Something we are seeing a lot of lately is the phenomenon of Cognitive Dissonance. Brexit. Trump. Creationism. Religion. Terrorism. People are not only refusing to accept new evidence or listen to different points of view, they double-down on their own position, regardless of what they are presented with. Take Trump, for example. Most rational people thought it was a bad … Read More
What’s Your Excuse?
Like millions of people around the world, I did some gym work today. Leg extensions and squats, to be precise. My gym is a bit different to most, however, as it is outside. Now, if you live in California or Barbados or some other gloriously warm, hot and dry climate, this would not be any kind of deal. In fact, … Read More
Is It Really THAT Hard To Say Sorry?
The past couple of weeks have really put my new-found ability to practise mindfulness in frustrating situations under the ultimate stress test. For a start, there has been an ongoing issue with my car. One of those annoying intermittent faults that you cannot track down, so the only solution is to gradually replace the most likely culprits until you hit … Read More
An Awkward Moment
Like most boys under the age of about 50, there isn’t much funnier than drawing a huge penis on something. Be it a forehead, a bible or an ancient chalk carving in an English hillside, us chaps have been representing our genitals anywhere and everywhere since time immemorial, me included. This activity is not big or clever but it is … Read More
When Ego Is The Enemy
We all have an ego. It is the thing that drives us to succeed, the thing that makes us believe that we can achieve and progress. It has driven human evolution moving us out of caves and into skyscrapers. We need it, yet it can also be our biggest enemy. If you don’t keep your ego in check, or understand … Read More
Delete & Block
The internet. One of man’s greatest creations. In generations to come, mankind will look back on this in the same way we look back at the Iron Age or the Industrial Revolution. In many ways, it is a triumph. It has given careers to those that don’t fit in and didn’t fancy a regular job (hello!); it provides an infinite … Read More
Terrorism: A War We Cannot Win
Manchester, England 22nd May 2017. A suicide bomber blows himself up at a concert mostly attended by young people with their whole lives ahead, killing – at the time of writing – 22. That sentence should tell you everything you ever need to know about the mindset of the people that carry out these acts. As per usual, whenever one … Read More
Don’t Make Your Life A Soap Opera
I despair sometimes, I really do. A quick browse through social media or a quick flick around reality TV shows and my worst fears are confirmed: most people are fucking idiots. Drama, drama, drama. Seems nobody is happy unless some kind of crisis is threatening to ruin their lives. Why would anyone want to live like this? It’s a question … Read More