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“What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or in the holy name of liberty or democracy?” – Mahatma Gandhi
I came across a commencement speech given by the Governor of Illinois, J.B. Pritzker called ‘how to spot an idiot’. He points out that some idiots are smart idiots (some even getting promoted to high office) and are not always that easy to pick out from the crowd. His idiot detection system, which he shares Continue reading
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My future self.
I was first introduced to the idea of my future self by Sam Harris through his Waking Up app. Who is my future self? Leaving aside the question of future existence, he’s the guy who will have to deal with the consequences of any choices I make today. If I choose to drink too much Continue reading
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The Itch…
I was at the dentist recently getting a filling, and as I lay gazing up at the ceiling with the dentist doing her thing, I thought about how much I was looking forward to her finishing the job. Who wants to be totally present for the sound of the drill, the smell and taste of Continue reading
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“So you want to be free, to live your life the way you wanna be” – Adamski, ‘Killer’.
Freedom, everybody wants it. Liberty, the ability to be one’s own master, a noble aspiration, but I think a truly misunderstood one. Most people want outward freedom only, freedom from the structures of society. Think about that. All the just causes, or even not so just causes that have ever been fought for, whether it’s Continue reading
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“No opinion is worth burning your neighbour for” – Voltaire.
I first came across the theory of stupidity while studying at university, but it was not until many years later that I paid it any real attention. Stupidity as an active, shaping force in society was first theorised by an extraordinarily courageous German Lutheran Pastor named Dietrich Bonnhoeffer (1906 -1945). An active member of the Continue reading
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What’s with the negativity?
I get migraines, so I have come to really appreciate the days when I don’t have one. On the mornings I don’t have a headache I will bring to mind what a night with a bad attack was like, not for too long, just enough to feel the lightness in myself. The feeling of no Continue reading
Denis Magee 