Human beings have seen the value of self-reflection for a very long time. Nearly three millennia ago Siddharta Gautama noted that “it’s better to conquer oneself than a thousand men in battle”, as part of his enquiry into the human condition that came to be...
The modern human is obsessed with achievement. Yet, how clear are we about what that is? The desire to ‘achieve’ — unlike the desire for food when hungry — often lacks specificity. Defaulting to some vague idea of more, ‘achieving’ is usually a confused,...
I recently saw someone wearing a T-shirt with the words “just be yourself” sprawled across the front. Well intentioned I suppose, but it was missing the crucial point. Because to just be yourself, you must first really know yourself. For, how can you...
“I am not creative” is something that I often hear people in non-artistic fields say. Yet, our species is inherently creative — to be human is to be creative. What’s more, we cannot put limits on creativity either. An unquantifiable intelligence, seemingly...
As the year draws to an end, I thought I would share a selection of 10 good books I read in 2022. In no particular order: 1. The farther reaches of human nature — Abraham Maslow In this 1971 classic, Maslow draws on his experiences interacting with so-called...
When Socrates was put on trial for corrupting Athen’s youth, he was adamant that he wouldn’t change his ways. Socrates felt compelled to “fulfil the philosopher’s mission of searching into myself and other men”. He explained that “examining myself and...
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