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Loneliness is not being alone. It’s the feeling that nobody cares
A journey into the world of loneliness – and how to deal with it In our modern societies having a ‘rich social life’ is widely seen and promoted as an essential part of…
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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…
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Perfection is an illusion. Pursuing it is a recipe for unhappiness
There are many ways in which people can make life hard on themselves. One of the best ways to do so, is without a doubt the pursuit of perfection. Perfectionism is a recipe…
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Individuality, conformity and our need for social acceptance
One of the most paradoxical aspects of human behavior, if you ask me, is the universally felt need for freedom to be yourself and the simultaneous tendency to conform to your environment. Between…
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Why we need to be angry sometimes (regardless what the Stoics say)
I don’t know about you, but I can get quite angry sometimes. It doesn’t happen often, but things like injustice, cheating and disrespectful behavior can really piss me off. It is a trait…
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Do you want what you wish?
“You don’t have to learn to want,” said Greek philosopher Seneca. And indeed, we humans seem very good at wanting. We want all kinds of things. And there are things we don’t want.…
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Forget being who you are. Life’s about becoming who you want to be
You may recognize this: To friends, family or colleagues you can’t refrain from stressing that you “want to be yourself”, and meanwhile you silently ask yourself, “Who am I actually?” If so, then…
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Authenticity: your values, your choice
If you buy an age-old painting for a lot of money, you probably want a certificate that guarantees the authenticity of the painting, so that you can be sure that you are not…
