Start the Week with Andrew Marr
Andrew Marr goes in search of a better life with the psychoanalyst Adam Phillips; the philosopher Julian Baggini; the poet Helen Dunmore; and the scientist Frances Ashcroft.
ReadTag: Ethics
Which of us can say we wouldn’t avoid tax?
Do you want to pay less tax? It’s totally legal. Faced with such an offer, I doubt many of us would turn round and say, “No, thank you.” Jimmy Carr didn’t when his financial adviser put exactly this suggestion to him. Yet, according to David Cameron, Carr was “morally wrong”, and public opinion agrees. So it seems that the vast majority would both pay less tax if they could and condemn Carr for doing exactly that.
ReadThe Antidote by Oliver Burkeman – review
Do you see a glass that is half-full, half-empty, or that simply contains enough liquid to throw over the idiot asking you to make the choice?
ReadAre we addicted to addiction?
Addiction is a vague term and professionals usually prefer to talk about dependence. Still, whatever word you use, somewhere between champagne truffles and crack cocaine a line is crossed. But where?. Whether we have free will or not, there is an important difference between choosing to have a coffee and being consumed by the need to shoot heroin.
ReadShould we complain more or less?
Think of people you know who have refused to back down on a complaint because “it’s the principle”. They may be right and they may be able to win. But the effort of complaining and following through can demean even the most righteous of complainants. Sometimes, we should shirk even a good fight, because we don’t want to become bitter.
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