Human nature
I'm picky about language, but most things don't bother me seriously. I know people are going to quotation marks around random words and misuse expressions, and I know they do it innocently, so I tend to ignore it. But my rant for today really annoys me, because the people doing it should know better. I have been listening to courses from The Teaching Company, courtesy of my father-in-law. These are various series of lectures on specific courses, given by college professors, at a level suitable for college (but without the homework, grades, or credit). In two of the courses I have heard recently, different professors have referred to the timeless desire to understand "the nature of human nature." Just roll that phrase around in your mind for a moment. I hope it should be obvious that what these professors meant was the desire to understand human nature. If not, a few moments reflection should clear it up. When we speak of human nature, what do we mea...