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Living in the face of death
It is an inescapable reality, a timeless law of nature. From the moment we are born, one thing is certain: one day we will die. It happens to all of us, the ancient…
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The solo mindset and living authentically
I recently stumbled on the book Solo, by behavioral scientist Peter McGraw. In his book, McGraw explores various ways people can relate to being either single or in a relationship, other than riding…
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The choice to be childfree
Every time someone asks me if I have children, and my answer is ‘no’, I am amazed that the default follow-up question is: “why not?” Apparently it’s OK to ask people to justify…
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Why existentialists are atheists
Just Google the words ‘existentialism’ and ‘religion’ and you’ll notice there is quite some debate whether existentialism should be equated with atheism or not. To me, the answer is ‘yes.’ Existentialists are atheists…
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Are you a philosopher?
To know the answer to that question, one must first have an idea about what philosophy is. Many people think of philosophy as difficult, abstract, theoretical, something that belongs to the sphere of…
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What is wisdom?
Wisdom is – Knowing that there is a lot you don’t know – Realizing that things are complex – Knowing the difference is between facts and opinions – Realizing that everyone experiences the…
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The world is not fair and just
We often assume that if we do something good, we will get something good in return. Or that if we stick to the rules, we will be rewarded – or at least not…
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Loneliness is not being alone. It’s the feeling that nobody cares
In our modern societies having a ‘rich social life’ is widely seen and promoted as an essential part of a successful and happy life. At the same time there is a growing awareness…
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Is autonomy a myth? (Spoiler: No it is not.)
Are humans autonomous beings or is autonomy a myth? In the debate on this question, two views are often diametrically opposed: on the one hand there are people who believe that everyone is…
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Why you should always keep asking ‘why?’
You may have noticed that I refer to myself as a “critical thinker” on the homepage of my website. That is not without reason. In my opinion critical thinking is one of the…
