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Inspired by the haunting question posed in Queen’s song “Who Wants to Live Forever,” this article reflects on immortality, aging, and what it really means to live well. Rather than chasing endless time, it suggests that meaning comes from how we care for our bodies, our communities, and our world—starting right now.
By contrasting the richly meaningful world of our hunter-gatherer ancestors with the structured realities of civilization, this article challenges the common idea that modern life is disenchanted simply because of secularization. Instead, it argues that the roots of alienation run much deeper—emerging with agriculture, hierarchy, and the long transformation of how humans relate to nature, meaning, and each other.
When we say “we are the meaning-makers,” it’s easy for the ego to assume control—only to reason its way into doubt, contradiction, and even nihilism. This article reframes that role, suggesting that meaning is not something we consciously create, but something we discover and either undermine or affirm.
Mindfulness meditation is often praised as a powerful tool for mental well-being, but the evidence behind it is more mixed—and more nuanced—than the hype suggests. This article explores both the limits of the science and the author’s own decades-long experience, revealing how meditation may not transform everyone, yet can still offer something quietly valuable.
From the discovery of musical harmony in simple ratios to the modern idea of a finely tuned universe, this article traces a surprising thread connecting sound, mathematics, and cosmic order. What begins with Pythagoras and a vibrating string unfolds into a meditation on whether the universe itself can be understood as a kind of intelligible music—and how we might learn to bring that same harmony into our own lives.
Learning chess reveals a deeper truth about thinking: we don’t calculate everything—we rely on patterns to navigate overwhelming complexity. This article explores how those patterns shape our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors, often operating beneath awareness like modern echoes of what earlier thinkers called “daemons.”
Fandom, like all human passion, reflects the mindset we bring to it—capable of inspiring connection and growth or devolving into ego and hostility. By understanding the dual forces of B.I.R.G.ing and S.I.R.G.ing, we can learn to celebrate our attachments in ways that uplift both ourselves and those around us.
In a life filled with unpredictable commitments and constant motion, finding moments of calm can feel nearly impossible. This article explores how brief, practical “micro-meditations” can be woven into everyday routines, offering steadiness and presence even in the busiest of days.
This article explores the powerful role of erotic love in human life, examining both its emotional intensity and its biological roots. It then contrasts this fleeting passion with deeper, more enduring forms of love grounded in care, compassion, and a broader spiritual understanding of our place in the world.