There’s a chapter in Anthony de Mello’s The Way to Love entitled Become Like Children. It outlines how a child can be influenced to lose its innocence and subsequently live a life that is so dependent on externals that they never truly know who they are. This may sound like an abstract notion, but I’ll…
When 12-year-old Emily Scott was diagnosed with scoliosis, her family opted for private treatment due to the waiting times associated with the UK health service. Going private, however, proved no advantage as COVID-19 put a halt to the services Emily was relying on. Left in limbo, and being told she would require spinal fusion surgery,…
If you're an avid podcast listener and a student of the Stoics, you're probably always on the look out for good Stoicism podcasts to plug into. If you're not familiar with them, podcasts are a great way to absorb information when reading isn't convenient. That could be while driving, while working out, or any time…
I sometimes get into a cloudy state of mind. Everything feels a bit greyer at these times and certain things don't seem to matter as much. It's usually brief, but it's uncomfortable. The good thing about these periods is that they're a natural indicator that I need to do something less (work?), do something more…
You’re a genius, fantastic, such an amazing person. That felt good to hear didn’t it? Well, I was lying - you suck, you’re terrible, just awful. That didn’t feel so good, right? Those feelings would probably be even more intense if someone was saying these things to you in person. A guaranteed shift in your…
No one enjoys the discomfort of ridicule. To be derided by someone you don’t know can be painful. When it’s someone you do know it can hurt even more. Ridicule is sent with different intentions by the aggressor - it can range from playful to sinister - but the intention doesn’t always produce a proportionate…
Never drink a cappuccino after 11am. Ask for a latte in a cafe and you’ll get a glass of milk. Just want an espresso? Don’t order an espresso - order a caffè. Italy’s coffee culture can seem strange to the uninitiated (or just un-Italian). There are rules and traditions that have been developed in the…
Hesiod was a Greek poet who advised the observation of due measure because “moderation is best in all things.” Plautus was a Roman dramatist who, either quoting Hesiod or making his own assertion, said that “moderation in all things is the best policy.” Ralph Waldo Emerson echoed the sentiment again when he wrote, “Moderation in…
Seneca the Younger, the Stoic who has been a role model for many in the almost two thousand years since he died, himself had a role model. That role model was another Stoic (and another “the Younger”) - Cato. In his letters to Lucilius, Seneca was enthusiastic about the benefits of having a worthy role…
In human terms, there is no better (or higher) "view from above" than the one an astronaut experiences from outer space. As they gaze wide-eyed from their unfathomable vantage point, they see our planet as a tiny, fragile ball - a pale blue dot. For an astronaut in that moment, all of Earth's division and…