The thoughts that shape my writing
Fragments of history, reflections on memory, and glimpses of the human thread that runs through it all.
Big Ideas: Socrates
If the Buddha turned the mind inward to understand suffering, Socrates turned the mind outward — toward reason, truth, and moral integrity. He didn’t leave behind any written words only questions. Yet his way of thinking reshaped the Western world. He made philosophy not a doctrine to believe, but a method to live by.
Big Ideas: The Human Condition
There’s a thread that runs quietly through human history — from the first person who wondered why we suffer to the modern scientist asking how we think. It’s the thread of reflection: curiosity turned inward. Philosophy began as a search for truth and virtue, but it soon became a way of exploring what it means to be human — to think, to feel, to choose, to believe.
The Future Never Arrives
We spend much of our lives waiting. Waiting for the right time, the next opportunity, the moment when life will finally begin. But here’s the hard truth: the future never arrives. When it comes, it isn’t the future anymore — it’s just today.
Bertrand Russell Warned Us About Fools and Fanatics — We Should Listen Now
I’ve been interested in philosophy and the meaning of life for decades. One philosopher I admire greatly is Bertrand Russell. The more I learn about his life, the more I notice small, unexpected parallels with my own.
Wittgenstein in the Age of Social Media
Wittgenstein wrote one of the most challenging books on philosophy to read. This is a simple guide.
Orwell in the Age of Trump
In 1949 George Orwell wrote what many consider his masterpiece, 1984. What can it teach us about what’s happening in the world today?
Aristotle: The Art of Flourishing in a World of Extremes
Aristotle’s name turns up in every “greatest thinkers” list, usually surrounded by marble busts (like the one above) and ancient manuscripts. Which is fine — but it also means a lot of people switch off before they’ve even got to the interesting part.
The Pursuit of Purpose
Defining purpose is deeply personal. For some, it’s in learning. For others, it’s in creativity, health, service, relationships, or compassion.
Purpose doesn’t always look dramatic. It might show up in daily kindness. In gentle consistency. In noticing what others rush past.
Your Truth, My Truth, No Truth?
In a world drowning in half-truths and curated realities, can we still agree on what’s true—or does truth even matter anymore?
This post explores how truth has shifted from a shared foundation to a contested battleground. From ancient faith to modern politics, from Nietzsche’s “truth as illusion” to Foucault’s “truth as power,” we examine how belief, influence, and technology have turned truth into a moving target.
If we want to stay grounded in an age of spin, outrage, and viral manipulation, we need to stop asking only “Is this true?”—and start asking “Who benefits if I believe it?”
Freedom in a World of Algorithms
Are you really making free choices — or just following invisible nudges? This piece explores how modern power doesn’t restrict us but subtly shapes us through algorithms, feeds, and endless distractions. Drawing on Rousseau, Berlin, Foucault, and Sartre, it asks: in a world designed to predict and guide our behaviour, is freedom still possible?
Stay curious. Question the feed. Real freedom begins when we choose to think beyond what’s handed to us.
A Philosophical Journey of Self-Discovery
University wasn’t just about textbooks and lectures for me. It was a portal to a whole new world.
The Coffee Shop Conundrum
In the rush of everyday life, how often do we truly pause and just be? On a long, slow drive home from Oxford, a chance encounter with a Buddhist nun at a motorway service station became an unexpected lesson in presence. Amid the chaos of busy roads and distracted drivers, she shared a simple piece of wisdom passed to her by the Dalai Lama: “Be Here Now.”
This isn’t a story about road trips — it’s a reminder that peace isn’t found in getting somewhere faster, but in being fully present where you are.