If you are losing your leisure, look out! –It may be you are losing your soul Virginia Woolf In modern society, work has come to dominate almost all aspects of our lives. One’s identity becomes subsumed by their job title. Days become filled with endless tasks and checklists. Ever increasing productivity seems to be our … More Rethinking Leisure in the Age of Total Work
There is an aphorism by Jean Paul Sartre that values the healthy aspect of loneliness: “If you are sad when you are alone, you are probably in bad company”. There is nothing more truthful than this statement. If you cannot enjoy being with yourself, how could you cultivate broader relationships that involve other personalities, different … More Can Loneliness Be a Resource?
In To Have or to Be? the sociologist Erich Fromm argues that there are two distinct modes of existence. These are unique ways in which we relate to others and the world around us. Having The first is the ‘having mode.’ This is characterized by an attitude of acquiring or possessing things. It is when … More Erich Fromm on Having Versus Being
“War would end if the dead could return.” — Stanley Baldwin. Just imagine you wake up the following morning to the sound of bombs exploding and artillery firing. The enemy has invaded. You didn’t think it would ever happen, but there you are. Suddenly you’ve been thrown back into the 1940s. Now, what do you do? Do … More Must We Not Fight for Peace?
I have two images of wealth in my mind. One looks like what most people envision. A lavish lifestyle, a big plastic mansion, a luxury yacht, 8 sports cars… You get it. Then there is this second image. In this picture, there is a place called home. It’s quaint, rustic. Filled with messy, silly, somewhat annoying … More The Two Paths to Wealth
We don’t always end up where we intended in life. Sometimes, we are made to divert long before reaching our final destination. Other times we may complete the journey only to find the airport is closed on arrival, forcing us to divert at the last moment. Whether it’s some kind of emergency or our own … More Diversion
Please note this is a partnered post and may contain affiliate links. Maintaining great mental health in the modern day is becoming more and more difficult. There are so many things that can cause extreme stress and anxiety, and it’s far too easy to get swept into the tide of chaos and confusion. Thankfully, it’s … More Maintaining The Best Mental Health: A Simple Guide
DISCLAIMER: I’m not a medical healthcare professional. Please read our disclaimers page here) With the obvious exception for those who have legitimate medical reasons, I believe that making vaccinations mandatory for COVID-19, in the current climate, can be ethically justified. Now, to be clear, there’s a difference between mandatory vaccinations – where certain penalties are … More Should Vaccinations Be Mandatory?
Why would you let go of the past? You have for sure nice memories, and lessons learned, which shape your personality. But letting go of the burden of the past would be important to your happiness. At least some of it. Many people live in the past; they remember their behaviours, the love stories that … More Let Go of the Past
A couple of weeks ago, just past midnight on July 5th, I took off out of Hong Kong, flew across the Pacific Ocean, crossed the International date line and arrived in Los Angeles at 10pm on July 4th. There are few approaches during my ten year career I can think as memorable as that one. … More Homesick
“The function all expressions of contempt have in common is the defence against unwanted feelings.” – Alice Miller I read something the other day that got the alarm bells ringing. It was a book called The Drama of the Gifted Child by Alice Miller. In a nut shell Miller argues that our childhood experience – … More How To Save Democracy
As the dust settles on the US election my feeling is not jubilation. I’m not happy that 70 million people still find Trump an acceptable leader. I’m not happy that a man whose flagrant disregard for the safety of his fellow Americans has cost hundreds of thousands their lives. I’m not happy that in death, … More The Shameless Nature Of Pride
“The principle of freedom must be our first commitment, for without this no one is immune against the virus of aggrandizement – the impulse to grab power, wealth, position, or reputation at the expense of others.” – HERBERT DOUGLASS – SOURCE:THE COST OF FREEDOM True freedom is a commitment to experiencing the very real limitations of our choices. … More Why Freedom Demands Responsibility
I’m a bit of a sentimental old fool. I love knickknacks and postcards and photos from years past. They’re relics of a fleeting moment; they make up the personal museum of my life. So, sometimes it can be hard to just let. things. go. You know? And while this is certainly true of our physical … More SnapDragon Speaks: On Letting Go.