Still, most of those effects occur in the context of harmless play and it is patently obvious that children are not normally turned into aggressive little monsters by TV or video games, since most children do not become aggressive little monsters.

But the rule seems to be that the bigger and more life-changing the decision, the less it will seem like a decision at all.

Actually, I can't imagine anything more tedious than a perfect person, especially if it was someone who also demanded perfection from me.

The yearning for strong leadership is more about strength of purpose - clarity of vision - than about merely 'getting tough'.

Although we love the idea of choice - our culture almost worships it - we seek refuge in the familiar and the comfortable.

Some researchers sensibly suggest that rather than worrying too much about which programs our children are watching, we should concentrate on trying to reduce the total amount of time they spend in front of the screen.

No one welcomes chaos, but why crave stability and predictability?