Our notions of divinity come from the insane, or so some commentators such as Osho would have it. I tend to agree since most of these notions seem to be nothing more than inversions of our natural tendencies. So we should be meek instead of assertive, caring instead of indifferent, …
The notion that there is no such thing as free will and that our actions are just as determined as those of a billiard ball bouncing around the table is very unpopular. It seems to be a fundamental human vanity that while everything else may be determined by inviolable laws, …
In our oh-so-polite society, hatred is a dirty word. Admitting that you hate would be akin to admitting that you are the product of an incestuous relationship. You would be treated as unclean, as undesirable, and someone to be avoided at all costs. Others would feel themselves to be superior …
I’ve had occasion recently to visit someone I know who was staying at an upmarket hotel not too far away. We went down to the snack bar located near the pool and got a good view of the misery of mundane human existence. The first experience came from overhearing some …
When most people think of order, they unwittingly think of sameness. A parade of soldiers looks orderly because everyone walks the same and looks the same. Traffic flow is orderly when all vehicles drive on the appropriate side of the road. Clearly, we need order to conduct a reasonable life, …
Spinoza’s treatment of human psychology is disarmingly simple, but with far-reaching implications. This short piece gives a high-level overview of his masterwork, The Ethics, and particularly parts 3 and 4. It needs to be stressed that Spinoza’s treatment of our psychology is echoed by Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, and more recently by …
For many people, a feeling of inner emptiness is a direct invitation to make an effort to fill it. A trip to the mall maybe, see some friends, watch a movie, read that new book and gobble up yet another theory about life, or smoke some dope – whatever. This …
Happiness is what we experience when things, all the important things, are going well. If your career, relationships, health, and any other important factors are all on the up, then you will without doubt feel happy. Happiness is a measure of how well we are doing in the world, how …
What is dissatisfaction? It is the negative gap between how we think life should be and how it actually is. Our notions of how life should be are set by our expectations. Unfortunately there are many influencers who would wish to set our expectations, and not least our parents, teachers, …
If you don’t want your “ friends” to think you are a weirdo then for fucks sake don’t try and say anything even remotely intelligent – like, “you are going to die”. Some advice: when chatting with your mates, you will be on safe ground if you restrict your conversation …
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