Contents
Thinking
Critically to Develop a Philosophy of Life: The Gadfly Exercises from the
writings of Jerome by Jerome A. Dirnberger
Scenarios developed to encourage the reader's own answers
to some of life's most challenging questions dealing with sex, love, religion,
and politics.
Contents
Introduction 5
On Being a (Better) Critical Thinker 6
The Apprentice 9
A Wise Man … 10
Life’s Lessons 11
Life Is Unfair 12
Improve Your Life 13
Sex, Lust, and Love 14
An Irish Tradition 15
When I Say I Love, I … 17
The Conversation 18
Want to be Smarter? 20
When Looking in a Mirror 21
Problem or Solution? 22
On Gossip 23
What I’ve Learned … 25
Answers to My Questions 26
Comparative Philosophy 27
How Is Man Different from Other
Animals? 29
Together 30
Heroes 31
Freedom 32
Suffering 33
Is God Evil? 35
When Does Life Begin? 36
Is There Life After Death? 37
E=mc 2 39
The Soul Is to the Mind 41
Serenity 43
Santa Claus Is Coming 44
Finding Your Spirit 45
Religion Is … 46
My God 47
My Ten Commandments 48
Abraham’s Covenant with God 49
Which God Do You Believe In? 50
Poor Job 51
The First Holocaust 52
Who Was Jesus Of Nazareth? 54
What Happened to Mary(s)? 56
The Gospel of Thomas 57
The Gospel of Mary Of Magdala 60
What If? … 62
The Pieta 64
The Greatest Salesman 66
The Great Conspiracy 69
The Good Ol’ Boys 71
The Bar Is Too High 73
Rereading the Bible 74
Want to be a Great Leader? 75
A Successful Army (or Football Team) 76
Are We So Arrogant? 77
Negotiation 78
The Ten Fundamental Rights of
The Human Condition 80
West and East 81
The People 82
All Men Are Created Equal 84
Top Secret Report 85
In the Future 86
I Heard About This Man 88
My Uncle Bill 89
My Uncle Tim 91
End of a Bureaucracy 93
Acknowledgements 95
