We have lots of different kinds of relationships in life, from close family to extended family to close friends to acquaintances. But there’s another kind of relationship which is underrated: familiar strangers.
Tag: passion
On Spanking II
Aside from the fact that spanking is abuse, it’s also unintelligent, lazy and selfish, and unnecessary.
On the “Participatory” Part of “Participatory Fascism”
When I use “participatory fascism”—for me a technical term in political economy, not an ideological or rhetorical cudgel—most people react to the “fascism” part and disregard the “participatory” part. Yet that part is critical to one’s understanding of how this system of rule proves so durable and resilient.
A Case Against Optimizing Your Life
Many people I know are on a quest to optimize their lives — some of my favorite people in the world will spend days trying to perfect a productivity system, get things automated, or find the perfect software for anything they’re doing. They are on a continual search for the perfect diet, the perfect work routine, the perfect travel setup. Optimizing can take quite a bit of time and energy. What would happen if we let go of optimizing?
Proglodytes and Conservatrolls
That’s what I see all around me when I look at how people interact with each other. Of course, the simpler name for proglodytes and conservatrolls would be “statists”, but that just leaves them staring at you with no comprehension in their dull eyes. Most don’t understand that word any better than they’d understand the more fun descriptive terms.
How to Be Mindful All the Time
I often get asked about how to remember to be mindful more of the time — how can we remember to not only be present more, but to be compassionate, to drop into our bodies when we’re feeling difficult emotions, to have a beginner’s mind, to relax into the chaos of the moment?
The Voluntaryist Premise
Once a person adopts the label of voluntaryist (or the like) for their political identity, they assume, with good reason, the following premise: human suffering is terrible and should be prevented; aggression and coercion necessarily create human suffering. This premise leads the voluntaryist to hold a number of hypotheses with varying degrees of accuracy in some form or fashion within their minds at all times. Here are several of those hypotheses.
How to Thrive in the Midst of Personal Turbulence
Two people wrote to me recently (a stranger and a good friend) who are going through some pretty turbulent times in their lives. The stranger is going through family chaos and health issues, just barely keeping their head above water, just trying to survive. The good friend is going through a time of feeling down,…
Where Would You Rather Spend Your Time?
When the people around you are getting lost in drama, ask yourself “Is my investment in this drama more rewarding to me than what I can learn, what I can create, what I can enjoy, and who I can love in this moment?”
You Are Someone’s Stereotype
I realized recently that I am a stereotypical native of Charleston, South Carolina. Yes, unfortunately it’s true. I wear boat shoes and occasionally even what might be described as “preppy” clothing (it’s unintentional, I assure you). I sail boats. I know how to dance the shag. I have an unusual proclivity for Southern hospitality and old-fashioned gestures.