The ideas that shape us
Essays on history, thought and the human condition.
Read chronologically or by theme.
History· Philosophy · Culture
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.
Russell Warned Us About Fools and Fanatics
I’ve been interested in philosophy and the meaning of life for decades. One philosopher I admire greatly is Bertrand Russell. Born in south Wales and buried a few miles from my home in north Wales.
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?
The Age of Collective Stupidity
I lived through the dotcom bubble — hype and “expert” consensus shot stocks sky-high. I sold early and was called crazy… until the crash erased fortunes. In hindsight, it was global collective folly.
The History Behind Unseen Souls
Before industrialisation, Dowlais was a quiet, scattered upland community nestled in the Brecon Beacons. That’s quickly changed forever …
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?
Freedom in a World of Algorithms
Are you truly free, or steered by unseen nudges? This piece examines how power now shapes us via algorithms, feeds, and distractions. Drawing on Rousseau, Berlin, Foucault, and Sartre, it asks: in a world built to predict and guide behavior, is freedom still possible? Stay curious. Question the feed. Real freedom begins when we think beyond what’s handed to us.
We Are the Future-Shocked
In 1972, as I went to university for economics and social psychology, I read Alvin Toffler’s Future Shock. Its warning that accelerating technological, social and psychological change would overwhelm people and societies — “too much change in too short a time” — stayed with me.
Gaza Lan Nunsa — لن نُنسى (We Will Not Be Forgotten)
Through a twelve-year-old’s eyes, this story records Gaza’s horrors and a fragile, defiant hope. Clutching a handmade book of family memories, Wahib writes: “We were here. We will not be forgotten.” In a world that looks away, this story refuses silence. Read and remember.
Strongmen and Soft Words
From euphemisms and slogans to sentimental appeals, modern authoritarianism often arrives in language that sounds soothing — even noble. But beneath the softness lies something more sinister.
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 Meaning Wars
From “fake news” to “special military operations,” this is how political language is quietly reshaped to suit those in power — and why the change matters for how we understand truth and authority.
Why Words Have Lost Their Meaning
Ludwig Wittgenstein is hard to understand. He was a puzzling, exacting thinker who profoundly changed how we see language, especially how words acquire meaning and how ordinary language shapes our view of the world.
J.M.W. Turner: A Trailblazer in Art
Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 1775–19 December 1851), the English artist, is one of my favourite artists and a huge inspiration. His work was ground breaking and unique. He changed the ‘rules’ and painted light and colour rather than objects and scenes.
The Coffee Shop Conundrum
How often do we truly pause? On a slow drive from Oxford, a Buddhist nun at a service station shared the Dalai Lama’s advice: “Be Here Now.” Peace isn’t in getting somewhere faster, but in being fully present.
The Pursuit of Purpose
Purpose is personal—found in learning, creativity, health, service, relationships, or compassion. It’s often quiet: daily kindness, steady habits, noticing what others miss.
Why I Created The Journal
I started this space as I entered what you might call a quieter phase of life — not quiet in the sense of slowing down or fading away, but in the sense of tuning in more closely to what truly matters.