WEBVTT - Timeless Wisdom: Ultimate Issues Hour: Single Solution to Life's Problems 0:00:21.500 --> 0:00:25.820 Welcome to Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager. Here thousands of 0:00:25.860 --> 0:00:29.340 hours of Dennis's lectures, courses in classic radio programs, and 0:00:29.500 --> 0:00:39.940 to purchase Dennis Prager's Rational Bibles, go to Dennisprager dot com. 0:00:40.100 --> 0:00:42.740 This is the Ultiminisher's Hour on the Dennis Prager Show. 0:00:42.780 --> 0:00:45.220 Every week at this time, an hour devoted to some 0:00:45.300 --> 0:00:50.659 great question of life, and this one I feel I 0:00:50.659 --> 0:00:57.180 will have something to bother everybody listening. But here goes hi, everybody. 0:00:57.220 --> 0:01:02.300 This is Dennis Prager the Ultimate Issues Hour. And you 0:01:02.340 --> 0:01:08.740 could title this one. Life is messy because it is, 0:01:09.460 --> 0:01:14.700 and the human being has a deep, deep urge to 0:01:14.820 --> 0:01:19.540 believe that there is one answer that will or one solution, 0:01:19.700 --> 0:01:24.940 not answer, forget that word, there's one solution to life's problems. 0:01:24.940 --> 0:01:29.260 If we can just get that one, then by golly, 0:01:29.460 --> 0:01:34.060 everything will follow from it. The secular have this, the 0:01:34.660 --> 0:01:39.180 religious have this, and a combination of both have this. 0:01:39.420 --> 0:01:42.940 It is the deepest human drive to want to believe 0:01:43.860 --> 0:01:49.580 that there is out there a single solution to life's problems, 0:01:50.340 --> 0:01:56.260 because everybody has problems and for everybody life is a 0:01:56.380 --> 0:02:00.940 great challenge, so that there is understandably the deepest desire 0:02:00.980 --> 0:02:05.740 to believe there's one solution out there. Now there are, 0:02:05.940 --> 0:02:10.220 in fact many solutions, but there isn't one. That's my 0:02:10.500 --> 0:02:14.180 argument on this edition of the Ultimate Issues Hour. Let 0:02:14.180 --> 0:02:17.660 me give you some examples, because otherwise it doesn't make sense. 0:02:18.900 --> 0:02:21.940 I remember a girl. We still use the word girl 0:02:22.100 --> 0:02:28.260 to describe somebody who was still eleven. I'll never forget. 0:02:28.300 --> 0:02:31.540 There was there was a book on a feminist reading list, 0:02:31.780 --> 0:02:35.139 and it was a book of poems by an anonymous 0:02:35.140 --> 0:02:41.260 five year old woman. That's what I was talking. But 0:02:41.300 --> 0:02:44.180 when when I was at college graduate school, we still 0:02:44.220 --> 0:02:47.860 referred to the females as girls. Anyway, there was a 0:02:47.900 --> 0:02:53.180 girl that I was dating in graduate school, and I 0:02:53.340 --> 0:02:55.580 liked her a lot, but I have to say this 0:02:55.740 --> 0:03:00.020 phone call pretty much made it clear that we weren't 0:03:00.060 --> 0:03:03.380 going to have a permanent future. We were talking on 0:03:03.420 --> 0:03:06.740 the phone, and she was she was raised in a 0:03:06.860 --> 0:03:11.020 in a you know, modern religious home, but to hear 0:03:11.060 --> 0:03:14.060 she was at graduate school and of all things psychology. 0:03:15.220 --> 0:03:18.700 And she said to me on the phone, I obviously 0:03:20.300 --> 0:03:22.420 you know I I love this phrase. I will never forget. 0:03:22.660 --> 0:03:26.060 We obviously have never forgotten, so of course we won't 0:03:26.660 --> 0:03:30.940 as of tomorrow. I won't forget, but I have never 0:03:31.020 --> 0:03:33.740 forgotten this, and I have forgotten a lot. That's why 0:03:33.780 --> 0:03:36.220 I wish I had kept a diary. She said to me, Dennis, 0:03:38.340 --> 0:03:43.940 I am convinced that all of life will be understood 0:03:44.260 --> 0:03:48.660 through psychology. We don't have all the answers yet, but 0:03:48.860 --> 0:03:55.700 psychology will explain all human behavior, and we will have 0:03:55.780 --> 0:03:59.740 the answers therefore to all of human problems through psychology. 0:04:00.940 --> 0:04:06.340 And she believed this, and I remember thinking, well, what 0:04:06.500 --> 0:04:09.500 happened to all of the religious education she had, And 0:04:09.540 --> 0:04:13.220 the answer was it had been subverted at the secular university. 0:04:13.260 --> 0:04:15.940 She later went back to it, and she would laugh 0:04:15.980 --> 0:04:19.299 at this notion today, but in any event, that is 0:04:19.339 --> 0:04:22.179 what she believed. And a lot of people in the 0:04:22.219 --> 0:04:24.380 secular world, and I will give you a critique of 0:04:24.420 --> 0:04:26.700 the religious world in a moment, but a lot of 0:04:26.740 --> 0:04:30.659 people in the secular world have believed that that ultimately, 0:04:30.860 --> 0:04:35.979 psychology really does explain everything. And if you want your 0:04:36.219 --> 0:04:40.820 problems solved, then go to therapy. Now, remember I am 0:04:40.900 --> 0:04:44.420 pro psychotherapy. When there is a good psychotherapist, which is 0:04:44.740 --> 0:04:47.020 not the majority of the time. It's the minority of 0:04:47.060 --> 0:04:49.500 the time. And that's a very very big problem. But 0:04:49.540 --> 0:04:51.700 not for this show, not for this hour. It is 0:04:51.700 --> 0:04:54.660 for this show, but not for this hour. Remember, I 0:04:55.180 --> 0:05:00.460 have to keep repeating this. To say that something is 0:05:00.540 --> 0:05:03.860 not the single solution is not to say that it 0:05:03.940 --> 0:05:09.100 cannot contribute to helping solve life's problems. There is a 0:05:09.180 --> 0:05:13.860 huge difference between a single solution and one of a number. 0:05:16.220 --> 0:05:20.339 So in the secular world there has been a widespread 0:05:20.340 --> 0:05:27.500 blofe that with the right therapy, the right psychotherapy, by golly, 0:05:27.740 --> 0:05:30.940 you can more or less solve all your problems. Now, 0:05:30.940 --> 0:05:35.180 it can't solve the problem obviously if you go death. 0:05:35.220 --> 0:05:37.780 It can't solve the problem of your deafness, although it 0:05:37.820 --> 0:05:41.779 could help you live with it, I guess. But I'm 0:05:41.820 --> 0:05:48.620 not talking about physical problems now. I'm talking about the emotional, psychological, moral, 0:05:48.740 --> 0:05:52.540 and other problems that people face on a daily basis. 0:05:54.020 --> 0:05:59.539 There is, again, there is a very deep human desire 0:06:00.180 --> 0:06:06.740 to believe that there is one solution. That's one example 0:06:07.220 --> 0:06:13.859 of a secular explanation. Life can the problems of life 0:06:13.900 --> 0:06:21.300 can be solved through psycho a psychological awareness, psychotherapy, because 0:06:21.300 --> 0:06:24.900 that is that is what we are, psychological beings. You 0:06:25.060 --> 0:06:29.260 get the right therapy, you win your problems. More or less. Now, 0:06:29.300 --> 0:06:33.780 the religious have a very similar take, except it's not psychology. 0:06:33.900 --> 0:06:40.300 It's religion or faith. Your problems end if you become 0:06:41.460 --> 0:06:45.300 a believer, or if you become religious, whatever term, the 0:06:45.460 --> 0:06:51.060 members of that given religion will will believe. There are 0:06:51.340 --> 0:06:55.140 many millions, tens hundreds of millions of people who believe 0:06:56.060 --> 0:06:58.779 that that is all that is needed. If you do 0:06:58.900 --> 0:07:05.260 the religion right, then you have ended your problems. You will. 0:07:06.420 --> 0:07:08.620 If you do your religion right, you will not have 0:07:08.700 --> 0:07:11.660 marital problems, you will not have problems with your children, 0:07:11.740 --> 0:07:14.660 you will not have problems with your friends. You will 0:07:14.700 --> 0:07:19.580 not it will, It will solve basically all human problems 0:07:20.900 --> 0:07:24.540 if you just have the right faith or the right practice, 0:07:24.900 --> 0:07:29.140 whatever the given religion will offer. It's a very tempting belief, 0:07:29.460 --> 0:07:34.380 and I understand it, being deeply religious, very tempting to 0:07:34.420 --> 0:07:37.340 believe if you just do the religion right, by golly, 0:07:37.420 --> 0:07:41.940 life's problems pretty much end. But that's not true either. 0:07:42.980 --> 0:07:48.740 I believe that God and religion are indispensable to solving 0:07:48.860 --> 0:07:54.580 life's problems, but not sufficient. It's a concept called necessary 0:07:54.660 --> 0:07:58.820 but not sufficient. And I give you the greatest example 0:07:58.940 --> 0:08:03.220 of this insight. It was actually offered by a Christian pastor, 0:08:04.100 --> 0:08:06.300 and it was one of the only fan letters I 0:08:06.380 --> 0:08:10.900 ever wrote in my life to thank this pastor for 0:08:11.020 --> 0:08:15.020 this insight that I had read Somewhere. He points out 0:08:15.500 --> 0:08:20.340 that in Genesis, God makes his first observation about human 0:08:20.340 --> 0:08:23.620 life when he says, looking at Adam, it is not 0:08:23.780 --> 0:08:26.620 good for man to be alone, and God makes him 0:08:26.660 --> 0:08:31.260 a partner, whom he then calls. The partner is a woman, 0:08:32.140 --> 0:08:33.860 and he then calls her Eve. And we know the 0:08:33.900 --> 0:08:37.500 rest of the story, at least many do, but not 0:08:37.579 --> 0:08:41.699 if you went to college. But that's a separate story too. Now, 0:08:42.939 --> 0:08:46.500 the point the pastor was making was, in my opinion, brilliant, 0:08:46.620 --> 0:08:50.580 not a term I use often. What God was saying 0:08:50.620 --> 0:08:56.660 there was I, God am not enough for a man. 0:08:59.460 --> 0:09:06.020 After all, Adam knew God. So why would God say 0:09:06.060 --> 0:09:07.860 then it is not good for man to be alone? 0:09:07.900 --> 0:09:13.900 How could Adam wasn't alone? Adam had God. But this 0:09:14.060 --> 0:09:18.459 pastor was making this brilliant point that God is saying, 0:09:18.660 --> 0:09:23.060 even I God am not sufficient. The human being needs 0:09:23.140 --> 0:09:32.500 a human partner, not just me. So even God, though 0:09:32.540 --> 0:09:37.540 in my opinion, utterly necessary to solving humanities and the 0:09:37.580 --> 0:09:43.100 individual humans problems, is not sufficient, Nor is any given 0:09:43.260 --> 0:09:48.820 religion alone sufficient necessary when they are good religions and 0:09:48.860 --> 0:09:57.660 they do good, but not sufficient. The human temptation is 0:09:57.740 --> 0:10:02.900 to believe that there is somewhere a one solution, a 0:10:02.980 --> 0:10:09.100 single solution to life's myriad problems. But there isn't. There 0:10:09.140 --> 0:10:14.500 are many solutions, not one. I will give you another 0:10:14.580 --> 0:10:17.820 example of a political one. I gave you psychology, I 0:10:17.860 --> 0:10:20.100 gave you religion. I will give you a political one 0:10:20.740 --> 0:10:25.060 that has existed for two hundred years. Your reactions on 0:10:25.140 --> 0:10:28.620 this Ultimate Issues Hour are now welcome. One eighth Prager 0:10:29.220 --> 0:10:32.780 seven seven six one eight p R A G e 0:10:32.940 --> 0:10:36.460 R seven seven six. You are listening to the Dennis 0:10:36.460 --> 0:10:37.140 Praguer Show. 0:10:38.500 --> 0:10:41.820 This episode of Timeless Wisdom will continue right after this. 0:10:47.380 --> 0:10:52.459 Now back to more of Dennis Prager's Timeless Wisdom. 0:10:52.580 --> 0:10:55.900 Hi everybody, and welcome back. This is the Ultimate Issues Hour. 0:10:56.100 --> 0:10:59.300 Twenty one minutes past the hour of the Ultimate Issues Hour. 0:11:00.620 --> 0:11:02.980 Let's see how how many times I could say the 0:11:03.020 --> 0:11:07.100 word hour. I'm Dennis Prager. An hour devoted each week. 0:11:10.300 --> 0:11:17.100 That was inadvertent. That was a fine, It's so silly. 0:11:17.780 --> 0:11:20.819 It's an hour devoted each week. That's what happened is 0:11:20.820 --> 0:11:23.140 when you concentrate on one where you can drive yourself 0:11:23.140 --> 0:11:28.900 out of your mind, all at an hour devoted each 0:11:28.940 --> 0:11:31.100 week to some great issue of life. And this one 0:11:31.179 --> 0:11:34.380 is the human desire to find one solution to all 0:11:34.420 --> 0:11:37.900 of life's problems. And it doesn't exist. There are many solutions. 0:11:38.900 --> 0:11:41.180 That's why in my book on Happiness, for example, I 0:11:41.179 --> 0:11:44.660 write a chapter where I commend both psychotherapy and religion. 0:11:45.300 --> 0:11:48.100 A lot of religious people think that psychotherapy is not 0:11:48.220 --> 0:11:52.740 necessary because after all, their their believers or their religious 0:11:53.500 --> 0:11:56.579 in whatever way the religion wants, so that should answer 0:11:56.620 --> 0:12:00.100 their problems. And there are people in the secular world 0:12:00.140 --> 0:12:02.540 who think, oh, they don't need God or religion, they'll 0:12:02.580 --> 0:12:05.540 just go to therapy and that'll answer all their problems, 0:12:06.340 --> 0:12:08.900 and and and and both are wrong. It doesn't work 0:12:08.940 --> 0:12:12.860 that way. There is no one solution. And this is 0:12:12.940 --> 0:12:18.500 hardly a critique of the excellence of some of these things. Now, 0:12:18.540 --> 0:12:21.100 there are some things that are offered as a solution 0:12:22.420 --> 0:12:28.580 that are actually just harmful. For example, I said there 0:12:28.620 --> 0:12:31.220 would be a political one. I gave you a psychological one. 0:12:31.220 --> 0:12:33.860 I gave you the religious one. There's a political one. 0:12:34.220 --> 0:12:37.900 The belief that emanated from Marx in the nineteenth early 0:12:38.020 --> 0:12:43.500 nineteenth century, that the great problem was inequality, and the 0:12:43.540 --> 0:12:47.860 world will become a beautiful place where everybody will just 0:12:47.980 --> 0:12:51.700 love beautiful music and write poetry and be kind to 0:12:51.780 --> 0:12:55.260 one another, as soon as you abolish all economic inequality 0:12:55.980 --> 0:12:59.620 that still pervades a great part of the political spectrum 0:13:00.179 --> 0:13:04.340 to this day. If only we get rid of inequality, 0:13:04.420 --> 0:13:06.780 then then we will get rid of crime. We will 0:13:06.780 --> 0:13:09.260 get rid of jealousy, we will get rid of envy, 0:13:09.380 --> 0:13:12.380 we will get rid of cruelty, we will get rid 0:13:12.420 --> 0:13:16.180 of corruption, we will get rid of theft, if just 0:13:16.380 --> 0:13:19.260 everybody had the same to each according to his needs, 0:13:19.260 --> 0:13:22.740 from each according to his abil as the Marxist phrase went. 0:13:23.420 --> 0:13:28.220 So that was their belief in one solution, and there 0:13:28.220 --> 0:13:31.780 are others. If you have examples of the one solution idea, 0:13:32.060 --> 0:13:34.340 I'd be happy to hear from you one eighth Prager 0:13:34.940 --> 0:13:37.740 seven seven six, And now I will take your calls. 0:13:38.260 --> 0:13:40.900 Does this trouble you? Did you think, for example, your 0:13:40.940 --> 0:13:44.340 religion answers all issues and you need nothing else in life. 0:13:45.220 --> 0:13:47.860 That's why I gave you the brilliant comment of that 0:13:47.940 --> 0:13:51.180 pastor that even God was not enough when God, and 0:13:51.220 --> 0:13:53.340 God said that, when he said, it is not good 0:13:53.340 --> 0:13:56.340 for man to be alone. God needs a woman. That 0:13:56.500 --> 0:14:00.620 God alone is not even sufficient. And there are religious 0:14:00.620 --> 0:14:03.579 people who think I don't need people, I just need God. 0:14:05.260 --> 0:14:07.300 What That's not the way we were made. It's not 0:14:07.380 --> 0:14:10.660 the way God made us any more than we only 0:14:10.700 --> 0:14:13.540 need people and we don't need God, or we only 0:14:13.580 --> 0:14:17.980 need great art and we don't need people. We need 0:14:18.020 --> 0:14:20.620 a lot of things. That's the way God made us. 0:14:20.780 --> 0:14:25.340 One to eight Prager seven seven six And we go 0:14:25.420 --> 0:14:28.660 to Ethan in ogden Utah High Ethan. This is Dennis Prager. 0:14:28.700 --> 0:14:29.380 Thanks for calling. 0:14:30.260 --> 0:14:34.060 Dennis. I have to disagree with you the religion part. 0:14:34.060 --> 0:14:36.580 And I think one thing that you're not considering the 0:14:36.620 --> 0:14:41.260 possibility of a religion to encompass all all things. I mean, 0:14:41.660 --> 0:14:46.940 in my faith, for example, we don't have that discrepancy 0:14:46.940 --> 0:14:51.620 on the psychotherapy and religion. We re embrace all the sciences. 0:14:52.100 --> 0:14:56.180 One of our early leaders, Brigham Young, stated that all 0:14:56.220 --> 0:14:58.660 of the science and arts belonged to the Saints. That 0:14:58.700 --> 0:15:02.420 we're supposed to pursue. The glory of God is intelligence. 0:15:02.460 --> 0:15:05.740 Basically that it's kind of an all encompassing thing that 0:15:05.900 --> 0:15:08.980 as we pursue knowledge and answers in all areas that 0:15:09.180 --> 0:15:10.300 that is our religion. 0:15:12.940 --> 0:15:16.420 Well, we're not saying different things here. The fact that 0:15:16.460 --> 0:15:20.300 the religion embraces all these different things is a great 0:15:20.300 --> 0:15:23.780 credit to your religion and to you. But it doesn't 0:15:23.820 --> 0:15:28.500 in any way Negate when I'm saying that that the 0:15:28.580 --> 0:15:32.740 religion acknowledges, what it's saying is the religion acknowledges that 0:15:32.780 --> 0:15:35.980 there are a number of things necessary for a good life. 0:15:36.100 --> 0:15:39.860 The religion alone is not sufficient. Well, but I mean, 0:15:39.860 --> 0:15:44.460 you're obviously LDS and and the church does not. I 0:15:44.500 --> 0:15:47.940 don't think makes the claim that there there is nothing 0:15:48.020 --> 0:15:53.380 except a church attendance or a religious life. Now you'll say, well, 0:15:53.420 --> 0:15:57.220 a religious life encompasses the arts. Yeah, but it's encompassing 0:15:57.260 --> 0:16:01.300 the secular arts. It's it's not encompassing just a religious 0:16:01.420 --> 0:16:05.500 art let alone, just LDS art and are you allowed 0:16:05.500 --> 0:16:06.860 to go to Are you allowed to go to a 0:16:06.900 --> 0:16:08.220 therapist who was not a Mormon? 0:16:11.700 --> 0:16:14.300 It's uh, I think no, no. 0:16:15.140 --> 0:16:17.500 Wait wait, please answer that. If you don't know the answer, 0:16:17.580 --> 0:16:21.180 that's okay, I'm not I said yes, okay, then then 0:16:21.220 --> 0:16:24.180 that's my point. Then clearly that that therapist is not 0:16:24.220 --> 0:16:28.940 within the confines of LDS theology or religiosity. And so 0:16:29.060 --> 0:16:32.900 the church is wisely saying there are things that are 0:16:32.980 --> 0:16:36.100 good for you in making a better life that are 0:16:36.140 --> 0:16:38.420 not under the domain of the. 0:16:38.420 --> 0:16:43.180 Church, well, not not owned or specifically dictated by the church. 0:16:43.220 --> 0:16:47.780 But it's saying that since all all things from God, 0:16:48.460 --> 0:16:48.980 I mean. 0:16:49.660 --> 0:16:52.100 Yes, I think all things are from God, just like 0:16:52.180 --> 0:16:55.980 you do exactly. But but hear me through Ethan all 0:16:56.060 --> 0:17:00.380 things are from God. I believe that totally. But that 0:17:00.460 --> 0:17:04.499 is but that that's not relevant to the argument that 0:17:04.540 --> 0:17:08.100 I'm making, because you can it is possible for you 0:17:08.179 --> 0:17:12.180 to get good therapy from a secular therapist. It is possible, 0:17:16.139 --> 0:17:19.140 I think secular is I think that often a religious 0:17:19.179 --> 0:17:21.939 therapist will do will do better for the religious person 0:17:22.139 --> 0:17:25.739 in having sympathy. But not necessarily you can. You can 0:17:25.780 --> 0:17:29.739 go to an atheist surgeon. We all recognize that a 0:17:29.820 --> 0:17:32.219 surgeon might be an atheist. He might be even anti 0:17:32.300 --> 0:17:34.820 religious and be the best heart surgeon in one city. 0:17:37.060 --> 0:17:39.419 All right. Anyway, It's an important call because because the 0:17:39.500 --> 0:17:43.340 distinction may be subtle. Steve in Minneapolis, Dennis Prager, thank 0:17:43.340 --> 0:17:43.939 you for calling. 0:17:44.939 --> 0:17:49.139 Hi, Dennis, thank you. I just wanted to bring up 0:17:49.139 --> 0:17:55.739 a point of clarification. Earlier, you were claiming that religion 0:17:56.100 --> 0:17:57.539 offers the one solution. 0:17:58.780 --> 0:18:03.899 No, no, not the religion some religious people. Oh okay, 0:18:03.979 --> 0:18:06.859 I never said the religion does I said religious people. 0:18:07.859 --> 0:18:10.219 Well, then there it is. I wanted to defend Christianity 0:18:10.260 --> 0:18:11.060 at least with yeah. 0:18:11.139 --> 0:18:14.659 Yeah, that I'm very I'm very clear. Ninety nine percent 0:18:14.699 --> 0:18:16.820 of the time I choose my words. Well, one percent 0:18:16.859 --> 0:18:20.139 I didn't, and I got clobbered. But it's another issue. 0:18:20.659 --> 0:18:25.379 But this is very important. I don't think there are 0:18:25.500 --> 0:18:28.059 I think there are religions that may claim there is 0:18:28.100 --> 0:18:31.859 nothing outside of the religion that is necessary. I think 0:18:31.899 --> 0:18:35.139 that there are elements today, I think, but they I 0:18:35.139 --> 0:18:37.459 don't know if it's the religion or it's the elements 0:18:38.260 --> 0:18:41.139 of people. In other words, the elements of the religion 0:18:41.179 --> 0:18:44.259 is constituted by you know, some of the people, like 0:18:44.340 --> 0:18:48.379 those who say within the Islamists, who will say, I 0:18:48.379 --> 0:18:53.659 think anything outside of that is probably considered, you know, 0:18:54.300 --> 0:18:58.580 not acceptable. I don't know the position of Islama. You know, 0:18:58.619 --> 0:19:01.780 I never, in any event assess religions. I assess practitioners. 0:19:02.219 --> 0:19:04.260 If you want to, if you want to respond, please 0:19:04.300 --> 0:19:06.780 stay on Steve. But I'm saying that they are religious 0:19:06.780 --> 0:19:11.419 people who say that back in a moment, this is 0:19:11.459 --> 0:19:13.699 the Ultimate Issues hour on the Dennis Prager Show, and 0:19:13.739 --> 0:19:16.179 it's thirty four minutes past the hour in this hour, 0:19:17.859 --> 0:19:21.499 and I think that Allan says this is really important. 0:19:21.580 --> 0:19:23.699 He doesn't say that all the time. He thinks that, 0:19:23.859 --> 0:19:27.340 but he doesn't say it and thinks that it'll really 0:19:27.379 --> 0:19:30.540 make people think, and it should. It's very it's very 0:19:30.619 --> 0:19:33.700 helpful to you if you think this through and you're 0:19:33.739 --> 0:19:37.699 open to what I'm saying here. I'm talking to you 0:19:37.739 --> 0:19:42.459 about the belief that many people have, secular and religious, 0:19:42.540 --> 0:19:45.899 that something is the one solution. If just this happens, 0:19:46.899 --> 0:19:51.340 or if people just embrace this thinking or this whatever, 0:19:51.739 --> 0:19:56.219 then the life's then my problems are over. I'm thinking 0:19:56.260 --> 0:19:58.699 of three. There are religious people who say this, not 0:19:58.899 --> 0:20:04.139 religions that I know of religious people. And there are 0:20:06.100 --> 0:20:09.780 secular people who say it about therapy, about psychology generally. 0:20:11.060 --> 0:20:14.739 And there he is a political ideology that if we 0:20:14.939 --> 0:20:18.619 just get rid of inequality, then overwhelmingly people will be happy. 0:20:18.899 --> 0:20:24.820 There will be no envy, jealousy, urder, crime, rape, all 0:20:24.899 --> 0:20:28.539 the things that afflict humanity. This will, this will just 0:20:29.060 --> 0:20:33.419 equality will more or less solve it. There are many, 0:20:33.419 --> 0:20:36.459 many solutions to life's problems, and not all of life's 0:20:36.459 --> 0:20:39.299 problems are even solvable in any event. And that's what 0:20:39.419 --> 0:20:42.660 a mature person has to recognize at some point. And 0:20:42.699 --> 0:20:45.939 I say this as a deeply religious person who does 0:20:45.979 --> 0:20:49.419 believe that without God, it is very hard to find 0:20:50.100 --> 0:20:53.859 any of these answers. One eighth Prager seven seven six, 0:20:54.340 --> 0:20:59.139 And we go to Bloomington, Illinois and anup Hello, anoop, 0:20:59.219 --> 0:20:59.900 Dennis Prager. 0:21:00.859 --> 0:21:04.020 Sure, it's a it's a pleasure to get an opportunity. 0:21:04.219 --> 0:21:09.060 Dot you uh, thank you, an honored thanks. I would 0:21:09.100 --> 0:21:12.660 like to point out that I'm a Hindu basically, and 0:21:13.100 --> 0:21:15.939 you know, I agree to all most of what you say, 0:21:16.020 --> 0:21:20.379 but sure I have to disagree because I think religion 0:21:20.419 --> 0:21:24.099 has the answer basically, at least Hinduism. I think has 0:21:24.139 --> 0:21:27.100 an answer the way God has pointed out to us. 0:21:27.139 --> 0:21:30.859 You know, I think that in today's world, every human 0:21:30.939 --> 0:21:34.820 being here, they just you know, the way it's being 0:21:34.899 --> 0:21:38.659 presented to them. It's like everything is an answer. We 0:21:38.739 --> 0:21:42.020 want an answer right away, and it's readily available in science. 0:21:42.100 --> 0:21:44.859 You know, I agree. I mean, I'm an elexical engineer, 0:21:44.899 --> 0:21:47.899 so I know science. But but you know, I'm very, 0:21:48.020 --> 0:21:50.819 very religious. The way we have been gotten. It's like, 0:21:51.300 --> 0:21:54.179 if we have patience, we rely on God and we 0:21:54.379 --> 0:21:59.019 meditate for a problem, the answer will come to us eventually. 0:21:59.100 --> 0:22:00.419 It's like we need patience. 0:22:00.459 --> 0:22:05.859 That's all. Well. In other words, with patience and meditation, 0:22:06.060 --> 0:22:11.500 you're a proper proper patience, proper meditation. Within a Hindu framework, 0:22:12.060 --> 0:22:14.619 all of life's problems will be solved. I don't mean 0:22:14.659 --> 0:22:17.420 the problem of a broken leg, but but, but all 0:22:17.459 --> 0:22:22.019 of life's emotional psychological problems. Let me ask you a question. 0:22:22.500 --> 0:22:27.580 What if you were you were abused by your father 0:22:27.899 --> 0:22:34.019 or your uncle when you were five, sexually abused, do 0:22:34.139 --> 0:22:38.179 you feel that a therapist can in no way help you. 0:22:39.540 --> 0:22:43.100 Well, here's the thing. Just in India apart from where 0:22:43.100 --> 0:22:45.539 I am, because I you know, I grew up in 0:22:45.540 --> 0:22:47.459 India and then I came here to get a job 0:22:47.500 --> 0:22:49.820 because I got a job and everything else. What I'm 0:22:49.859 --> 0:22:52.100 saying is, in India we never had a problem like 0:22:52.139 --> 0:22:55.939 sexual abuse. At least it's not as profound as it's here, 0:22:56.139 --> 0:22:58.219 you know, So it's something well, I don't know. 0:22:58.300 --> 0:23:00.420 I don't know if that's true. I don't know if 0:23:00.419 --> 0:23:03.220 it's as reported I mean, you know, there were there 0:23:03.219 --> 0:23:05.619 were other problems with the cast system that did not 0:23:05.739 --> 0:23:06.619 exist in the West. 0:23:07.260 --> 0:23:09.859 Oh, absolutely, I agree to that, there's no doubt about it. 0:23:09.899 --> 0:23:11.979 Well, it's hard to believe. It's hard to believe that 0:23:12.020 --> 0:23:14.419 the underclass was never sexually abused. 0:23:15.780 --> 0:23:18.259 Well they did, they were abused. But what I'm saying is, 0:23:18.379 --> 0:23:21.379 I mean, religion is the answer. I mean, these people 0:23:21.419 --> 0:23:24.980 they're criminals. You know. Here's the thing, you know, here's 0:23:25.139 --> 0:23:29.020 what I believe. All right. What I think is science 0:23:29.179 --> 0:23:34.500 is continually revolving. I mean, the psycho, the psycheaprist, they 0:23:34.500 --> 0:23:37.219 were there, like one hundred years ago. They would have 0:23:37.419 --> 0:23:39.259 if they were there, they would have had a different 0:23:39.540 --> 0:23:42.020 point of view to problem. 0:23:42.179 --> 0:23:44.700 Yeah. But I'm not saying that science is this nobody, 0:23:44.979 --> 0:23:47.340 very few people. There are some people who say science 0:23:47.379 --> 0:23:50.459 is solution, but it's as absurd what scientific discoveries are 0:23:50.500 --> 0:23:54.019 not going to solve the problems that afflict people emotionally. 0:23:54.060 --> 0:23:54.699 Are you married? 0:23:55.379 --> 0:23:56.020 Yes? I am? 0:23:56.300 --> 0:23:59.619 And and do you believe that it is possible for 0:23:59.780 --> 0:24:02.659 two good Hindus to have a bad marriage or is 0:24:02.699 --> 0:24:03.419 that impossible? 0:24:04.179 --> 0:24:06.100 Oh? Absolutely, anything is possible. 0:24:06.139 --> 0:24:08.179 Well then well but but if Hindu, wait, but if 0:24:08.260 --> 0:24:11.980 Hinduism is the answer. How could two good Hindus I'm 0:24:11.979 --> 0:24:14.300 talking about good Hindus have a bad marriage? 0:24:14.619 --> 0:24:17.060 Well, it depends on what you call it, would I mean? 0:24:17.619 --> 0:24:19.139 Right now? All right, well then I'm no, no, Well, 0:24:19.139 --> 0:24:23.060 I'm asking you the best. Okay, Well, look that's the 0:24:23.179 --> 0:24:26.700 question that I pose. It is inconceivable to me that 0:24:26.780 --> 0:24:28.899 it is impossible for two good Hindus to have a 0:24:28.899 --> 0:24:30.819 bad marriage. We'll be back in a moment. Thank you 0:24:30.859 --> 0:24:31.659 for your call on hope. 0:24:31.659 --> 0:24:36.019 We continue this episode of Timeless Wisdom will continue right 0:24:36.060 --> 0:24:47.499 after this. Now back to more of Dennis Prager's Timeless Wisdom. 0:24:47.780 --> 0:24:50.779 Hi, everybody, you're listening to the Ultimate Issues Hour on 0:24:50.820 --> 0:24:53.540 the Dennis Prager Show. Forty four minutes past the hour. 0:24:55.340 --> 0:24:59.179 There is such a widespread human urge to believe that 0:24:59.219 --> 0:25:02.340 there is one solution to life's problems. I gave you 0:25:02.419 --> 0:25:09.739 three examples. Those who believe that psychology and psychotherapy ultimately 0:25:09.899 --> 0:25:15.179 will solve life's problems, those who believe religion alone, those 0:25:15.219 --> 0:25:19.500 who believe equality. And I'll give you a fourth example. Love. 0:25:20.699 --> 0:25:26.780 All you need is love, that's it. That's a big one. 0:25:27.020 --> 0:25:30.820 In contemporary life. All you need is love, that's it. 0:25:30.939 --> 0:25:33.899 That ends the problems. Make love, not war. Ten On, 0:25:34.100 --> 0:25:37.379 everybody goes home. We all make love, and life's problems 0:25:37.379 --> 0:25:41.259 to solved. No more war, and no more hatred, and 0:25:41.340 --> 0:25:45.499 no more bad and no more hurting and no more pain. 0:25:48.780 --> 0:25:53.939 Love isn't even enough for marriage, let alone for people 0:25:53.979 --> 0:25:58.739 you're not married too. It's not enough to raise a 0:25:58.820 --> 0:26:06.059 child just with love. Love is terrific. Love is another 0:26:06.179 --> 0:26:11.139 example of necessary but not sufficient, like all the other 0:26:11.260 --> 0:26:17.540 examples that I gave, And this is a substitute for 0:26:17.939 --> 0:26:26.979 rigorous thinking. This notion is that there is one solution. Okay, 0:26:28.260 --> 0:26:31.419 let's go to San Diego and Gail. Hello, Gail, Dennis 0:26:31.419 --> 0:26:33.419 Praeger him glad to talk to. 0:26:34.100 --> 0:26:37.499 I have thought of one that I certainly bought into 0:26:37.699 --> 0:26:41.179 as the child of the sixties, and it helped me 0:26:41.179 --> 0:26:43.899 to motivate me to become a teacher. And that is 0:26:44.300 --> 0:26:48.139 I thought that fundamental to a person's enjoyment of many 0:26:48.179 --> 0:26:53.940 of the psychological health, and political enfranchisement and economic prospect 0:26:53.979 --> 0:26:57.420 it was certainly education. That if we just educate everyone, 0:26:57.859 --> 0:27:00.580 then of course they would be happy. And that was 0:27:01.219 --> 0:27:04.060 to me it appeared the singular solution, or at least 0:27:04.219 --> 0:27:05.379 a fundamental solution. 0:27:06.219 --> 0:27:09.619 Gail. It is really a shame that you cannot see 0:27:09.659 --> 0:27:14.820 the smile on my face. You deserve. On the old 0:27:14.820 --> 0:27:17.379