The Great Illusion of Separation
July 2, 2022
A vision into our interconnected selves … More The Great Illusion of Separation
Author: Andrew
I write about philosophy and culture and the search for meaning in the modern age.
The Mysteries of Nature
June 25, 2022
A poem on the search for peace … More The Mysteries of Nature
Redefining Success: Beyond Your Job Title
June 18, 2022
In the modern world, our job titles tend to be the centerpiece of our identities. When you meet someone new at a social gathering, the first piece of information that they will likely disclose to the question ‘what do you do?’ is the details of your chosen profession. Your answer to this question will dictate … More Redefining Success: Beyond Your Job Title
Racing Against the Clock: A Meditation on Being Human in a World of Endless Possibility
June 11, 2022
On a planet that has existed for billions of years, the human lifespan is remarkably short. Assuming I live to 80, the average age of a Canadian male, I have about 4,000 weeks on this earth. If I am lucky and healthy enough to make it that long, that gives me about 2,500 weeks left. [1] … More Racing Against the Clock: A Meditation on Being Human in a World of Endless Possibility
Lessons from Taoism: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times
June 4, 2022
It was at a university book sale where I was first introduced to the ideas of Taoism. Hidden away deep in the philosophy section, I picked up what initially seemed like a strange esoteric book – the Tao Te Ching. It was a short text, under 100 pages, that was filled with often puzzling language … More Lessons from Taoism: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times
Lessons from Nature
May 28, 2022
Below is a poem I wrote inspired by the peace, joy and reprieve being in nature provides me. What do you find in nature? Let me know in the comments below. Nature, teach me how to live To embrace change and Flow effortlessly like the steady stream To embody the wisdom of the trees Who … More Lessons from Nature
Living in the Gift
May 21, 2022
Take a deep breath. Open your eyes and observe what is around you. Look at the sun beaming through the blossoming trees. Listen to the birds singing ecstatically with feverous joy. Touch the different textures of plants in your garden as you await a bountiful feast upon harvest. We didn’t earn the pleasures of the … More Living in the Gift
The Value of Acceptance: Saying ‘Yes to Life: In Spite of Everything’
May 14, 2022
A review of Victor Frankl’s ‘Yes to Life: In Spite of Everything’ … More The Value of Acceptance: Saying ‘Yes to Life: In Spite of Everything’
The Artist
May 7, 2022
I believe that we all yearn to create. To nourish our unique gifts and bring something new and authentic into the world. This is how we affirm our identity and find meaning in the world. The role of the artist is to show us the way, and point towards the vast possibilities that are available … More The Artist
On the Duality of Life
April 30, 2022
Emerging through hardship … More On the Duality of Life
Expanding Circles: Spiritual Exercises as a Bridge Towards Cosmopolitanism
April 23, 2022
As noted by the philosopher Aristotle, humans are ‘social animals’ who exist and thrive in communities. We have the ability to devise sophisticated institutions enabling us to co-operate with others across cultures and borders. We can see how interwoven our lives all are through the complex interdependencies in our economies, societies and in the natural … More Expanding Circles: Spiritual Exercises as a Bridge Towards Cosmopolitanism
Erich Fromm on Having Versus Being
April 16, 2022
In To Have or to Be? the sociologist Erich Fromm argues that there are two distinct modes of existence. These are unique ways in which we relate to others and the world around us. Having The first is the ‘having mode.’ This is characterized by an attitude of acquiring or possessing things. It is when … More Erich Fromm on Having Versus Being
Wonder
April 9, 2022
A meditation on wonder … More Wonder
Mindfulness and Evolutionary Psychology: A Primer
April 2, 2022
Much of our suffering and psychological problems we face are due to the fact that we are using ancient cognitive machinery to deal with the complexities of the modern world. Humans evolved though a process called natural selection in which genes that were best suited for their respective environments were passed on to the next … More Mindfulness and Evolutionary Psychology: A Primer
A Reflection on ‘Amor Fati’
March 26, 2022
Amor Fati- The Love of Fate There is no doubt that we continue to live in uncertain times. No one quite knows where we are going and what the future holds. We exist in a liminal space of unknowing; a time of transition between worlds. It is easy to cling onto the promises of ideologies which … More A Reflection on ‘Amor Fati’
An Exploration of Martin Buber’s “I and Thou”
March 19, 2022
Martin Buber’s book “I and Thou” is an inquiry into how our relationships with others shape our reality. His main thesis, which runs throughout the course of the book, is that there are two different modes in which we encounter the world, namely through ‘I-It’ or ‘I-Thou’ relationships. Let’s take a closer look at these concepts in … More An Exploration of Martin Buber’s “I and Thou”
The Power of (Agape) Love
March 12, 2022
The Power of (Agape) Love … More The Power of (Agape) Love
The Meaning of Yin and Yang
March 5, 2022
Night and day. Light and darkness. Masculine and Feminine. Chaos and order. Life is comprised of a series of interconnected opposing forces. Everything that exists has an opposite, just as there is always two sides to the same coin. Although we are inclined to seek pleasure without pain or cling onto the ‘good’ while banishing … More The Meaning of Yin and Yang
A Stoic Approach to Fear
February 26, 2022
Seneca: A Stoic Life One of the things I admire about the Stoic philosophers is that they embodied the wisdom that they preached. Seneca, one of the three notable Stoics (along with Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus), used the philosophy of Stoicism to navigate the turmoil and uncertainties during his life. Although he maintained a high … More A Stoic Approach to Fear
The Wisdom of Being Wrong
February 19, 2022
If only things were that simple. If only events could be packaged into neat containers of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ or ‘good’ and ‘evil’. Despite our proclivities towards binary and dualistic thinking, life is a whole lot messier. Many circumstances are morally ambiguous and uncertain. Being in this metaphorical ‘grey’ area of not knowing can be … More The Wisdom of Being Wrong