Essays

We spend hours fighting over headlines, arguing about scandals and so-called “pressing social issues”. It feels urgent — but most of it changes nothing. Meanwhile, the most important question is rarely asked: “How do we build a country where people are safe and can truly prosper?” Plato wasn’t wasting his days gossiping about Athens. He asked: What is justice? What is the good society? Who should rule? That’s why we still read him more than 2,000 years later — while today’s news will be forgotten next year (if not next week). ...

A man rides his chariot into the realm of a goddess. She tells him: humans think in a mortal, limited way. They don’t see the truth — you must look beyond. Let go of your thumos, the impulses and passions of mortal life. The gods, being immortal, see beyond such drives. Clinging to them keeps you bound to the conventions of men. The goddess speaks of two roads: the path of aletheia (pure reason), where being simply is and cannot not-be, and the path of doxa (opinion), where mortals wander with illusions, mixing being with not-being. ...

Humans have created an entire world on top of the real one — a realm of thinking. Through words, rules, and categories, we’ve divided our experiences into “graspable” concepts. But in doing so, it has become harder and harder to see the world as it is. Heraclitus famously said: “Nature loves to hide”, encapsulating this message perfectly. A reminder: stand still more often. Ask yourself: “why do we do things the way we do them?”. Look past what you’ve been taught, and see the world according to its nature. I promise, life gets more interesting when you distance yourself from it occasionally and just observe. ...

You are smarter than you think. But you’ll never see it if your mind is drowning in constant noise. Screens keep you reactive, not reflective. They feed you thoughts, while robbing you of time to discover your own. Step away from the screen. Sit with your thoughts. Walk. Write. Pray. Think. Clarity comes in silence. And when you give yourself that silence, you’ll realize—you are capable of more wisdom than you’d think. ...

Last week I visited SAIL Amsterdam, and it was truly marvelous. Seeing all those boats, each with a different story, was deeply impressive. Spending the day around them gave me time to reflect on some boat philosophy. “If a man does not know which way he is sailing, no wind is favourable.” — Seneca The ships I saw ranged from some of the greatest on earth to the most humble little boats. But even the finest boat is powerless without a direction—while the smallest one becomes unstoppable once it has one, given time. ...