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…
Marcus Aurelius's Meditations is a collection of private notes the Roman Emperor wrote to himself for his own guidance and self-improvement. Written almost two thousand years ago, it remains one of the key texts on Stoic philosophy. Meditations consists of twelve books, covering different periods of Marcus's life. Book one begins as follows: 'From my…
From an early age, largely thanks to advertising, we’re told it’s normal to be on a satisfaction treadmill. We feel dissatisfied when we develop desires that are unfulfilled. We strive to fulfil these desires in the hope of satisfaction. Before long, the fulfilled desire becomes the new normal and is taken for granted. Then the…
The comedian David Mitchell was working on a jocular answer to the tricky question “What are things?” for his Guardian column when he wrote the following: “What is a call to prayer but a noisy sport without a scoring system? What is a drama but an unbelievably long comedy without any jokes? What is an…
Do you have your own rules for life? Your own set of principles you steadfastly stick to in any situation and can default to when faced with tough choices? You probably have a rough idea, but why not take the time to write them down? Having the main ones clarified and committed to paper will…