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The Nature of Stress Is Temporal

May 28, 2018

OK, imagine you’re walking along a peaceful sidewalk. It’s a lovely afternoon, the sun caresses your face. You feel the scent of geraniums floating in the air. Then all of a sudden, you hear a snapping sound coming from above. You look up and you see a large piano falling toward you. You step aside at the last moment before it kills you. And you’ve just gotten a bag full of interesting stuff: trauma, fear, and stress. They’re not identical, but they have something in common: time. Let’s talk about the nature of stress.

nature of stress
The nature of stress is temporal
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5 Reasons why I Like Chess

April 9, 2018

Remember my article on coffee and summer afternoons? This one is a bit like that. It’s just something spawning out of my head, without much thought, without any preparation. In a way, it serves a somewhat therapeutic function. Then again, isn’t all writing like that? Isn’t all writing a giant middle finger pointing upward, toward the cosmic joker? So, treat today’s article as the workings of the unconscious mind. Yes, it is about chess – and five reasons why I like chess – but deep down it’s just about me being frustrated with the world right now.

why I like chess
Chess. So captivating, so simple, so complex.
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The Happiness Illusion Paradox

April 1, 2018

Do you feel happy right now? Let’s assume that you do. What if I told you that you’re wrong? What if I told you that you only think that you’re happy? Maybe you would then change your mind; or maybe, you wouldn’t. Defining happiness has been an elusive activity since ancient times. For Aristotle, for example, happiness was more of an activity and less of a state of mind. Today let’s take a look at an interesting aspect of happiness, which is subjectivity. Let’s talk about the happiness illusion paradox.

By happiness illusion, I refer to the hypothesis my questions above posed: what if you only think that you’re happy while you actually aren’t. The happiness illusion paradox exposes the fallacious notion that happiness is an objective state. In other words, the happiness illusion paradox underlines the fact that you cannot measure or detect happiness outside the experiencer. If you think you’re happy, then by definition you’re happy.

happiness illusion paradox
Can happiness be anything but subjective?
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