«Egoism and altruism» is a hardy perennial of philosophers and now a staple for academic psychologists.  Are people basically self-interested or basically concerned for others?

Trick question.  Once the issue is posed like this, any hope of understanding oneself or acting sensibly is lost. 

People act in their own self-interest.  They must.  Some are certainly more self-centred than others.  People are also capable of concern for others and demonstrate benevolence.  They must.  Otherwise it would be hard to live in groups.  Again, there is variation amongst people in the degree of altruism.  For some of you, it might be hard to live with yourself if you were irredeemably selfish. 

The issue is never what academics or philosophers assert people 'are'—and which, supposedly, is what you are or what I am.  The issue in real life is always about what am I going to do at this moment in this situation given who I am.  The variations here are almost infinite.

Yes, we do have tendencies and styles.  But we are not More...

The various frameworks within the Root of the Taxonomy are naturally and easily understandable by everyone.  They reveal and release a tremendous freedom for the human spirit.  A freedom that I do hope will be seized.

So far I have posted what must be one of the simplest accounts of transcendence that exists.  All that you require, to transcend your current existence, is the mental freedom to look around at an unsatisfactory aspect and ask yourself "Does it have to be like this?"  If you answer "No", then your imagination spontaneously gets to work and you transcend by using your three inalienable transcendental capacities: to be willing, to be purposeful and to communicate (because thinking = communicating to yourself).  You have this ability even in a gulag.  No-one can take it away from you. More...

Most of my life I've been trying to create a better world.  Ever since I was a deluded young idealist.

All my friends grew up into intelligent successful adults.  But somewhere along the road my brain missed the turn-off to maturity.  So I'm sort of stuck.  Still trying to make the world better.  I should have joined Idealists Anonymous long ago.

To my credit, I do believe I've helped a few people along the way.  And I do know that More...

One of the ideas of the website, was that the essential work of being critical of formulations and properties could be partly taken up by others—by at least a few, perhaps tens, even hundreds of others.  However, I now realize that the Internet doesn’t work that way.  Creativity, we are told again and again, depends on not criticizing ideas.  Common politeness respects personal autonomy and demands restraint—there is something in that.

But, oh dear, does that mean the evolution of ideas based on competitive battles, necessarily red in tooth and claw, must give way to consensus on the lowest common denominator of expedience, fashion or what feels good?  Not really.  It just means that I have to be my own biggest enemy.  So I am playing the role of hitman today on More...

I've been correcting some minor typos today on the Taxonomy's framework for creativity, second section just posted.  I wonder if it will connect with people?  That set off musings…

The blogosphere is full of creativity at present and most of it is about getting ideas.  But ideas are easy.  Even good ideas are rather easy.  All that's required to make an idea good is for someone to call it 'good'.  Or even 'brilliant'.  Or, to be on the cutting edge of language, 'awesome'.

Being in a group is a great way to More...