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“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
Imagine you’re at a bus stop with just one other person that you don’t know. It’s dusk and the street is quiet. You notice that the other person, who isn’t standing close to you, is speaking softly as they gaze intently at the ground in front themself, clearly not talking to you. Would this persons Continue reading
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“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it” – Rumi
Our attention is under constant pressure from a huge array of outside sources, so it’s no wonder that studies now confirm the attention span of the average human to be 8.25 seconds. You’ll note that I say ‘outside sources’, this is because humans tend to use a broad brush when describing our inner world, even Continue reading
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“With age comes wisdom, but sometimes ages comes alone” – Oscar Wilde
What makes a person wise? And what is wisdom anyway? The word alone sounds grand, elevated, respected or even honoured, and yet wisdom is no more than a set of character traits and qualities that can be acquired. In fact, becoming a wiser person ought to be considered just as worthy and attainable an ambition Continue reading
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“What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or in the holy name of liberty or democracy?” – Mahatma Gandhi
I came across a commencement speech given by the Governor of Illinois, J.B. Pritzker called ‘how to spot an idiot’. He points out that some idiots are smart idiots (some even getting promoted to high office) and are not always that easy to pick out from the crowd. His idiot detection system, which he shares Continue reading
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“And what importance do I have in the courtroom of oblivion?” Pablo Neruda
A good friend and I were talking about current affairs recently, and he made the observation that envy is the most prevalent emotion experienced by humans, and this chap would know. I wasn’t surprised, given the nature of the economic system we exist in. As someone trying to lead an examined life I have seen Continue reading
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My future self.
I was first introduced to the idea of my future self by Sam Harris through his Waking Up app. Who is my future self? Leaving aside the question of future existence, he’s the guy who will have to deal with the consequences of any choices I make today. If I choose to drink too much Continue reading
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The Itch…
I was at the dentist recently getting a filling, and as I lay gazing up at the ceiling with the dentist doing her thing, I thought about how much I was looking forward to her finishing the job. Who wants to be totally present for the sound of the drill, the smell and taste of Continue reading
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“So you want to be free, to live your life the way you wanna be” – Adamski, ‘Killer’.
Freedom, everybody wants it. Liberty, the ability to be one’s own master, a noble aspiration, but I think a truly misunderstood one. Most people want outward freedom only, freedom from the structures of society. Think about that. All the just causes, or even not so just causes that have ever been fought for, whether it’s Continue reading
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“No opinion is worth burning your neighbour for” – Voltaire.
I first came across the theory of stupidity while studying at university, but it was not until many years later that I paid it any real attention. Stupidity as an active, shaping force in society was first theorised by an extraordinarily courageous German Lutheran Pastor named Dietrich Bonnhoeffer (1906 -1945). An active member of the Continue reading
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What’s with the negativity?
I get migraines, so I have come to really appreciate the days when I don’t have one. On the mornings I don’t have a headache I will bring to mind what a night with a bad attack was like, not for too long, just enough to feel the lightness in myself. The feeling of no Continue reading
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Denis Magee 