Opinions – World of MOwens

COVID in 2022

I have previously mentioned my own stance on the vaccine, namely that I was going to get it and hoped most people would. I have also discussed that a vaccine did not prevent me from contracting COVID-19. Now we are in 2022. Some places in the world are starting to require boosters to become fullyContinue reading “COVID in 2022”

Lying

I recently finished Sam Harris’s long form essay titled, “Lying” and thoroughly enjoyed it. The essay made me think about my tolerance for lying, from others and myself, and what I define as a lie. It has also provided great conversational fodder for my friends and I. I try not to lie. I typically findContinue reading “Lying”

Guilt Pleasures of Leisure

I have a lot of hobbies; therefore, what I do in my free time ranges. The plethora of interests, as with most facets of life, has good and bad aspects. The positive is that I can usually find a shared interest with anyone I meet. The negative is that I also usually have certain activitiesContinue reading “Guilt Pleasures of Leisure”

Bad Decisions

Today one of my friends said that I am “prone to bad decisions.” This made me laugh because it has some historical accuracy. However, I pointed out to her that I prefer to think of them as “bold decisions.” I am going to use a few quotes from Mark Twain, a favorite philosopher of mine:Continue reading “Bad Decisions”

Stoicism & EQ

I have been learning about stoicism from William B. Irvine’s lessons on the mindfulness app, Waking Up. The other day I was listening to a lesson that talked about the parts of the brain and how they evolved. It dove into this because part of stoicism, and mindfulness in general, is about working through theContinue reading “Stoicism & EQ”

Defending Selfish Behavior

I imagine the title of this post will be polarizing to many. After all, what possible justification can one have for behaving selfishly. All I ask is that you read the rest with an open mind. I was listening to an interview with a famous actor last week, and in it, the actor stated thatContinue reading “Defending Selfish Behavior”

Excerpts from “Astrophysics for People in a Hurry”

This is my second time reading this book by Neil deGrasse Tyson. I have decided I was in a more distracted state during my first pass, as I recall having to reread paragraphs regularly. That is less common during this round two. And it isn’t that the passages themselves are overtly complex, I think itContinue reading “Excerpts from “Astrophysics for People in a Hurry””

Moderation

I am a fan of Star Wars. Not a convention going fan, but whatever is one step below that. I enjoy sci-fi in general, so the combination of the Force, lightsabers, and the wild west nature of many settings is spectacular. Oh, and space travel. What does this have to do with moderation? The lightContinue reading “Moderation”

“Excess” Savings

I read an article the other day which stated, “Americans have socked away $1.5T in excess savings.” I have seen similar statements, and I get progressively more disturbed every time I read them. First, what is “excess savings.” It isn’t like saving money is a bad idea. We could debate the sanity of various investments,Continue reading ““Excess” Savings”

In Defense of Science

“For a very long time everybody refuses and then almost without a pause everyone accepts.” Gertrude Stein For generations, humanity has progressed through the contrarian. The individual who when everyone else says, “this is the way,” they say, “yeah, but I think there is a flaw there, so I am going to try something new.”Continue reading “In Defense of Science”