Dennis AMA | Life's Biggest Questions: Mistakes, Marriage, and Meaning

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Dennis, Dennis, Dennis Prager.

Do you have a question you've always wanted to ask Dennis Prager? Well, now's your opportunity. For upcoming Ask Me Anything episodes of Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager, we're inviting you to leave Dennis a voicemail. He'll personally answer selected questions, and your question could be featured on a future episode. Whether it's about faith, morality, politics, history, relationships, happiness, or simply navigating life, Dennis would love to hear from you. Just call Call 877-243-7776 and leave your question. Oh, and be sure to include your first name and where you're calling from. That's 877-243-7776. While we can't feature every question, Dennis will listen to every voicemail. So call today. You may hear Dennis Prager answering your question on an upcoming episode of Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager. And thanks for listening and supporting Dennis Prager. On today's episode of Timeless Wisdom.

Hi, Mr. Prager, thank you. I was wondering if you have any magic answer to where the line lies between forgiveness and betrayal. What is the stupidest thing that you've ever done in your whole life? What do you think of adult adoptive children trying to find their birth parents? Hi, I'm getting married tomorrow.

Congratulations, congratulations.

I was wondering what your single greatest piece of advice would be, maybe the least cliché. I'm getting a lot of clichés.

What are the clichés? What clichés are you getting?

Don't go to bed angry.

And you know, that's a good one. By the way, you should know most clichés are true. That's why they became clichés.

I was just wondering if you're joking when you always say, oh, ask me anything you want, meaning in life. And I always think, you know what, I'm asking him sometime. What is it?

You're right, I was joking.

Were you really? No, no, don't tell me that.

It'll drive me crazy.

Me crazy.

I just want them to hear you read.

Oh my gosh, it would drive me crazy because I'm hanging on it.

That's coming up on Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager.

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Welcome to Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager. Hear thousands of hours of Dennis's lectures, courses, and classic radio programs. And to purchase Dennis Prager's Rational Bibles, go to DennisPrager.org.

Anything that's on your mind, whatever you'd like to ask me, from the proverbial what is my favorite tobacco pipe or cigar, that is, to the meaning of life, whatever it is on your mind. Did you hear something that you would like to comment on? Did you have something that you're wondering about in your own life or about me or what have you? This is the time to do it. I set the agenda the other 14 hours of the week. You do on this one. Welcome indeed to the Dennis Prager Show. And let us go to Westborough, Massachusetts, and we begin with Michael. Hello, Michael. Dennis Prager.

Hello, Dennis. How are you doing?

I'm well, thank you.

I got a question for you.

Yeah.

What is— and you've had a longer life— what is the stupidest thing that you've ever done in your whole life?

There are so many contenders for that title. I know that I can't really— I will isolate some, but I must tell you that Uh, I'll— I, I can give you— it's terrible how many things come to mind. It's not like I can't think of any, it's I can't know which one to select. But I'll give you one funny one. This was truly stupid. Uh, I was, uh, I was in my 20s and I, I— it was my 20s were a huge traveling time. Every, every year I went to another part of the world and I remember I, I, I my first trip to Hungary, and I went from Vienna to Budapest, and I went on a hydrofoil on the Danube River. And these are very fast little boats, and I got on the boat. I think it's an hour and a half ride. I don't remember how long it is. 2 hours? I don't know. And somebody will know and, you know, tell me. And I got on needing to go to the bathroom, and I figured, no problem, I'll just go on board. But for whatever reason, it was, it was one of these fast and quick trips. They didn't have any lavatories. Now, can you imagine speeding along on the water for an hour and a half while you already have to go to the bathroom?

Jumping around on the water.

Yes, so you can only imagine. I arrived in Budapest bent over practically. Al, unfortunately it was then a communist country and customs took a while. You know, make sure you're not bringing in Western propaganda and checking out for everything else and your visa, because you always needed a visa for communist countries. So now remember, there's not an airport, this is a river port, a river entrance. Finally, I get through communist customs and I am really in pain needing to get to a bathroom. I walk outside, it's a street, a major thoroughfare. And to my great relief, I see a sign over a little building. It says WC. WC is— Water closet. Right, water closet is international. And I think, thank God, you don't have to know Hungarian. WC is international.

Huh.

I'm like a man just finding water who's been in the desert. Then I see two doors. And one says Nook and the other says Furfiak. And I think this is ridiculous. I mean, they have to have like an international symbol or, you know, an umbrella and a skirt or pants and a skirt, something. Nothing. Just Nook and Furfiak. Well, how the hell do I know if I'm a Nook or a Furfiak? And meanwhile, I'm in real pain. And then I did the— you now asked, how does this come to the stupidest thing I ever did? It would not have been stupid to just flip a coin and walk into one. Okay? Would not have been stupid. Or to watch if anybody walked in, obviously, but nobody did. I stood in the middle of this thoroughfare and I stopped Hungarians walking by and I looked at them and I looked and I pointed to myself and the sign and I said, "Nok? Ferfiak?" So I stood in the middle of Budapest asking passersby if I was a man or a woman. And of course they all mumbled something like, you know, "This man has escaped an asylum." I mean, can you know how, I mean, what would you say if somebody stopped you? Man? Woman, you would think that they were, they were very seriously disturbed. That is one of the funny stupider things. On a more serious level, I would be financially secure if when I moved to California I had bought anything, anything. When I moved to California in 1970, if I'd have bought— I moved to Simi Valley, California. If I had bought a hut. A hut, you hear me? An outhouse. If I had bought a toilet, I would have been financially secure today.

Yeah, I wouldn't consider that necessarily stupid.

Oh, it was stupid because I was told, Dennis, this is a great time. You're gonna see this city's gonna develop. When I lived in Simi Valley, it had one restaurant. One. But as I've often said, when God gave out abilities, When he gave out financial ability, I was in the men's room. I was in the furfiak room. What am I, a knocker furfiak?

Well, I wouldn't be too hard on you. I get hot tips all the time.

Hot tips? That was common sense. That wasn't like, oh, you got to get generic brand multivitamin thing. All right. Anyway, I have many more, unfortunately, but thank you. It's a fun question.

You bet.

Have a great weekend. You too. Appreciate it very much. Anyway, it turns out, by the way, that Nok is woman and Ferfiak is male. And I did walk into Nok because I thought Ferfiak sounded like female. And then some woman started yelling at me in Hungarian. That was the end of that story. Hungarian is unfortunately has nothing in common with English. The only language that has anything in common with is Finnish, which I know nothing of either. Alrighty, and let's go to— oh, this is very apropos. I hope my son will hear this question. This is very good. Tyler in Pasadena, California. Dennis Prager, hi. Hello, Tyler.

Yes.

How are you? 11 years old?

Yes.

Great to hear from you. Thanks for calling. Well, what's on your mind?

Well, I was just wondering Um, 'cause my mom— 'cause we went out and I wanted some shirts like, uh, that has Scarface or Tupac and dog tags and baggy pants.

Right.

But my mom doesn't want me to dress like that, and I wanted to hear your opinion.

Well, I'm glad you wanted to hear my opinion, and let me tell you, I would not always agree with a parent. Please know that just 'cause I'm a parent doesn't mean I'll always agree. Yeah, but in this case, your mom is doing you one of the great favors that she could ever do for you, because people judge you by the way you dress.

That's what they were trying to tell me.

That— but that's the truth, because that's the— that's the only thing that we know about a person when we meet them. We know nothing about a person except their clothing, because that's all we see. So it's a huge sign if you wear that sort of thing. It's like wearing a big sign 'Hi, I'm a jerk.' Okay, make sense?

Yes.

All right, thank you for calling.

Thank you.

All right, thank you so much. Like, the very fact that the kid wanted my opinion is really— it's like mind-blowing. But that's the truth. People have to know that, that your clothing is like wearing a sign. 'Hello, I'm a good guy.' 'Hello, I'm a jerk.' Hello, I'm a dummy. Hello, I'm smart. That— it's exactly like doing that. That is how powerful clothing is. And West Valley City, Utah, and Heather. Hello, Heather. Dennis Prager.

Hi, how are you?

I'm well.

Neat. Hey, I was just wondering if you're joking when you always say, oh, ask me anything you want, meaning of life, and I always think, you know what? I'm asking him sometime, what is it?

You're right, I was joking.

Were you really?

No, no.

Don't tell me that, it'll drive me crazy.

I just wanted to hear you react.

Oh my gosh, it would drive me crazy because I'm hanging on it.

There is no answer to the question, what is the meaning of life? Only because there are many meanings to life. And you will have a meaning, but in the overall sense, this is what I can say to you in a nutshell.

Okay.

There is only meaning to life— I don't mean to one individual's existence. One gets meaning from being a parent, from being a spouse, from being a friend, from being a business person, from reading books. There are thousands of things that give anybody meaning. But objectively, about life in general, not about one's individual own life and subjectively, there is only meaning in life if life has meaning, and life only has meaning if there is a God that made life. If life came about only on its own and is a fluke. A fluke has no meaning. Go to a micro subject here. Seal Beach, California. Joanne. Hello, Joanne. Dennis Prager.

Hi, Dennis. I enjoy your show every day.

Good, thank you.

Um, I have become aware that as a single, um, well, as a divorced mother of two wonderful children who are adults with beautiful children, I miss their company, my adult children, because whenever we get together, it's always with the grandkids 7, 2 and a half, and 5 months, and we're focused on them. They're distracting. And this birthday, which is coming up, I would like to go out to a nice dinner with them without the children, and I'm feeling guilty about bringing this up.

No, don't feel it at all. I mean, a lot— this is not a routine request. It's not a routine birthday. You want to enjoy your kid. They could get a babysitter. We'll be back in a moment.

This episode of Timeless Wisdom will continue right after this.

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Now back to more of Dennis Prager's timeless wisdom.

Alrighty everybody, the phone number is 1-8-PRAGER-776. 1-8-PRAGER-776. And this is the hour where anything is on your mind. And I just want to repeat to Joanne who called in, she would like to celebrate her big upcoming birthday, her 60th, with her kids. Without the grandkids present. I think it's a fair, it's a fair request. Absolutely. In any event, parents cannot allow— and I am very, very, very preoccupied with my kids and always have been— nevertheless, you have to have a life as well. It's good. It's not even good for your kids not to have that. And, and to honor your, your mom on her 60th with, uh, with a dinner together with her the way that she would like it. My God, Joanne, is it clear what side I'm on? Alright, she's gone. Okay, anyway, I hope you heard that, Joanne. Let's go to some more of your calls here. 1-800-PRAGER-776, and we go to North Hollywood, California. And David, hello David, Dennis Prager.

Hi Dennis, first of all I just want to say this isn't a cry for help, But I have a conservative Catholic friend, and we were talking, and he was telling me that he believed the Catholic position on suicide is that it's a mortal sin. And I'm never quite sure, I was never quite sure, because he asked me what the Jewish position on suicide was.

Well, Judaism regards it as a sin. The concept of mortal sin is a Catholic one, but it is a big sin. Your life is no more yours to take than somebody else's. However, morally speaking, they're not identical acts. Taking the life of another is certainly worse than taking your own life, and circumstances will help determine it, though there is a rabbinic phrase that no one takes his own life unless— the Hebrew is a ruach stut, a spirit of craziness. Of madness has entered him, that it's— nobody normal does it. And so there is a, you know, you temper the moral angst about it versus the belief that something has happened at that moment to pervert the person's mind. But it is a sin, there's absolutely— you're absolutely right. Well, I don't know, right, you didn't make a statement, you asked a question. Yes, there it is, a sin. There used to be a time, in fact, the community regarded it as so sinful that a Jewish suicide was not buried in the same cemetery as other Jews.

Wow.

That has, that has changed because of this, the general notion that something psychological has snapped, had snapped in that person. But the interesting thing is Judaism is so life-centered that it's pretty rare.

But maybe that's why everybody seems to know what the Catholic position is, but the Jewish position—

yeah, no, it's talked about. That's right. Yeah, that's a good point. Thank you for your call.

Thank you.

I appreciate it very much. Uh, Alan in, uh, Alan in Dallas. Hello, Alan. Dennis Prager. Hi.

Hello, Dennis. It's a pleasure to talk to you.

Hi, thank you.

I just want you to know I value your opinion very greatly.

Thank you.

Uh, the question I had is, uh, what do you think of adult adoptive children trying to find their birth parents.

Well, yeah, if it's just curiosity, I don't have an issue with it, uh, but I, it, in, I don't know what you gain other than answering curiosity, because unless you feel alienated from your parents, uh, do you?

No, I've had a good Of course I was adopted, but I, I've had a very good life. I've been right.

So what, so what, so what is animating you?

I really, I don't know. I think it's more just curiosity than anything else. Yeah, I think it's, you know, do I resemble my birth parents? Because I really did.

You, did you, did you ever see a, a picture of, of them?

No, actually my mother was the nurse, uh, one of the nurses that was at the hospital where I was born.

And do you know how many kids who were biological kids have no— do not look at all like their parents?

No.

Oh, okay. You see, this is the fantasy that a lot of people have about, about others. It's a very common thing. It's a very normal thing. Uh, I— we, uh, Alan and I— I'm speaking of the we of Alan here— we, we are— we know a couple and they have two daughters who do not look like they are really in the same race, uh, and they let alone look like the parents. So I, and I've always found that fascinating. I, this is only subjective, and I'm so touched that you called, Alan. I have never found it important or even interesting whether or not kids look like a parent or look like a sibling. I remember as a kid I would always be told, oh, you look like your mother, and then Just as often, somebody'd say, "You look just like your father." Well, I can't look like my mother and my father. They look very different. Do you know how psychological it is anyway when kids see a baby, "Oh, looks just like mom!" I would bet anything that if there were 10 babies of the same race lined up, people would, would have no clue as to whose kid was whose in the vast majority of cases. So, Alan, you know, send me an email. I'd be very curious to know about this. I, I, most of the time, uh, people might be looking for something that is not significant. I mean, I'm not discouraging you from doing it, but it's, um, it's not important. That's the way I guess I— the best way I could put it. I thank you for asking, my friend. I appreciate it, and I would like to hear from you. And we go to Mike in La Crescenta, California. Dennis Prager here. Hi, Mike.

I have always loved the show. But? I love the clarity issues. You're articulate. But you do a thing that annoys me, and I want to know why.

All right, I'm always open to why I annoy people. Go ahead.

Why do you take so long to start talking after the music starts?

Well, it depends. It's a very good question, actually.

Thank you. You're welcome. I like to make— I like to hear you giggle too.

Oh, that's nice. I like to hear me giggle too. I actually think— I think that every giggle adds 2 minutes to your life. That's my theory.

Good.

Anyway, here is the story. First of all, if you— I would like you— here's an assignment, and I mean it, if you're up to doing it.

All right.

And just do it for 1 week. Or even for that matter, do it for one show for the 3 hours, and you see how long you hear music before I come in. And I think you will find that it differs very much on any given break.

Yes, it does.

Exactly. Now here, so here are the reasons. One, there are times when I simply like hearing the music. I, I, it just, it just calms me and, and I enjoy it. All right, that's so— that will— but even more often it will be because I am reading something that has just come over the, over the wire, as they say, and I want to bring it to your attention because I'm bringing you stuff. Alan is constantly giving me stuff that has just appeared on the internet, and so I am trying to bring that to your attention as well as stuff that I have ready for the show prior to the show.

And it's not that I dislike the music either.

Yeah, I understand that.

I want to hear the stuff.

I understand. There is one other possibility, and that is the least frequent, and that is I am just tuned out. There's nothing as disarming as honesty, is there?

No, that's the perfect— that one I believe.

Yeah, that one you believe.

Yeah.

But that happens to be the least common. Thank you very much. It really, it just might happen, and then I will get a little hint from Sean. Uh, Dennis Prager, you speak now or you are doing a radio show. Your livelihood depends upon your speaking at this time. Alrighty, let's continue here. You folks crack me up. Anything you want, my friends. It could be as heavy or as non-heavy as the last one.

Are you enjoying Timeless Wisdom? We'd love to hear from you. Call 877-243-7776 and leave a review, share your thoughts, or just even an encouraging word for Dennis Prager. Your voicemail might just make it on the show. That's 877-243-7776. That's 877-243-7776. 6. Thanks for listening and for your support.

We go to Shoreview, Minnesota, and Joe— hello, Joe, Dennis Prager.

Hi, Dennis.

Hi.

Hi, I'm getting married tomorrow, and congratulations, congratulations. Thank you. I was wondering what your single greatest piece of advice would be, maybe the least cliché. I'm getting a lot of clichés.

One of the clichés— what clichés are you getting?

Um, don't go to bed angry, and you know, that's a good one.

By the way, you should know most clichés are true. That's why they became clichés.

Right.

And I think they have a lot of value.

Yeah.

Yeah. But I was wondering if you had a unique piece of advice.

Wow. I'm stumped. One unique piece of advice. Why are you laughing, Alan? Alan is cracking up. I think he likes when I'm stumped. It makes his day. It's lousy for the show, but it's somehow. Alan, Alan is having the time of his life. Let me think about that. Let's see, a piece of advice. I have so many pieces of advice, I'm trying to isolate one here. Oh, you know what, here it is. I'll tell you one. One piece of advice that I would give is that almost everything is endurable so long as the two of you respect each other. The respect is probably the single most important quality for the durability of a marriage.

How would you define respect?

Well, when— here, I'll put it in the negative. It is— Dr. John Gottman is the— I do believe is the finest expert on marriage and marital failure in America. He can predict to a staggeringly accurate percentage after watching a couple for 5 minutes He predicts whether they will divorce or not. And the thing that— the single most glaring guarantor of a failed marriage is if one spouse develops contempt for the other. And we go to Long Beach, California, and Naomi— is it— do you say Naomi or Naomi?

I say Naomi.

See, I knew to ask. I knew.

Yeah, my name is, uh, of Japanese origin.

Okay, Naomi, take it away.

Um, I was— my dad has been listening to you for years, and he started listening to you with Religion on the Line, right? I was wondering, why did that go off the air, and is there any other show out there that's like—

for those, let me explain, let me explain, explain your question to the, to the larger audience around the country. I began radio on ABC Radio in Los Angeles in 1982 Dennis Prager as the host of an extremely popular show, uh, inordinately popular in Southern California. And I, I was the host of, of it. It was called Religion on the Line. It had a priest, rabbi, minister, different ones each week, and I would moderate. And I did it exactly 10 years, and then they persuaded me— I loved it so much, and I love doing weekend night radio so much because it just kept me free during the week. I said no over and over to offers to have weekday radio, which is professionally far better for, for obvious reasons. You're just on more, you have a larger audience, generally speaking. I just loved it. And so, Naomi, I finally agreed, you know, it's time to move on after 10 years. And so that's, that is, that's what happened. Does that answer your question?

Yeah, absolutely. Um, but do you— are there any other shows out there like it?

That, uh, there is one I think in New York, but other than that, I, I don't believe— I don't believe that there is. And so many people in the Southern California area asked me would I do it again. I just can tell you I have no answer to that, but I can tell you that it was a— I, I almost believe literally a godsend. I have been working Dennis Prager, as many of you know, is a bridge between Jewish and Christian communities. And that program, every week, 2 hours, with priests, rabbis, and ministers, is what enabled me to understand so well the mindset, the thinking, the theology of these two great religions, and, and indeed become a big advocate of what are called Judeo-Christian values. Uh, let's go to Helene in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Hello, Helene. Or yeah, Helene. Hi, Dennis Prager.

Hi, Mr. Prager. Thank you. Uh, I, I was wondering if you have any magic answer to where the line lies between forgiveness and betrayal.

Uh, you mean for— you mean when you shouldn't forgive? Is that what you're asking? When a person has lost the right to be forgiven?

I guess, uh, I guess that might be a better, a better way to put it.

Yeah, I see the, uh, I, I believe that almost everything is forgivable except murder because the injured party is not there to forgive. Beyond that, with a truly sincere contrition, and if you think that the person is a decent person otherwise, And they really want to be forgiven and beg you that they ought to be. We'll be back in a moment.

This episode of Timeless Wisdom will continue right after this.

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Now back to more of Dennis Prager's Timeless Wisdom.

Eureka, California, and Teresa Teresa, Dennis Prager, hi.

Hi. Interestingly enough, my 16-year-old son came and told us that he may have to do something that we won't be happy with.

Uh-huh, and that is?

And it was he thought he might get into a fight at school.

Right.

And the next day, he came home and I asked him what happened, and I had to drag it out of him, but he said that he did not get in a fight, and the reason that he didn't was because he didn't want to disappoint us.

That's the reason he didn't get into the fight, correct? And what, what type of fight was it? Who started? What was it?

Um, a friend that he thought had done something deceiving to him. And we tried to—

when he means a fight, he means a physical fight?

Yes, which he's never been in before.

But he would start the physical aspect?

Well, he would talk to the boy about it, and depending on what happened— and he was pretty irrational about it. He was 16, hadn't had a lot to think about, and And that was what he thought might happen. They might get into a fight over something.

And he didn't do it because he thought he might disappoint you?

Correct.

All right. And you want to know my reaction?

Well, and I— ironically, I was almost disappointed with his answer because he should have chose not to do it because it was the right thing to do, not to get in a fight.

Yeah, but you see, the parent is, to use Freudian terms, the superego of a child for a long time. What would my father or mother think? And usually the father, but not always, uh, is a very major factor, especially in a boy's, uh, development of his conscience. Uh, listen, uh, it— I'll give you an example. I, I don't know if you're religious, and it doesn't matter for, for, for the sake of this question, but, uh, what would God think of what I did? Is to me a very good way to try to figure out whether or not something is right.

Yes, and maybe he didn't even want to fight and maybe using us as the excuse.

That may well be. That, that's a very perceptive comment. But don't be disappointed if you play— it's in fact, I think that's wonderful that a parent plays a role in a child's character development. What would my mother or my father or both think if I did X or Y? That's wonderful.

And we also went through, well, what would happen if you disappointed us? What would happen, right?

That, that's another question. Yes, that's a psychological one. And thank you very much, but I just need you to know, don't in any way think that that's not good. Uh, it plays a deep role in all of our lives. What would so-and-so think? Would I, would I morally disappoint X or Y? This notion that I only have to answer to me and my conscience, I don't buy that. I don't have trust in humans like that. I think we need a reference point outside of ourselves. And if it's God, if it's a parent, or if it's somebody else, that's why— that's good. That I think it's a very good thing. All righty, thank you for your, uh, call, uh, Teresa. Uh, Mike in Van Nuys, California. Mike, Dennis Prager, hello.

Hello.

Hi, Mike. Dennis.

Hi, Dennis. Hey, I just wanted to thank you for your help, uh, your help to America. I think you, uh, do a great job.

Well, I try. Thank you very, very much.

My question to you is, uh, how do you think perfectionism is related to disappointment, not only in others but in myself?

Well, obviously, if you're a perfectionist, you'll always disappoint yourself. But I find the word perfectionist is overused. A perfectionist, what does that mean? Does it mean one who, if something isn't perfect, they will not do anything? I mean, I'm a perfectionist with my writing, but I still send in my column every week, even though it, you know, objectively it's not perfect. But I keep striving, I keep editing and editing and editing. That's why it took me 10 years to write my book on happiness. But I don't know if I'm a perfectionist. I just want it to reach a level of excellence that I can approve of. So what is a perfectionist?

Well, I guess it's a standard that I have in my mind about the way I do things and expecting others to do them like I do. Maybe it's not perfectionism.

Oh, expecting others to reach your level.

Yeah.

Oh, yes.

My level may not even be that high, you know.

Uh-huh.

Well, I don't know, but whatever level it is, you are setting people up to disappoint you. Yes, there's no question about it. All righty. Uh, 1-800-PRAGER-776 is the number, and in Minnesota, in Arden Hills, it's Steve. Hello, Steve. Dennis Prager. Hi.

Hi, Dennis. Hi. I am getting ready to send my son to high school here next year, and I'm beginning to work with the school in terms of just trying to ask them some questions. And here's my question for you: where there's no expressed prohibition against something, does that imply permission then?

Yes, it implies permission generally, but it doesn't imply that it is proper.

Okay, and here's my, here's my real-life example.

Well, also, by permission— forgive me— by permission, do you mean is it legal? If it's something is not illegal, okay, well, what is— what is permit? Well, let's— you have an example, give it, because I have an example. Go ahead.

Here's my example. Um, I'm just gonna check with the school in terms of their attitudes towards— we know that the school has a prohibition against drinking, we know a school has a prohibition against drug use, but schools do not have prohibitions against sexual exploration, trying to figure out kids' sexual identities. And yet it's at least as destructive a force as the use of alcohol or the use of cigarettes.

Wait a minute, schools prohibit alcohol at home?

No, no, no, no, amongst their students.

Oh, I see. But they don't have— you mean amongst their students at the school?

Yeah, they would say don't smoke.

Oh, I see. But they don't have— but they don't have— don't have sex at school?

Well, don't say have sex in general. They don't—

well, no, in general, in general they can't because, because they can't control what happens at home. It's an interesting question.

This episode of Timeless Wisdom will continue right after this.

Life can be messy, but you don't have to figure it out alone.

Hey, it's the Luskos!

Join pastors and bestselling authors Levi and Jenny Luskos on Hey, It's the Luskos for honest conversations about faith, marriage, family, grief, ministry, and all the unexpected moments in between. You'll laugh, you'll be encouraged, and you'll be reminded that God is faithful through every season.

It will always come back to Jesus in the end.

That's right. Tune in to Hey, It's the Luskos with Levi and Jenny Lusko, available now wherever you get your podcasts.

Now back to more of Dennis Prager's timeless wisdom.

And let's, let's go to Santa Monica, California. KRLA 870, Rafael. Rafael, this is Dennis Prager.

Hi. Hi, Dennis.

Hi.

I think this is a little frivolous compared to your—

I want frivolous questions. I went to you first.

Well, here you got it then. Uh, so I know you're against laugh tracks.

Very, very opposed.

Okay, so here's what changed my mind about it. May have no effect. All right, so, uh, years ago I saw this documentary of this I Love Lucy episode in which, you know, it's this long drawn-out absurd situation. She's got all these eggs in her shirt and they smash, and the audience laughs and laughs and laughs. And at that time anyway, it was the longest recorded laugh track laugh on TV. It was a minute or whatever.

It was a laugh track, it wasn't an actual audience?

Um, no, it was a live audience. Sorry.

Also, that's not a laugh track.

Yeah, well, oh, I see what you're saying. Well, I thought you were against live audiences.

Oh, why would I be? I love live audiences. No, it's not an issue. It's like a play.

Oh, you say you're against the pre-recorded?

Yes, that's a lie.

Oh, I see.

I'm against lies, that's all. It's fake. It's, it's to force me to laugh or to announce on a sitcom, you have just heard a joke.

I see. Okay, well, okay, yeah, I was only defending—

Oh, I, I wish they were all in front of live audiences. That's fine with me.

Okay then. And your screener, by the way, is quite funny. She was, she was wanting to know if I was supporting laugh tracks for this show.

Actually, that's a funny question. I mean, that is very funny. That, that, you know what, that we're going to get them. That's a great idea. That's great. So anyway, now I've calmed you.

Yeah, I will.

Apparently there's no difference of opinion.

There you go. All right. Thanks, Rafael. You too. Appreciate your call very much. That, that's funny. Yeah, I, why would I be against a live audience? Absolutely not. That is true.

Laughter.

Can you imagine laugh tracks? Or it makes me laugh. A laugh track. That's right. Why not? After all, I am periodically funny. My God, just, I remember November 11th. There you go. That's right. It's so absurd. I think it's great. That's it. Now it shows that they work. You see, this is the silliest moment in the history of my radio.

Shut up.

Well, it works. You see, yawning makes you yawn. Laughing makes you laugh. Crying makes you cry. Scratching makes you scratch, or scratching makes you itch and then scratch. That is in— what else is contagious, by the way? That's an interesting question. Yawns, laughter, smiles, crying, scratching. Anything else that comes to mind? All right, let's go to Ben in Fort Myers, Florida, on WCNZ. Hey Ben, Dennis Prager.

Hi Dennis, how are you?

Good, good.

Hi Dennis, you've spoken a lot about the hardwired differences between males and females. I sure have. I had an experience with my only daughter. I have 3 children, one daughter, the youngest. She's 7 years old, and she came to me on a Friday recently and said, "Daddy, I want to talk to you." Why? She had a dentist appointment on Monday and she's scared. So I responded with a piece of advice. I said to her, "Ruch," we call her Ruchi, "You've been to the dentist before. It never bothered you before." This visit won't be any different, and it's only Friday. Don't ruin your weekend worrying about Monday.

If that worked, I'm a pumpernickel.

You're no pumpernickel, my friend.

Right, exactly.

She got indignant, of course, and she put her hands on her hips and she said to me, Daddy, that was a sentence. I came here for a talk.

Oh God, daughters.

Oh.

Oh God, that is precious, is it not? That is perfect. See, I just want to make it clear that what you said would have been equally ineffective with a boy. Okay, that's how I knew it. Uh, but, but it, it's, uh, you're— the way she reacted is utterly female. Your story is perfect.

Thank you.

Yes, I'm surprised she didn't say dad. I don't want solutions. I want sympathy. But that's basically— that's right, basically that's what she is. Say hi to Rufy for me.

Thank you, Dennis.

By the way, it's very funny, I thought he said that she had a dentist appointment. I'll never forget, in fact, a little girl once asked me, I'll never forget, when I was the director of a camp, said, what's your name? I said, Dennis. And she said, oh, look at my molars. And I thought, what? Until I realized a lot of people say Dennis for dentist.

Tomorrow on Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager.

I have great admiration for my parents' generation, absolutely. Fought World War II, the Korean War, and much of the Cold War, and the sacrifices made at home through the families that stayed back, and then, and the number numbers of Americans who died abroad and just went under either a draft or volunteered to go and fight either the Japanese fascists or the Nazis.

It is.

There was a lot of greatness in that generation. Absolutely. I don't say it's the greatest generation. Is it greater than the generation of George Washington? Than the founders of the country. That's, that's an odd statement, but it certainly was a distinguished generation, and distinguished in particular by its patriotism. How did that generation produce the baby boomer generation, characterized by so much narcissism, so much antipathy to America and its institutions? So much anger at the religion of their parents. Pretty much whatever most of those parents stood for, the kids overthrew.

Join us tomorrow to hear more on Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager. Visit DennisPrager.com for thousands of hours of Dennis's lectures, courses, and classic radio programs, and to purchase Dennis Prager's Rational Bible.

Bibles.

Life can be messy, but you don't have to figure it out alone.

Hey, it's the Luskos!

Join pastors and best-selling authors Levi and Jenny Luskos on Hey, It's the Luskos for honest conversations about faith, marriage, family, grief, ministry, and all the unexpected moments in between. You'll laugh, you'll be encouraged, and you'll be reminded that God is faithful through every season. Reason.

It will always come back to Jesus in the end.

That's right. Tune in to Hey, It's the Luskos with Levi and Jenny Lusko, available now wherever you get your podcasts.