Emrys Westacott is professor of philosophy at Alfred University in Alfred, N.Y. His work has been featured in The New York Times and has appeared in The Philosopher's Magazine, Philosophy Now, The Humanist, The Philosophical Forum, and many other publications. He is the coauthor of Thinking Through Philosophy: An Introduction. He is the author of The Virtues of Our Vices: A Modest Defense of Gossip, Rudeness, and Other Bad Habits.


Every year people promise to improve themselves with their New Year’s resolutions, but we always fall short, so why not just give up on them entirely?