What was the last good movie you saw? Did the actors deliver a stellar performance, or was it just more of the same old routine? Most movies are designed to sell an idea of life and how it should be lived, to convince you that certain behaviours and attitudes are proper and necessary. They are […]
Sunday Letters
Welcome to the Sunday Letters archive. Here you'll find all editions of the newsletter from 2015. Sunday Letters is a conversation I'm having with myself. It attempts to address the psychology and philosophy of living the good life in the face of rapid technological change. It is the pursuit of an answer to a question. Thanks for being here.
An Overcoat.
It’s not the first time it has been suggested; many religions and philosophies have done so. It seems to be accurate despite my believing myself to be very much real. I have a sense of identity, likes and dislikes, ideas and attitudes towards others and the world. I look in the mirror, probably fifty odd […]
Cursed With A Brain
Sometimes it feels like I am cursed with a brain. Would it be better to regress to the level of an ant? Would that even be a regression? Maybe ants are more sophisticated than humans. Do I have a choice in the matter? Some people choose drugs, some choose betting, sex or shopping. Some people […]
Niccoló Machiavelli & The Power Game
Niccolò Machiavelli was a 16th-century Italian philosopher and political commentator, best known for his 1513 work, The Prince. In this infamous text, he outlined his guidance on suitable behaviour for royals and aristocrats of his time, which essentially extended to the premise “ends justify the means”. In other words, the immoral, cruel and criminal actions of […]
Everyone Eventually Forgotten
The fundamental question I have wrestled with for most of my adult life is, who or what am I? Even as a teenager, I’d lie awake at night wondering about it all. I got busy for a while as I developed a career, and I forgot about it, but today the question is back, and […]
On Introversion
I have a distinct tendency towards introversion. I am introspective, content in solitude, comfortable in my own skin, standing quietly on the periphery of the madness and occasionally taking part. Perhaps it’s a protection mechanism, but then, if it is, it’s just as much a protection mechanism as an extrovert’s need to be in the […]
War & Genocide: The Colonialist Playbook
It’s hard to ignore the major and catastrophic man-made events that have been underway in the world for the past couple of years. Ukraine, Gaza, Syria, and others. They dominate our headlines and our minds. I’ve written about them directly and indirectly many times, including this post on moral disengagement from a few weeks ago, […]