Self-Control or State Control? You Decide

by Tom G. Palmer (Editor), John Tierney (Contributor), Lisa Conyers (Contributor)

This book is both theoretical and practical. It can help you to live a happier life, be a better person, and enjoy the benefits of freedom and responsibility. Self-control is the alternative to the Nanny State, the Prohibitionist State, and the Welfare State.


Self-Control or State Control? weaves together case studies with scientific, historical, and philosophical insights to create a handbook for free people who want to live in free, peaceful, cooperative, prosperous, and just societies.

Genres: Self Help, Philosophy, Psychology

192 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Patrick Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

2020-04-05 - In the midst of the Covid-19 government lockdown ("Shelter in place" edict), I realize this book is more important than ever. If one does not believe in self-control, one gets state control. Apparently, our society believes in state control far more now, despite the problems it is causing:
- stopping (CDC) crucial private testing of the virus early on - when it was crucial to do this
- stopping (CDC) crucial private production of test kits early on - when this could have made a difference
- stopping (FDA) extra production of hand sanitizers - when the shelves are empty and everyone needs it
- stopping (FDA) of production of crucial PPE (Personal Protective Equip) such as N95 masks
- Labelling arbitrarily some businesses as "Essential" and bankrupting so many others that were indeed essential to the people who owned them's livelihood, no to mention the value their customers saw in them,
- Labelling some businesses specifically as "non-essential" such as gun stores, ranges, etc.
- Assuming everyone is too stupid to use their brains to protect themselves
- I could go on...


2017-April - 2 (my original review)
Very important. Engrossing. Difficult in parts, but always comprehensible and on the money.

A high-level self-help book.
A careful book of philosophy - that shows you why philosophy is so important to your life and our still fairly free society.
An accurate observation of the big picture, which gives good reasons for optimism as well as warnings, when looking at current trends.
Psychology and physiology are used to explain crucial issues to help you see some crucial good habits to pick up and bad ones to avoid and/or discard, and some concrete ways to actually make improvements.

Dealing with tough, big issues such as welfare, drugs, and the environment, on a personal as well as a society level.

Is that enough? Quite a bit for a book of only 227 pages, including Index, End Notes, Appendix and Preface.

Highly recommended, especially for those who really want a free society, but for also anyone seriously interested in its requirements, its promise and its antithesis.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was better than I was expecting. I'm not sure whether that reflects the actual quality of the book or the low expectations I had of the book going in due to past experience reading Palmer's books. So, the good: the selection of pieces (and thus contributors) was far more interesting than the last time Palmer set up this kind of piece. The arguments were also harder to rebut, and thus generally more solid. Palmer's contributions were also better than past experience would have led me to expect. Much less insufferable than usual and with a level of philosophical detail that actually kept me interested in what he was saying.

There was weakness. Tierney's essay in the second chapter was particularly self-defeating by being interesting for most of the chapter and then promptly sliding off into gratuitously highlighting a study about liberals supposedly not doing as well as conservatives in college due to lack of self-control. I generally try not to cite those sorts of studies about conservatives (and there are plenty), particularly when I'm trying to convince someone who isn't already convinced (which this book seems to be trying to do), because it's basically a cheap insult against my presumed audience. Who would want to listen after that?

A bigger oversight, in my opinion, regarding a book about individuality and self-control was any sort of connections that could be drawn to mental health and neurodiversity in particular. I can't remember how many times I was told as a kid that I just needed to "try harder," when I was struggling in school, only for people to go in high school, "Oops! You actually have a learning disability. Now, we'll help you to reach your potential." Wouldn't you know it that once there was actual intervention, my grades shot up a lot more than they did when I was told to just try harder (read: exhibit more self-control). I actually strongly agree that people can work to better their own circumstances, as the writers imply. However, by failing to directly wrestle with some of these more profound challenges to their idea, they're leaving themselves wide open to skepticism.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up after seeing a Facebook ad for it. Like many other books on Libertarianism (such as those published by the Mises Institute), it was available to download for free (much thanks to the Atlas Network for that! They have a good newsletter as well, that I suggest subscribing to).

Self Control or State Control introduces the reader to a number of different concepts that they may not be aware of in which the State controls us and the life we wish to live for ourselves. Most of the 11 chapters are written by a different author, but they all compliment one another well (this, compared to the many free books I've read that are just collections of articles written by the author. I'm not a big fan of those types of books..).

This book covers a range of topics, such as the welfare state (how and why it has failed), business regulations, will power, the philosophy of individualism, and others. Overall, I found the book to be an interesting read, and I really liked that each chapter contained numerous references (I'm quite the stickler for this. Without references, a book such as this isn't worth much).

I think that this is a fantastic read for those that are new to Libertarianism, and I believe that it is especially good for those that are crossing over from a previously Left-wing ideology.

4½ stars overall, since I found some parts of the chapters discussing individualism to be somewhat dry. Still a great book and a suggested read!

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from the Editor of it at a think tank debate. He posed some very interesting questions to the speakers and I went up to ask who he was. We talked for awhile about ideas and his accent when he showed me this book. I offered to buy it and he said that he would give it to me only if I agreed to read it, which I did. Although it took me awhile to get to it, I finally did.

The first couple chapters were very enjoyable (written by Palmer). However, from there it had some odd chapters that seemed only tangential to the actual issue. The other enjoyable part was in the end where Palmer broke things down to practical development of self control. It included advice on how to be a better person and how to set goals for self control. It also had an impressive bibliography that fleshes out more of the ideas into subset focuses.

The basis for the title is that if you are not independent enough to provide for / take care of yourself, then you must be reliant on others and this leads to relying on the government. It's an interesting idea that they further by showing the satisfaction in mediocrity and how this does not make one or the human race better. I felt that sometimes this was a far jump at times, but nevertheless it still is important. It makes me think of JFK's statement, "Think not what your country can do for you, but for what you can do for your country." I believe this and that is why I enjoyed the book.

Additionally, it seemed to be geared to teenagers, but I felt it was certainly not written that way. I doubt that teenagers would find it very approachable.

[Oto Bakradze · Rating 4 out of 5]

“თავისუფლება ნიშნავს არა მხოლოდ იმას, რომ პირს გააჩნია შესაძლებლობა და აწევს არჩევანის ტვირთი; ის აგრეთვე ნიშნავს, რომ მან ასევე უნდა იტვირთოს თავის ქმედებათა შედეგები და მიიღოს მათთვის ქება თუ საყვედური. თავისუფლება და პასუხისმგებლობა არ არსებობენ ერთმანეთის გარეშე.” - ფრიდრიხ ჰაიეკი

“ჩვენ შესაძლებელს ვხდით ერთმანეთისთვის ობიექტურობის განცდას. სრულიად იზოლირებულ პირს, გარდა იმისა, რომ იგი დაიტანჯება ადამიანთან თანამშრომლობის არქონისგან, არ ექნება აგრეთვე სამყაროს ობიექტურობის აღქმის საშუალება, თვითონ მოუწევს ობიექტების იდენტობის მიკვლევა მათ მრავალსახოვან შთაბეჭდილებებში და არა სუბიექტთაშორისი ურთიერთობების რეჟიმში, რომელიც შესაძლებელი ხდება სხვა გონებებთან ურთიერთობის შემთხვევაში. მას არ ექნება სამყაროზე სხვათა ხედვებისა და აზრების გაცნობის შესაძლებლობა, რომლებიც დაეხმარებიან ობიექტური ხედვის გამომუშავებაში.” - ჰუსერლი

“ყოველი ადამიანი უფრო მეტად უფრთხილდება იმას, რაც არის მხოლოდ მისთვის, ვიდრე იმას, რაც არის მრავლის ან ყველასთვის; რადგან ყოველი ადამიანი გაექცევა ან დაუტოვებს სხვას შესასრულებლად იმ სამუშაოს, რომელიც ეხება საზოგადოებას, როგორც ხდება ბევრი მსახურის შემთხვევაში. პლუს ამას ადამიანთა საქმიანობა უფრო ორგანიზებულად სრულდება მაშინ, როცა თითოეულს აქვს ჩაბარებული ერთი კონკრეტული საგანი, მაშინ როცა ყველაფერი აირევა თუ ყველას ერთდროულად მოსავლელი ექნება ერთი საგანი. თან უფრო მშვიდობიანია ისეთი ვითარება, როცა თითოეული კმაყოფილდება თავისით. უთანხმოებას ადგილი აქვს უფრო ხშირად იქ, სადაც საგნები არ არიან დაყოფილი საკუთრებად. უფრო მშვიდობიანია ისეთი ვითარება, როცა თითოეული კმაყოფილდება თავისით.” - თომა აქვინელი

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great majority of the information in this collection of essays was correct, it’s just that the book was all over the place. As in, the first handful of chapters were pretty good. Some were very good. But the quality wasn’t consistent. Too many of the middle chapters were basic, boring, redundant, and rather unpleasant to read. Many of these middle chapters felt unnecessarily verbose. Or, simply unnecessary. Like, many of these essays could have been half as long and still made the same full points without fluff. Reading these middle chapters often became a chore to finish simply because I started the book and wanted to finish it in its entirety. While a majority of the content in the last few chapters did end up being pretty good again, one additional topic briefly introduced in the final chapter that really turned me off and came across as completely irrelevant and unnecessary was recommending Buddhism, an accompanying Buddhist book, and Buddhist meditation. Gross. So while one can definitely sift out plenty of good info, it becomes a chore having to filter it out. I would instead recommend books, writings, podcasts, and videos by Ron Paul, his Institute for Peace and Prosperity, Mises Institute, Rand Paul, Jeff Deist, Lew Rockwell, Tom Woods, Thomas Massie, etc. Identical main points but more interesting and enjoyable to read.

[Bert Van Dijk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing as always. Will revisit before discussing the welfare state during birthday parties.

[Johnathon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice collection of essays balancing the view of self-control and government deciding things for you. Great read, especially for those in the libertarian thinking mode.