Essays & Art
Who hasn’t dreamt of living a different life? Having a break from the same old same old. Living other daily experiences. More adventure. Or just dipping a toe into a parallel world. I think about it all the time. That’s why I started my initiative I have called “SWAP YOUR LIFE”.
Continue reading “What happened on my Life Swap in Lisbon”Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt.
Happiness is never grand.
– Mustapha Mond, World Controller, in Brave New World by Aldous Huxley –
Welcome to my abundant wellspring of emotional wisdom snacks navigating our complex relationship world with strangers, friends, family, lovers, partners. I’ll be starting with a light approach introducing or (for the savvier ones of you) recapping often used expressions coined in soul-stirring digital research labs: Online Dating.
Continue reading “How To Become An Efficient Sociopath”
During a heart-to-heart talk with a co-worker, she said: “You are passive-aggressive.” Source of the heated truth-telling dialogue was an e-mail answer I had sent.
Continue reading “What you permit is what you promote.”| Listen to the story |
Walking along the banks of river Thames in central London, seeing the ever changing skyline fly by, discovering quirks along the way and discussing this and that. This is a routine for us.
My good friend M. and I have met at work at some stage of our careers. Doesn’t really matter at which corporate where-ness and when. Let’s just say we connected, kindred spirits and such had recognised each other. And though moving on and quitting jobs and changing our respective lives, we stayed in contact. And we have become accustomed to meeting up on a fortnight, sometimes only monthly. And we walk. And we chat.
During one of those talking walks, my friend told me a story I found hilarious.
Continue reading “Hope you speak Spanish!”
“I drink to make other people more interesting.”
The infamous quote by notorious writer, sportsman and hard core drinker Ernest Hemingway sounds badass, witty, swanky. Aaah, so cool! Except that it isn’t.
Continue reading “Sober is the new drunk”
So here’s a tale I want to share with you. Let me reconstruct the scene. Sunny day, chairs outside in the garden, birds chirping. My sis and I during a heart-to-heart. No, not birds, I made that up.
Her: Why don’t you meet anyone?
Moi: Dunno.
Her: How about dating?
Moi: Yes, I’d love to.
Her: Soooo, how about …
Continue reading “Do you dare to ask him out or why don’t we talk to each other?”
Look at The Terminator or better the target of his wrath in the first movie of the epic sequel.
There the android terminator is sent from the future to kill the mother (Sarah O’Connor) of the resistance leader (John O’Connor) who is fighting the dominance of the machines in a dark future version of human existence.
We all know that those machines didn’t get anywhere with this mission but what’s even worse for them if you think about it: The machines created the problem in the first place.
Read on →
It’s not strictly what the Catholic Church commends. At least not the New Testament.
Experiments with Artificial Intelligence have directed us towards successful behaviour strategies in social interactions. In the 1980s the math whizz and psychologist Anatol Rapoport managed to prove that being nice is good. There’s a twist of course.
Continue reading “Don’t know how to react to that? I say: Tit for Tat!”