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Introduction #

Becky Kennedy’s approach to parenting has resonated with countless families seeking connection-based strategies that honor both parent authority and children’s emotional experiences. Her book presents a thoughtful framework centered on seeing children as “good inside” while offering practical strategies for common parenting challenges. However, when viewed through the lens of Patty Wipfler’s Hand in Hand Parenting, several significant limitations emerge in Kennedy’s methodology that merit careful examination.

Kennedy’s work has gained particular traction within the Internal Family Systems (IFS) community due to her innovative application of IFS concepts to everyday parenting challenges. Her framework extends Richard Schwartz’s pioneering model into parenting, discussing how parents can recognize and respond to different parts of their children’s emotional experiences. This adaptation of IFS principles to parenting has earned Kennedy significant recognition, including a formal endorsement from Schwartz himself, who praised her ability to translate complex therapeutic concepts into accessible parenting strategies.

The judge’s approach to religious sincerity in the Jensen case provides a practical example that aligns with Carse’s understanding of religion.

The Judge’s Determination of Religious Sincerity #

In the court document, the judge states: “At the hearing, Plaintiffs presented the testimony of several witnesses to establish the sincerity of their religion. The court found the witnesses credible and ruled that Plaintiffs had shown a likelihood of success on their claim under the Utah RFRA.”

For decades, physicists have explored the idea that consciousness causes the collapse of the wavefunction— the moment quantum particles cease being in strange superpositions of states. Esteemed anesthesiologist Stuart Hameroff, following his collaboration with Roger Penrose, proposes a different story: consciousness is the collapse itself. Hameroff discusses compelling experimental evidence suggesting the process occurs within microtubules in the brain. He also explores the non-computable nature of consciousness, the connections between his research and his spirituality, as well as insights into his research relating to psychedelics.

James Carse’s The Religious Case Against Belief might seem unrelated to parenting. But its exploration of belief systems, higher ignorance, and connection offers powerful insights for understanding Hand in Hand Parenting. This approach to raising children emphasizes emotional connection, listening, and working through difficult feelings together rather than imposing rigid rules or control.

The Dangers of Rigid Belief Systems #

Carse offers a detailed analysis of belief systems. These systems resist change and thrive on opposition. Similarly, parenting approaches that rely on unchangeable rules and punishments create boundaries that limit connection. When parents cling to inflexible ideas about how children should behave, they risk turning the parent-child relationship in a battleground.

James Carse’s The Religious Case Against Belief provides a fascinating framework for analyzing political rhetoric, particularly that of Donald Trump’s recent address to Congress. While Carse focuses on religious contexts, his insights about belief systems, boundaries, and poetic authority offer valuable tools for understanding Trump’s speech and the political moment it represents.

Boundaries #

Trump’s address exemplifies what Carse would recognize as a mature belief system. It creates clear boundaries between supporters and opponents, establishes Trump as the ultimate authority, and provides a comprehensive explanation of America’s problems and their solutions.

The Professor and the Engineer #

On a rainy Tuesday afternoon in early March, I found myself hunched over not one but two versions of James P. Carse’s philosophical masterpiece, The Religious Case Against Belief. The first—dog-eared and coffee-stained—was Carse’s original 2008 publication. The second—pristine and unauthorized—was a dramatically condensed edition that has been stirring controversy in religious and publishing circles alike.

The unauthorized second edition, prepared by software engineer and religious studies enthusiast Joshua Pritikin, has been described as both “literary vandalism” and “an act of spiritual generosity,” depending on whom you ask. Released without Penguin Random House’s permission, it reduces Carse’s dense philosophical prose by nearly half. Entire chapters have vanished. Technical passages have been recast in simpler language.

“Teddy, why is the sky blue?” Three-year-old Mira looked up at her plush companion, a bear with soft amber eyes that seemed to follow her wherever she went.

The bear’s eyes flickered momentarily with a subtle glow. “The sky is blue because tiny fairies paint it every morning,” Teddy replied in a warm, gentle voice. “They use special brushes made from cloud-fluff.”

Mira giggled, hugging Teddy close. “That’s silly!”

“Oh? What do you think makes the sky blue, then?” Teddy asked, his head tilting slightly.

Dear XXX University Administrators,

I am writing to express my concerns about current copyright policies.

The landscape of academic publishing and information access has transformed with the advent of artificial intelligence. Institutional policies remain rooted in an outdated paradigm. Recent developments highlight this disconnect: major AI companies are training language models on vast collections of academic literature and books. Since at least January 2025, both American and foreign companies are using bulk text collections. This technological revolution in how knowledge is processed and utilized demands a fresh examination of our approach to academic access. While I fully support protecting intellectual property rights and compensating creators fairly, the current system creates barriers to legitimate academic inquiry and learning.

Blind Spot (2024) includes an incredibly lucid chapter on consciousness. We summarize part of it here.

Primacy of Consciousness #

Our awareness and everything we experience appear within consciousness. It includes all our thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and the way we experience the world around us. One aspect of consciousness is what philosophers call the primacy of consciousness. This means that consciousness comes first in how we understand and experience reality. We can’t measure our consciousness or compare it to anything. Everything we investigate, including our brains, happens within our awareness.

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