongruousness is that one who strives for perfection does so in all regards. Attaining perfection is not just a matter of overcoming the obstacles in your career or waiting for the perfect love, but it’s also keeping your house clean and organized and presenting oneself as nicely groomed and modish.

I categorically reject this argument. Those attaining internal perfection have neither the time nor the desire to perfect the minutiae of daily living. Good grief such things are so uninteresting. However, amongst a group of people I have noted that they have confused external presentation with internal self development. Those that present themselves with, shall we say external virtue, often times hoodwink others into thinking they have internal virtue. This almost entirely seems to be the point of devoting some much work and time to maintaining this external facade. These people aim to fool others into thinking they have internal virtue by demonstrating external virtue. This strategy works on many but not with those with confidence; that is those with high internal virtue.

Evidence for External Virtue Indicating Lack of Internal Virtue

I actually have empirical evidence to support this claim. My ex-friend Jeremy was the most fashionable and well-groomed friend I’ve had with the possible exception of Bettina. Jeremy had well manicured fingernails. They extend to the full length of the finger and were trimmed precisely in the half crescent shape to perfectly match the underlying shape of the fingertip. My fingernails are jagged and uneven. I use my teeth to rip them to shreds and then chew on the splinters for several hours afterwards. Sometimes I save them to continue chewing them the next day. In terms of external virtue Jeremy is handing me my ass.

Jeremy revels in the idea that he is a confident, deliberate, and wise. In other words, he likes to believe he has internal virtue. This is most obvious when he interacts with other people. He revels in being able to offer wisdom to those in trouble in the form of platitudes which he considers to be profound. He loves to be the strong confident person others come to for advice and solace. It his external virtue that provides him a steady stream of people accepting wisdom from him. Someone as well-kept as him must be wise or so the rationale goes.

It turns out though, that Jeremy has a profound deficit in internal virtue. There are countless stories demonstrating this fact, but i think his most recent behavior should suffice to prove the point.

Jeremy decided to move to Durham so that we could live as roommates. With his excellent serving skills he naively believed it would be easy finding a job at a first class restaurant in this area. After applying to only the four most prestigious restaurants and not being hired, he walled himself in his room and played World of Warcraft even though he lacked the money to pay rent. Obviously our friendship soured and I told him to get a job or move out. Rather than demonstrate some of that internal virtue he like others to believe he has, he choose to have his father pay for the cost of moving him back. A 30 year old man had has his father pay to move him back home so that he could continue to play a video game rather than get a job. Yeah, thats internal virtue.

Meanwhile, I have, some would say naively, applied to prestigious schools for over 5 years. I have been rejected well over 40 times. Yet, I have endured the adversity choosing to overcome the obstacles in my way. At no point did I call it quits, ignore the problem, and call in my father to bail me out of a problem I created for myself.

Asking the Question What is Virtue?

Jeremy is well-kept and keeps his apartment immaculate. I shave only once a week and my apartment is always in a disarray. I respond to failure by working to obtain the excellence needed to overcome the failure. Jeremy responds to failure by actively avoiding the problem until someone else manages it for him. It seems to me that the more virtuous you are externally the less virtuous you are internally. External virtue indicates a lack of internal virtue. For me, perfecting the self has very little to do with external virtue.

And so i put the question to you: is the virtuous man the one with perfectly manicured hands or the one with an indefatigable spirit?