The Meaning of Life, Jewish Missionaries, and Raising Boys | Dennis AMA

Life Audio.

On today's episode of Timeless Wisdom.

Who influenced you or had a great influence on you in your coming up? And then maybe someone that you see today that you really admire as a person.

I'm trying to define for my daughters the differences between micro issues and macro issues.

Jews do not believe in hell. My question is, what do they believe? And what, what is your belief? Could you tell me about maybe the benefits or the drawbacks of gardening?

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

As prices keep rising, Social Security is even more important to older Americans.

I counted on it to pay for groceries and prescriptions. Everything costs more now.

AARP is fighting to protect the Social Security Americans earn through a lifetime of hard work. I've paid into Social Security since I was a teenager.

It isn't a handout.

I earned it. Join us to stand up for Social Security. Visit aarp.org/socialsecurityvoter. Paid for by AARP.

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.com.

All righty, whatever's on your mind, this is the hour. You set the agenda. Let's go to Charlie in Arlington, Massachusetts, on WTTT. Hello, Charlie. Dennis Prager.

Hi, Dennis. You're very entertaining, but I do want to ask you— you always invite everyone to ask you about the meaning of life, and no one has, so I'd like to hear your discussion of the meaning of life.

I don't have a clue.

No, it's just a joke.

What is the meaning?

Let me ask you this. Well, no, first of all, meaning and purpose are not the same things at all.

True.

Okay, so which one are you asking?

Well, you offered on the meaning of life.

All right, let me ask you this. Do you feel you know the meaning of life?

Uh, not necessarily. Uh, just to, you know, you're, you're here to, uh, to do, uh, to be your God's children, you know, follow, follow his, uh, His example and his commandments, etc.

That's as good as any, frankly, Charlie, to be perfectly honest. I always invite that because it's my way of saying at this hour anything, even the heaviest of questions, is welcome. I have never been the biggest fan of the question, what is the meaning of life? Because there isn't the meaning of life. It is, in the final analysis, while of course I welcome it, is my way of saying again, That I want the deepest questions here. The question suggests the impossible: the meaning of life. Life means many, many things. There are multiple, multiple meanings to life. What I can say is, if there is no God, then life is meaningless. That I know. And that is very important to me. And that— and atheists have to be honest about that. And you know, I have a great—

Respect for that.

reverence for the intellectually honest atheist. I debated one such man at Oxford. He was remarkable. And there are many religious people who were not fully intellectually honest. So this is not an anti-atheist statement at all. It is merely a statement of truth. If there is no God, life is meaningless. Life is haphazard, random, pointless, meaningless. directionless, creatorless, designless. So once I know that there is a God, I know that there is a meaning. That is sufficient for me then to pursue multiple, multiple meanings. For many people, it is different things. You may derive meaning in life from being a parent. You may derive it from your marriage. You may derive it from your work. You may derive it from doing good. For different people, there will be different answers. But no matter what, in the final analysis, as much as one derives subjective meaning from any of the things I just mentioned, if there is no God, objectively, there is still no meaning, even though you may feel a meaning as a parent or as a spouse or as a friend or as a worker or what have you. All righty, I'm glad you asked it in any event, even though I may have disappointed you. I mean, what am I going to say? You know, there is an old joke about that. Guy treks. I don't know many jokes. I never tell jokes. All the humor is just spontaneous on the program. But I remember this one, and it's not going to crack you up. It's just an effective way of expressing what I just did. Man spends hundreds of thousands of dollars to trek to a remote monastery in Tibet where a monk is known at the top of one of the Himalayan mountains to 2 of the discovered the meaning of life. And finally, this man has spent all his money, he's gotten sick climbing, he's exhausted, he's penniless by this— ultimately by this time. And he finally reaches the monk and he says, monk, I have spent my life coming to you. Tell me, what is the meaning of life? The monk thinks for a moment and says to him, life is a fountain. And the man says, I have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars all this time. I've gotten sick climbing the Himalayas to find out that life is a fountain? And the monk looks at him and says, you mean it's not a fountain? It's a terribly silly joke, but it's really— what is one going to answer the question, what is the meaning of life? In the final analysis, you can't have a one Well, you know, it is a fountain. Life is a fountain.

Okay.

I'm glad you asked it. I had a lot of fun with that. 1-800-PRAGER-776. Dennis Prager, and this is the hour of the week. Forgive me.

I just—

you guys are funny. I enjoy, I enjoy my, my listeners. Yeah, you'll understand why right now. All right, Littleton, Colorado, and Steve, go ahead.

Hey, Dennis. Yeah, I love your show.

Thank you.

Good show. Um, I was wondering, could you tell me about maybe the benefits or the drawbacks of gardening?

Yes, I can tell you the benefits of gardening apparently are one gets exercise in a, in a rather enjoyable way, one is outdoors, one has a chance to see God's creations blossom. The drawbacks? For those who are, for those who are not into it, it is exceedingly boring. That's the only drawback. Hence, I am not into it. But I utterly and totally appreciate when it's done. I love to see our garden. I love it. I really do. I am, I, and I am as, as touched as anybody, uh, by, uh, by the, the, the creations that God has made possible. I'm very serious now. But I'm, I'm just not personally into it. But I, I, I'll bet I could get into it. It's just I need another hobby, uh, like I need the mumps. So that's, I guess that's the way I'd put it. But when my wife plants these things, I appreciate that very much. But that, you, you did crack me up. Thank you very much. Let's go to— it's a tough one— Elaine. Elaine, I'm willing to take this call even though I don't have a profound answer for you. In Carmel Valley, California, and on 1240. Hello, Elaine. Dennis Prager.

Hi, Dennis. What a privilege. I'm so excited to speak with you.

Thank you so much.

You don't have a profound answer for me, huh?

I don't, actually, because I am conflicted. I want everybody to hear your question.

All right, my question is, when my family goes into the movie theater, quite often we smuggle candy and water bottles.

Smuggle, I love it.

Yeah.

Because we don't want to pay the totally outrageous price that they charge us.

Why?

$5 for M&M's, you think that that's extravagant? Do you realize if you bought— how many kids are you bringing in?

6.

You realize it is true, if you got soda, popcorn, and candy for each kid, it would end up $60.

Right.

Right.

More?

More, you think? No, I— $10 a kid. That's what I assume.

So, and yeah. Yeah.

So, so, the—

I—

all right, so here's the— so you're asking, is it moral or is it immoral to do so? Well, first of all, the very fact that you even think about it Is a credit to you. In my opinion, there are 2 questions here. One is, are they moral to charge what they're charging? Now, one can say, hey, they run it, they can charge $100 for M&M's if they want. And that's true legally. The question is morally. So one could ask it in both ways. In other words, There is a part of me that says, look, if you agree to go to a movie, you agree to the terms under which you go to the movie, one of which is presumably you don't bring in food, you buy their food.

Mm-hmm.

Okay, so that's why I'm ambivalent and don't have a great answer for you. On the other hand, there is a voice in me that says, well, at what price do they become the immoral party?

Right.

And likewise, I would ask you, could they keep it low enough that you wouldn't smuggle in?

Right. If they did that, I wouldn't.

Right.

I would want to give them the business.

Okay. When you bring 6 kids and pay for 6 kids to go to a movie, I can— I hardly think you, you know, when you meet your creator, he will say, you know, Elaine, I want you to see this film of you smuggling in M&Ms. So Okay.

All right. Well, thank you so much.

Thank you so much. I love you folks. You just did the greatest job on the face of the earth. It's beautiful that she thinks about it. That's, you know, that struggling with issues is sometimes as important as what decision you come to. Just know that about your character development. The very fact of the struggle is a very good thing. Sometimes it doesn't matter which answer you come up with. Okay, now here's a very good— I want to get this on Paul. Let's quickly get Paul here. Paul, Dennis Prager, hi.

Hi, Dennis. I wanted to add in on that movie question earlier.

Yes, yes.

And I wanted to state that I used to work in a movie theater, and the majority of the box office money goes back to the studios, not to the major theaters. We only get about 20%. Of the box office. We make all our money off concessions.

Well, that is right. That is very important. On the other hand, if they stopped— if the movie theater stopped making the money on exorbitant food prices, then the studios would have to give them a bigger cut for them to remain open. No theaters, studios don't get movies. On the other hand, you're right, and that's why I said I am truly ambivalent. Don't go away. The Dennis Prager Show.

This episode of Timeless Wisdom will continue right after this.

Every day there's another headline about artificial intelligence. It's moving faster than most of us ever imagined, and it raises an important question: where's all this headed? There's one reason I think you're going to find Carbon Zero so interesting, because it feels so real. It's the latest novel from AI pioneer Craig W. Stanfill, someone who has spent years working in artificial intelligence. And understands both its incredible potential and its very real risks. In the story, one seemingly harmless instruction to an advanced AI sets off a chain of events no one saw coming. It's a fast-paced thriller, but what makes it especially compelling is how believable it feels. If you love stories that make you think as much as they entertain, you're gonna love Carbon Zero. Should we be scared of AI? This book paints a picture. Carbon Zero is available now. Just go to Amazon and search for Carbon Zero By Craig W. Stanfill. That's Carbon Zero, a real page-turner that you won't be able to put down. Go get your copy today and start reading Carbon Zero.

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

Okey-dokey, uh, let's move over to Randy in Chicago on WIND. Hello, Randy. Dennis Prager.

Hi, Dennis.

Hi.

I am a new listener to you, and I have enjoyed you. I got turned on to you last fall, and I really, really enjoy your perspective as a Christian myself.

Great, thank you.

Very refreshing to hear your conversations, and I really, really come to admire your viewpoint.

Oh, great, thank you. Bring me 10 more Chicago listeners. That's your mission for the year. You know what I do?

Everywhere I go, I tell people about you.

Oh, thank you, I appreciate it.

We're bringing them into the fold. A question, who influenced you or had a great influence on you in your coming up, and then maybe someone that you see today that you really admire as a person?

Well, you—

I, I assume you're talking outside of my family, because there's no question that my family has played a role in my thinking that is very deep. I was raised in a home that had a very, uh, deep preoccupation with great issues and with ethical earnestness. So that, that was a big factor. So you're— I assume you mean aside from that, or you— or whether you do or not, that is certainly one factor. I actually— this is a tough question for me to answer because I have been influenced by many, many writers, and I have met wonderful people in my life. But I have to say that aside from the influences that I just mentioned of writers and my family and so on, I would say to you that a lot of what I did was, was things that came from within my, my own soul and, and working them out with my dear friend from high school, Joseph Telushkin. We would sit for hours and hours and hours talking about the greatest issues of life. But I, you know, there wasn't a, if you will, a major mentor in my life, if that's what you're asking.

Correct. And as far as today, I would, you know, as you look around the landscape of of today's America or even the world, is there one person that stands out in your mind as saying, that is a great individual whom I would like to be more like?

Oh, well, there are. I, I do bring to the attention of listeners often great individuals. I will say this person like Paul Johnson is one of the great thinkers of our time. There are people that I have met that I would like to be more like, but they're, but they're But they're not known. Because I don't know— I know, for example, to take Paul Johnson. He is one of the great lucid minds of our time, one of the great morally clear human beings on the planet, and wisdom and knowledge beyond almost measurability. But I don't know how he is individually. I mean, I don't know if he kicks his dog or, you know, or loves his wife. I don't know anything about that, so I can't answer that. But, but so the people that I would like to emulate, you wouldn't know. Okay.

Thank you very much, Dennis.

I appreciate your call very much. Thank you. The, the, the, the people that have influenced me in that way, you know, I've looked at them and said, You know, wow, this is a person I'd like to be like. I know a man in an Israeli kibbutz, Yoske Achituv, but you don't know him, but he is a model to me of a man who has led a balanced, good, fine, wonderful life. Happy to mention him. I never did. All right, we'll be back in a moment. I'm Dennis Prager. Lakewood, Ohio, and Bill on WHK. Hello, Bill. Hello, Dennis.

Oh, hi Dennis, how are you?

Okay, thank you.

It's a real treat to talk to you. I've got your book for Christmas and saw you years ago on TV in Cleveland area.

Oh, you saw me?

Mm-hmm.

When I sat in on the morning show?

No, you had a, uh, your half-hour, uh, program. It was on—

Oh, oh, I see. When I had my own show. There was a time— what is your station? And I'm sure they're still not there, but it was a, a, a middle-aged guy and a younger woman Very popular morning show. Do you remember that?

Uh, radio or TV?

TV.

Uh, Doug Adair maybe?

Hmm, I have to— I'll look it up because I sat in for the guy vacationing for a week in Cleveland. I have a lot of things to do with Cleveland. Anyway, thank you. Go ahead. By the way, which book did you get for Christmas?

Uh, the, uh, Thinking for a Change.

Oh, Think a Second Time. That's my most important book.

Yes.

Thank you.

Um, uh, you know, I really admire your, your interview skills and how you speak with your guests and people in general. And you hear so many awful interviews where they don't seem to be focused on the guests at all. How do you prepare for an interview, and what, what do you see as a successful interview after you've conducted it?

Those are important questions, and I've never been asked them. I did not know until Really well into my career in talk radio that I was a good interviewer. And I'm really saying this, there's no boast here. It's like, you know, if I stole bases, I would say I'm a good runner. I mean, it's just, it's either objectively true or not. But anyway, here are some of the quote-unquote secrets. I am— first, I listen very carefully when they speak. Most interviewers have a list of questions. I know it because I'm interviewed a lot, and I see them when it's on TV. They have a list. If I would say— I've often been tempted to say, and then I considered suicide, and then they would say, well, and how do you feel, Mr. Prager, about immigration? You get what I'm saying?

Oh, absolutely.

The questions do not react to what was just said. So there's no— it's not a real dialogue or a series of questions. Well, it is. It's a series of questions. That's all it is. You might as well have your child ask them. Just give them the sheet.

It seems that the interviewer serves themselves rather than tries to get to know the person they're interviewing.

Absolutely.

That is right.

So the first thing is listen and react. React to what they just said.

Oh, really?

Well then. Oh, if that's the case, then how come? Or, wow, tell me more about that, or anything. So that's one thing. And remember, most television interviews are a minute or maybe a minute and a half, so they don't even allow for any depth. But so that's also a problem in television specifically. Number 2, I'm interested in a lot of things. So I really am interested in what the person has to say. If I'm not, I won't interview them. I mean, if a person— well, I could probably do a decent job interviewing someone who wrote a book on gardening, but the truth is it would have very little to do with gardening and it would have a lot to do with why the person loves it. In other words, I would ask to my strengths. I wouldn't say, gee, well, how do you plant tomatoes? I don't know and don't care. I just like to eat them.

Yeah.

So those are factors. Now here I'm going to tell you something you'll be maybe surprised. I do a far better interview with authors whose books I did not read than with authors whose books I did read.

Interesting.

And I'll tell you exactly why. I know exactly why, because I have, I have compared it. I can't fake anything. So I can't fake asking questions the answers to which I already know. I am not going to say to, to, to the author, Well, gee, what happened then? Or, well, what's your view on X? When I know it, I, I, I just can't do it. I— so I am— I, I, I am you asking the author questions because you didn't read the book. A lot of people think, oh my God, the guy interviewed the author and didn't even read the book. It's good that I didn't. It's better when I have read the book. I don't want to— I the questions I have won't interest you because they're based on already having read it, and it's, it's like an advanced edition of questions. So that's another factor that goes into play.

Okay, it's been a pleasure to talk to you, Dennis.

All right, anyway, let's go to Palmdale, California, and Jean. Hello, Jean. Dennis Prager.

Hello, Dennis.

Hi.

I'm calling because I'm trying to define for my daughters The differences between micro issues and macro issues. And I've heard you speak on it.

Uh-huh.

I only get to listen to you in my car.

Right.

So I miss out on quite a bit.

Micro is— how old is your daughter?

My daughters are 16 and 14.

Oh, that's easy then. It's the same as you would say to an adult. Micro issues are personal issues that concern the individual, and macro matters are societal Questions. Politics, philosophy, religion. Now, obviously they may concern you too, but, uh, how do you feel about having a birthday party is a micro issue. We'll be back in a moment.

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. Your voicemail might just make it on the show. That's 877-243-7776. That's 877-243-7776. Thanks for listening and for your support.

All righty, over to some more calls here in Alicia Viejo, California. Debbie. Hello, Debbie. Dennis Prager. Hi, Dennis.

Hi. Hi. Yeah, I've, um, listened to you. You were the first speaker I listened to as soon as I set foot on American soil, and I haven't turned back since.

Oh, what a sweet statement. Thank you.

Um, you know, I went to a lot of Jewish singles events, and you were very helpful in helping me find a soulmate, because I remember you saying to me, you know, you don't ask the family, you ask the waiter, the waitress, the valet parker. And I remember going out with someone, and he, uh, he was, you know, had everything on paper, and then he was so rude to the waiter, I was surprised that they didn't put poison in our food.

Oh, isn't that interesting? Yep, that— isn't that a great rule?

Absolutely, and I tell— I pass that on to everybody.

How long you married now?

Um, 6 years, and we've just adopted, um, 2 children from Russia, a sister and a brother.

Wow.

Thank God, they're doing really well. I, I remember listening to you saying about an incident, um, at the park when your son was little and there was a bully.

Oh yes, yes.

And, you know, even when I wasn't a mother, it just— I found it so appalling. And I'm having the same sort of encounters. You know, my son has a little bit of that orphanage mentality. He was too young for the orphanage, but they let him in so as not to split up the brother and sister. And, you know, I know he's small for his age coming from an orphanage, but I'm having some very ugly scenes with parents. And, um, you know, where it's that moral equivalence where even though their son's a bully, And somehow it gets turned around that I'm the bad guy. So I wanted to know how you—

How does it get turned around? What exactly are you or your child blamed for?

OK. I was at the gym and this bigger child— you know, a gym is not a contact sport. This bigger child actually pushed Adam down, threw him down, and physically restrained him. And when I went to intervene, they told me to go away, etc. And then I couldn't find the mother to report that to her. So, but the next week when I came back, the mother still wasn't there, and I saw the boy—

Who told you not to intervene? The people who run the gym?

Yes.

Well, that's interesting. So it wasn't the mother. Why did they say that? What was their reasoning?

They said, you know, we can't have people coming out there and having fights, and it's not my job. And I said, you know, I have a right to defend my child. Anyway, this is what happened. Um, I, I finally saw the mother and I told her what happened, and she, you know, she just, she just turned She turned it around, that, you know, she said, well, my son must have been provoking her son.

Oh, I see. Oh, okay. What exactly did the other boy do to your son, and are they the same age?

You know, I'm not sure. I know that my son's small for his age, so it's hard to tell. I didn't really know the date. Right, okay.

All right, go on.

You know, but when my son saw that boy, he didn't want to go to the gym class. He started crying hysterically.

Right.

And, you know, the mother wasn't around, so I said to the boy, you know, That was really unacceptable what you did last week, and now, you know, Adam doesn't want to do the gym class because you hurt him. You know that I was hauled into head office and the mother raised her voice at me saying, you know, how dare I reprimand the son? And I said, you know, that's a little bit of a harsh word, but this is breeding sociopathy. If you reinforce bad behaviors and if they're not, you know, if they're not nipped in the bud, then that's what causes, you know, all sorts of maladaptive behaviors.

So, um, well, you know, the, the problem with my answering is that these are— it's too complex for, for a generalized answer. First of all, uh, there is always going to be roughhousing between boys.

Mm-hmm.

Number 2, mothers hate it.

Mothers—

it is one of the aggravating parts of motherhood is to see their boy Uh, in a fight with another boy, especially if, if you're— their boy loses. And if their boy wins, it's aggravating because they don't want their boy to fight anyway.

That way.

Yes. So this is that. The reason I can't answer you is because I have to have been there. There are bullies and I hate their guts. I'd like them to be beaten up. On the other hand, I'll tell you the other hand as soon as we come back.

This episode of Timeless Wisdom will We'll continue right after this.

What happens when AI follows our instructions just a little too well? That's the question at the heart of Carbon Zero, a new techno thriller from AI pioneer Craig W. Stanfill. I keep having him on my show because his insights are real, and I can't not believe how great this book really, really is. You're gonna love Carbon Zero. The story begins with what seems like an innocent request, A brilliant young AI researcher jokingly tells an advanced AI to stop global warming. Fun, right? Instead of treating it like a joke, the AI really gets to work, and the consequences quickly spiral beyond anyone's control. This is the kind of book that keeps you turning pages because the technology feels surprisingly real, and it makes you wonder whether fiction is really that far from reality. If you're fascinated by where AI is taking our world, or you just love a March suspenseful thriller. Buy now. Carbon Zero is available now. Go to Amazon and search for Carbon Zero by Craig W. Stanfill. That's Carbon Zero. Go get your copy today and love it.

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

Hello, Paul. How old are you, Paul?

I'm 88.

And how's your health?

Pretty good.

And are you, are you married?

Yes, 64 years.

64 years. And is it going well?

Fine.

Good.

Excellent.

Pleasure to hear from you, sir. What can I do for you?

Well, a Jewish man the other day on TV said Jews do not believe in hell. My question is, what do they believe? And what is your belief about heaven and hell?

Yeah, well, you see, there— it was a sleight of hand that this man engaged in. He's right, most Jews probably don't believe in it, but the question is not what do most Jews believe, it's what does Judaism believe.

That's right.

And, uh, so you see, uh, it's, it's, it's, it's an unintentional or intentional misleading statement when people ask— and it's usually not intentional— when people ask or answer, well, this is what Jews believe. It doesn't— that's an interesting sociological fact, but it has no bearing on Judaism. So Judaism, as the Encyclopedia Judaica, which is the greatest work of Jewish scholarship and written and edited by secular Jews, under the heading afterlife says Judaism has always believed in an afterlife. Now, whether you call the place we get punished or the way we get punished hell, or you call it Jerry's Bar and Grill, it doesn't matter. There is in Judaism the deepest belief— it is one of the 13 principles of the Jewish faith set forth by Maimonides 800-plus years ago— that, that the good are rewarded and the bad are punished. Okay?

Yes.

All right, thank you very much. It is a very common problem that you run against is— you can— it's a problem that you can have with Christians. What Christians believe, or what many Christians believe, and what is Christianity, they're hardly always the same. Which Christians are you talking about? The Christians who believe that God wants marriage to be redefined? or that God wants their marriage to remain male-female. I mean, that's a rather large difference. So the question of what do Jews believe and what does Judaism believe, what do Christians believe, what does Christianity believe, these are very important distinctions. Now, ideally, the two will be similar, but they never are. Or they— no, not never are. They often are not. That's the better way of putting it. I, I promised that I would continue a thought over the break and didn't, and that was because I was so distracted by the funny call about gardening. It was about the bullying question, and to the, to the woman in San Diego, I had mentioned that I hate bullies, as any one of you knows, but at the same time, it is very important for mothers And mothers, I direct this to you directly, to know that boys fight. And it is very hard for you to watch, but it is the way boys are. What you need to distinguish is between dangerous, really dangerous fighting, and malicious fighting, and fighting. That's the way boys act. Uh, my son, my younger son would greet friends at the door by pouncing on them as soon as they came to the door. They would wrestle at the door, at the doorpost, to the threshold of the house. Girls don't do that. But of course, if you go to graduate school, this is confusing because you're taught that boys and girls, or you were, I was, are basically the same. So I don't know the situation and can't comment on it, but I can comment on your having to be aware of how protective you are, doubly so over a normal mother. And this is something to be aware of, and that's one of the reasons that I am in big favor, in big favor of opposite-sex marriage, because children need the input of a male and a female. Alrighty, to Walnut, California on 870 KRLA. It's Jerry. Hello, Jerry. Dennis Prager.

Hi. Hello, Dennis. Thank you for taking my call.

Thank you for calling, sir.

Yes, my question is, I hear you mention the music that you enjoy to listen to, and it seems like it's always instrumental music. So my question is, do you enjoy—

You are a perceptive young man, Jerry. I actually— this is a very painful confession— I do prefer instrumental. However, that has begun to change in the last few years where I have fallen in love with a genre of American song of female, especially female jazz singers.

Diana Krall.

Well, that's in the modern time. Diana Krall and others, correct? Rosemary Clooney. Blossom Dearie, a whole group of women who I love their lyrics, I love their singing. Also Frank Sinatra. I just, I absolutely have fallen in love with him. However, in my original love of classical music, I, to this day, I far prefer the music without words.

OK.

That has tended to touch me the most deeply.

Well, since you mentioned Frank Sinatra, have you listened to Dean Martin? And do you prefer Dean Martin or Frank Sinatra?

Oh, Frank Sinatra is the Beethoven of that type of music. I mean, I have enjoyed Dean Martin, yes, but I don't think most people who know a lot more about that music than I would compare the two. Frank Sinatra is a giant. Frank, he, he could sing the telephone book as far as I'm concerned, and I would be moved. We'll be back in a moment. Thanks, Jerry. We'll be back. 1-800-PRAGER-776.

This episode of Timeless Wisdom will continue right after this.

What happens when AI follows our instructions just a little too well? That's the question at the heart of Carbon Zero, a new techno thriller from AI pioneer Craig W. Stanfill. I keep having him on my show because his insights are real And I can't not believe how great this book really, really is. You're gonna love Carbon Zero. The story begins with what seems like an innocent request. A brilliant young AI researcher jokingly tells an advanced AI to stop global warming. Fun, right? Instead of treating it like a joke, the AI really gets to work, and the consequences quickly spiral beyond anyone's control. This is the kind of book that keeps you turning pages because the technology feels surprisingly real, and it makes you wonder whether fiction is really that far from reality. If you're fascinated by where AI is taking our world, or you just love a smart, suspenseful thriller, buy now. Carbon Zero is available now. Go to Amazon and search for Carbon Zero by Craig W. Stanfill. That's Carbon Zero. Go get your copy today and love it.

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

You're listening to the Dennis You're listening to The Prager Show. I'm glad that you are. I hope you're glad too. And I figure most of you are because it's a voluntary act, unless you're in the car with somebody forcing you to listen, which does happen. So let me say to those of you being forced to listen to my show, I absolutely empathize with your pain. I, I hear your pain and your suffering, but give me a little chance and you may reluctantly come to enjoy listening, reluctantly, and you don't even have to admit it to the person who's forcing you to do so. Over to Denton and Case Guy in Texas and Andrew. Hi, Andrew. Dennis Prager.

How are you doing, sir?

Good, thank you.

Well, this is my first time to call, so I do want to thank you. I've been listening to you for about half a year, and I mean, it's completely changed my life and the way I approach people. So I want to thank you.

Thank you. That means everything to me. Thank you.

Well, sir, this is currently what I'm going through. I'm at a point in my life where I realize there's greater things for me to accomplish and there's greater ambitions that I want to achieve. But the friend base that I have are really content and they're just really happy with what they have in life. And I'm really at a point where I'm struggling whether or not I should consistently hang around them on a continual basis. It's not that I want to separate my friends in a sense that never talk to them again, but I want to continue to be their friends but not be associated with them, whereas their lifestyle is going to infringe on what I want to accomplish with my life. Does that make sense?

Makes perfect sense. How old are you?

I'm 23 years old.

So let me tell you, let me tell you something that, that should help you and, and relieve you. It is extremely normal. It is common. It is normal. It is okay. It is, it is fine to change and drop friends at any time in life, and especially when you're young, like your age. That is, it is, that is, makes perfect sense. This is the time of tremendous change and growth in your life, and it may not be the same change and growth that accompanies your friends' lives. So it is perfectly natural. Almost nobody has the same friends at my age that they did at 23. Think about it, look at it that way. So it's painful because you feel a certain loyalty to them, and it's perfectly understandable. But, and you don't have to make an announcement, you folks are out of my life or whatever. Just gradually. Play it cooler, slower, and let it just die of its own accord. And no one is wrong. There is no judgment here. The beauty of friends as opposed to relatives is precisely that. You want people in your life voluntarily. You want them because you want them, not because you have to have them, as in the case of a relative.

Mm-hmm.

Okay?

Sir, and I have one more question for you concerning your life. How many good friends would you say is necessary?

One.

One?

Beyond that is gravy, and you are a very lucky person.

Well, thank you, sir. I appreciate your time.

Thank you. It's very kind of you to say that. That's— I, I hold, uh, if there were a PhD in friendship, I think that I would have one. I have always, all since 6th grade, I have always had at least one extremely close male friend. And it has been one of the greatest joys of my life. It has been sustaining. It has given me companionship, comfort, confidence, fun. They were always good people who I was, and I was better because I knew them. And so, and now I have more than one, and I'm just very, very lucky. But if you find one, a person like that, and I could almost use the term soulmate, it's just, it's, it's of the same sex. And then for the vast majority of us, it's a non-erotic relationship. Uh, it, it is one of the greatest single joys of one's life. For a woman to have this in a female friend and a man to have it in a male friend. But it, uh, beyond— I mean, and if you can have it in 3 or 4, that's incredible. But in 1, you should be very grateful. A lot of people don't have 1. A lot of people don't. I, I, I've, I've spoken about this to, uh, uh, Dr. Marmer, the psychiatrist I just had on the show for the Happiness Hour. And he says, Dennis, you just, you have no idea how many lonely people are out there. It's not because they're not married. There are lonely married people. It is because they don't have a friend. We'll be back in a moment. This is the hour where you set the agenda. 1-800-PRAGER-776. And this is The Dennis Prager Show. Saul in Southfield, Michigan, on Detroit Talk Radio, WDTK. Hi.

Hi, I can't believe I'm on this. What a pleasure.

Thank you.

I got on my desk a stack of your tapes and books, and this is a special moment for me.

That's so sweet of you to say.

I'm popping a tape in the show because I got to tape this.

You can get it from their website.

Okay, I'm turning it off.

Okay.

Okay, my question for you is, I've read a lot of your books, listened to a lot of your talks, and I'm trying to figure out where exactly it is that you part company with Orthodoxy and why.

In Judaism?

Orthodox Judaism.

Yeah, it is easy. It is easily answered, actually. I share with Orthodox Jews and Orthodox Judaism a belief in the 13 principles of the Jewish faith. I believe that the Torah is divine, I believe that we are obligated to its laws, that is, we Jews, and I believe in chosenness, and I believe in God, Torah, Israel. I mean, you know, across the board.

Do you believe in the divinity of the Torah?

Yes.

Okay.

Absolutely. But I do not believe in the divinity of rabbinic law or of oral law. And that's where— that is where I part with the Orthodox. I believe that rabbinic law— even more important, I believe rabbinic law must change.

So who do you rely on to interpret? The Torah cannot be interpreted by laypeople. So who do you interpret it by?

Well, but there are rabbis who interpret it, you know, except that what has happened is over the course of centuries it has been interpreted in directions that I don't think were true to the intent of the Torah. Now, this can get very involved, and, you know, it is not a theological or, you know, or a rabbinic show, but that is the issue, my friend. That is the dividing issue, and I have written on it, and I would love to have a dialogue with you, just this isn't the best place to do it because a lot of people won't know what we're talking about. Thank you very much. That is a— it's a big passionate subject to me, but I don't know if it's a big passionate subject to everybody listening. That's— I am, you know, I don't use this word much anymore. Those of you who know me from early radio, Those specifically, it would have to be Los Angeles area listeners. That's where I began my radio. I always called myself, and I still believe I am, a passionate centrist. And religion is a very good example. I'm a very, very religious person and very rational at the same time and very open to change at the same time, but not to change the basics. So it's a tough issue. All righty, let's go to Janet in San Diego. Janet on KCBQ. Dennis Prager, hello.

Hi.

Hi.

Um, my question for you, I was wondering if you'd have any advice, is, um, what do you do when you've reached a certain age and you find the men that are the same age as you not to be attractive physically because most of them seem to have let themselves go or maybe have aged beyond their years, and then younger men, while they look good, you don't share a point of reference with them mentally, so therefore the conversation isn't very stimulating.

Well, if that is your— have you ever been married?

No, and I'm ready now.

Yeah, no, for some reason I assumed that. That's why I asked you. By— what is your age?

I'm 42.

Most women by 42 tend to find men attractive I think, and I may well be wrong, but by and large, what renders men attractive doesn't have a lot to do with their bodies and their faces. Most men are not particularly gorgeous and not particularly ugly, and in any event, very few women agree on who's a gorgeous man as Whereas most men will agree on who's a gorgeous woman. Because women react to men far more subjectively, and non-physical things tend to make a lot of what makes a man attractive. For example, I suspect that you would compromise on a man's body if he were a millionaire and loved you.

Well, that would depend on the degree of compromise.

Okay, that's fair. But I would argue to you that as the money goes up, the compromise would go up. And I don't say that at all critically. Not at all. Just as for many men, as the level of beauty goes up, they are going to compromise on other things that they might want. It is a very attractive thing to most women. I'm not saying it's noble or ignoble. This is just— I'm just talking fact, not what is wonderful. If a man is successful and can provide for her and give her a good life in that way, I'm talking about a loving man, not a jerk. I don't think you can ever compromise in that arena.

I agree.

Women then become prisoners in a golden prison. But on the body issue, I think that women are very, very flexible and find that over time a man's charm and kindness and intelligence and success will overwhelm deficiencies in the body. So that's that. On the other hand, I think that guys should maintain their health and work out and not let themselves go, while at the same time, I suspect that almost any deep woman would prefer a guy who spent 6 hours, 8 hours at work rather than 8 hours at the gym.

Well, I definitely would. I definitely would, but—

See, the reason that I asked you whether you had been married was I— when women tell me about the importance of men's bodies and they— I usually am talking to an 18 or 20 or 21-year-old girl. When women do it later, I have a sense that they— that in some ways they still see men like they did when they were 21. And that's why I assumed you weren't married.

That was a good assumption.

Yeah, I guess it was. Thanks for calling.

Thank you.

I appreciate it. Yeah, one of the great benefits— in fact, it's one of the biggest arguments that— well, it's one of the biggest arguments I have for marriage is that one, one does mature. Where even if your marriage is lousy, marriage does in fact make you wiser. It matures you. And When you don't— when you are never— have never been married, your vision of the opposite sex almost remains static. It has not grown. And so a 42-year-old woman who was never married is very possibly going to still see men the way she did when she was 20. Whereas had she been married, that would not be the case. That's how I guessed it. And, and to, you know— It was, it was an important guess.

Tomorrow on Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager.

I have told you often, my friends, that I had Carl Sagan on my television show, the most well-known astronomer probably in American history, who's popularized it with his famous television PBS series Cosmos. And he said, Dennis, the more I look into the universe— I'm paraphrasing here— and see how vast it is, the more I realize how insignificant we people are. And he said it with this big smile, as if there was some joy in announcing how utterly totally insignificant we are. I just, I found it remarkable that he had some joy. You know, if he had said it and said, you know, Dennis, I'm sorry to say, but we're really, we're infinitely less significant than any worm. At least if he would acknowledge that his emotional reaction was one of sadness, but he seemed to revel in the fact that you and I are absolutely worthless nothings in a universe that couldn't care less about us and is so vast anyway that we are far smaller to the universe Than a worm is to the earth. You realize that, folks?

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 Bibles. We want to take just a second to thank the team at Life Audio for their partnership with us on the podcast. Go to lifeaudio.com to find dozens of other faith-centered podcasts in their network, including shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, and more.

What happens when faith and mental health meet for real?

What's up? I'm Grace Graber.

Welcome to Breaking Through with Grace Graber, a podcast for honest conversations about anxiety, trauma, healing, hope, and the God who never backs away when life gets heavy. We are going to talk about everything mental No pretending, no perfect answers, just real stories, real faith, and a reminder that you're not alone. Get ready, you're going to be absolutely obsessed. Breaking Through with Grace Graber, available now wherever you get your podcasts.