Tag: opinions

unrecognizable friends gossiping together on street
Relationships, Self-awareness

The Three Areas of Self-Awareness: What On Earth Are You Thinking?

What On Earth Are You Thinking? What is External Self-Awareness? Most people think about self-awareness the same way they do sex. They believe they’re great at it when, in reality, no-one knows where on God’s green earth the G spot is (or that there even is one). One of the major components for building self-awareness is understanding what other people honestly think about us (including our ability … Continue reading The Three Areas of Self-Awareness: What On Earth Are You Thinking?

AP213 Comments
brown wooden shelf with books
Critical Thinking

In Search of an Inner Life

Is there anything beyond the futility of the external world, governed by fierce competition, ambition and baseless pleasures? Where does one take refuge from the constant treadmill of busyness that encapsulates our day to day working lives? One is inclined to ask, is there anything outside of the status games played within our society, trying impress others through fame, fortune or luxury consumer goods. A … Continue reading In Search of an Inner Life

Andrew10 Comments
opened book on tree root
Literature

Looking Underneath the Surface: A Review of George Eliot’s Middlemarch

We all love a good hero story. They supply us with inspiration and hope. Many follow a typical narrative structure that we have become familiar with. An individual, against all odds, overcomes immense trials and tribulations to achieve their goal. From ‘rags to riches’ stories to the spectacular feats performed by our favourite superheroes, these tales continue to be pervasive in our culture. But what … Continue reading Looking Underneath the Surface: A Review of George Eliot’s Middlemarch

Andrew4 Comments
world map illustration
Creativity

Searching for a Unified Vision: Exploring Different Maps of the World   

Philosophers have long sought to understand how we make sense of the world.  Each have brought forth their own ‘maps’ or ‘lenses’ of how they comprehend reality. Some focus their analysis on the individual while others seek to dissect the patterns of the collective (e.g., society and culture). As social animals, humans are always embedded in larger structures. We interact with others and the natural … Continue reading Searching for a Unified Vision: Exploring Different Maps of the World   

Andrew4 Comments
four people standing on top of hill during sunset
Creativity

The Power of Listening

Amidst the rise in digital technologies and new avenues for communication, the general quality of our public discourse has declined. As I have explored in this series, modern society has become increasingly fragmented and polarized. We are no longer able to search for areas of compromise or entertain opposing viewpoints. The cause of the issue stems from our inability to truly listen to one another. … Continue reading The Power of Listening

Andrew20 Comments
black and white photo of woman swimming underwater
Self-awareness

A Reflection on ‘Amor Fati’

Amor Fati- The Love of Fate There is no doubt that we continue to live in uncertain times. No one quite knows where we are going and what the future holds. We exist in a liminal space of unknowing; a time of transition between worlds. It is easy to cling onto the promises of ideologies which proclaim they have the ‘right answers’ to move forward. They … Continue reading A Reflection on ‘Amor Fati’

Andrew9 Comments
body of water at daytime
Pointless Overthinking, Self-awareness

An Exploration of Martin Buber’s “I and Thou”

Martin Buber’s book “I and Thou” is an inquiry into how our relationships with others shape our reality. His main thesis, which runs throughout the course of the book, is that there are two different modes in which we encounter the world, namely through ‘I-It’ or ‘I-Thou’ relationships. Let’s take a closer look at these concepts in more detail. I-IT I-It relationships are entered into to achieve … Continue reading An Exploration of Martin Buber’s “I and Thou”

Andrew10 Comments
active dance dancer dancing
Pointless Overthinking

Question of the Day: Number 553

What would you do for a living if money wasn’t an object? I’ve been pondering this question quite a bit lately. I’m curious to see your response. We’ve all heard the saying, “Love your job and you’ll never work a day in your life.” If money wasn’t an object, would you keep your same job? If not, what would you be doing instead? Continue reading Question of the Day: Number 553

formerwriters34 Comments
photo of men having conversation
Pointless Overthinking, Self-awareness

The Wisdom of Being Wrong

If only things were that simple. If only events could be packaged into neat containers of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ or ‘good’ and ‘evil’. Despite our proclivities towards binary and dualistic thinking, life is a whole lot messier. Many circumstances are morally ambiguous and uncertain. Being in this metaphorical ‘grey’ area of not knowing can be uncomfortable. We crave certainty and straightforward responses. We are inclined … Continue reading The Wisdom of Being Wrong

Andrew23 Comments
Self-awareness

Why It’s Not Such A Bad Thing To Be “Powerless”

Please note this is a partnered post and may contain affiliate links. Pixabay – CC0 Licence In a world where big things seem to happen more or less everyday, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. We’ve all grown up with messages around us telling us that we can do anything, we can change the world and that we are the future. Then we see the inequality, … Continue reading Why It’s Not Such A Bad Thing To Be “Powerless”

formerwriters1 Comment
sea waving near sandy coast in evening
Self-awareness

Attention – A Gateway to the Mysteries of the World

Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity Simone weil Our lives are the collective sum of what we choose to pay attention to. Each passing moment a spotlight is cast into the world and reveals to us what we focus on. In one sense nothing can be more important than cultivating one’s attention, it dictates what we see and how we interact with … Continue reading Attention – A Gateway to the Mysteries of the World

Andrew10 Comments
person wearing white and brown sandal
Politics

Should Vaccinations Be Mandatory?

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 levied on you for not complying – versus compulsory vaccinations … Continue reading Should Vaccinations Be Mandatory?

AP287 Comments