By Troy Headrick There are two kinds of slaves:  Those who don’t realize they are enslaved and those who know their status but don’t know how to free themselves.  In my previous blog, the one that described the problem of intellectual enslavement, I focused mostly on discussing political manipulation by demagogues.  In fact, this blog,... Continue Reading →

By Troy Headrick My father is a creative genius and one of the most thoughtful men I’ve ever known.  He’s a natural born philosopher and someone I love to talk with about all sorts of topics. In February of 2020, during one of my last face-to-face visits with him—the pandemic has robbed us of many... Continue Reading →

By Troy Headrick It’s that time of year again when people think about the new year and how they’d like to make changes in their lives going forward.  We often refer to these proposed life modifications as “new year’s resolutions.” The other day, while stepping out of the shower, the idea hit me—insights come as... Continue Reading →

By Troy Headrick It seems I’ve been a good boy this year because I’ve received more than my fair share of gifts recently.  I’m not talking about glittery objects placed under the tree or the proverbial stocking stuffed full of goodies.  I’m referring to all the wonderful things that you, dear readers, have gifted me... Continue Reading →

By Troy Headrick Many of you know that I’m an American who spent nearly two decades living and working abroad.  During the time I’m referring to, I resided in Poland, the UAE, Turkey, and Egypt.  I taught writing, literature, philosophy, research methods, and critical thinking at universities and colleges in those locales. I got spoiled... Continue Reading →

By Troy Headrick Over the Thanksgiving break, I made an important decision.  I decided, during one of those holiday periods when people gorge themselves, shoveling the food in with both hands, that I needed to lose some weight.  Six days ago, at the start of my diet, I stepped on the scale and the device... Continue Reading →

By Troy Headrick I’ve traveled a lot but have never been to Denmark.  I see this as a shortcoming, especially since I’ve long been intrigued with that Nordic country.  I’ve embedded a Deutsche Welle video on “hygge,” a fascinating Danish concept, one that shapes Danish culture and worldview.  If you want to know more about... Continue Reading →

By Troy Headrick I’ve been forgetful lately.  I’m talking like, I’ll be in one part of my house, decide that I need something from another room, head to that locale, and as soon as I arrive there, I can no longer recall what I wanted to get.  I know this is a near universal human... Continue Reading →

By Troy Headrick I’m currently reading Vaclav Havel’s essay “The Power of the Powerless,” a wonderful treatise on human nature, unfreedom, power, culture, and mass psychology.  Though he writes about what he calls “post-totalitarianism,” a dictatorial system that held sway across Eastern Europe during the Soviet era, I am persuaded that some of Havel’s thinking... Continue Reading →

By Troy Headrick I glance at the clock and note that it’s 6:26 p.m.  The date is Friday, November 6th, 2020.  I feel mentally and physically exhausted.  Earlier this week, on Tuesday—which seems like forever ago—Americans went to the polls to choose a president and many other elected officials.  Despite the passage of nearly three... Continue Reading →

By Troy Headrick I’ve been having strange dreams recently.  Something’s definitely going on in my subconscious. Plus, in most cases, I don’t usually remember dreams, but lately, they’ve been both extremely vivid and easy to recollect.  I wonder what’s up? About a week ago, I dreamed that I was standing outside my old high school... Continue Reading →

By Troy Headrick My greatest regret during my Peace Corps experience is that I wasn’t into taking photos at that time.  I was into living life, though, as hard as it could be lived, tiptoeing right up to the line of being wildly self-destructive.  It’s just that I don’t have much of a photographic record... Continue Reading →

By Troy Headrick I’m taking a break from my series on “places that made me,” to share a couple of interesting observations, an article, and some questions. If you are a regular reader of my posts, you know that I manage a writing center in a college and am currently working remotely as are those... Continue Reading →

By Troy Headrick Hi, everyone.  I’m writing to tell you about a wonderful opportunity.  Pointless Overthinking (PO) is currently looking for about three new writers to join its team of bloggers.  If you’re interested in applying for such a position, please continue reading. Before submitting work, please spend some time looking carefully at the sorts... Continue Reading →

By Troy Headrick If you read my first installment, you know that I was a Peace Corps Volunteer and was sent to PĨock, Poland, a beautiful and fascinating city located on the Vistula River, to complete my Pre-Service Training (PST), a demanding educational regime that was designed to see if I’d be up to the... Continue Reading →

By Troy Headrick Dear Readers of Pointless Overthinking, I’m writing to make some important announcements.  But before I get to those, I want to thank all of you for being such wonderful readers and participants.  I can honestly say that I (and the other bloggers who write for PO) love interacting with you in the... Continue Reading →

By Troy Headrick My mind works in mysterious ways.  For example, three or four days ago, for no particular reason, the following question popped into my head:  I wonder who said, “Clothes make the man”?  I then almost immediately forgot that I’d asked this question—my brain having its own unique way of functioning—and went about... Continue Reading →

By Troy Headrick I’m one complex dude.  For example, I’m basically a shy person, but I like to openly write about very private experiences I’ve had and ruminate on what they’ve taught me.  Also, I’m not really into money, but I’ve long been a bit of an entrepreneur. I married a woman who has a... Continue Reading →

By Troy Headrick I want to thank “Hamish,” a thoughtful young man from New Zealand.  His comment on my last Pointless Overthinking piece inspired this.  By the way, Hamish blogs.  You should have a look at his work. In the comment I’ve referred to, Hamish writes, “I’ve been slowly figuring out over the past little... Continue Reading →

By Troy Headrick I don’t think this is going to be anything like any of my other blogs.  Actually, I’m not for sure what this is going to look like or how it might turn out.  That’s why I’m calling it an “experiment.” I will conduct my experiment by asking a series of personal, self-discovery... Continue Reading →