One of the consequences of having self-awareness is the feeling that you are separate, and not at one with the universe. Feeling separate leads to existential angst. However we are not really separate at all.
It is true that we are differentiated from other things but not for long. The atoms in our bodies are being continuously recycled through the environment. Our bodies completely rejuvenate about every 10 years. […]
Industrial production in the beginning meant that goods were cheaper and more available to everyone. This was great to begin with but the wave of productivity became a tidal wave. More and more goods were produced for ever-lower prices but the quality of both the production and the consumption became inhuman. What I mean is that workers became alienated from their […]
The most important truth for all humans to face up to is that, in the words of Frederick Nietzsche, we are not finished yet. We are not fully evolved. We are not perfect. Indeed, a lot of what we think and do is unevolved. We can do better. But what is better? To answer this is to become wise.
The way to become more evolved is to pursue wisdom. […]
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite […]
Approximately one per cent of humans are psychopaths. However, many studies over the years have shown that three per cent or more of corporate leaders are psychopaths. One 2016 study reported that the rate could be much higher. The study of 261 corporate professionals in the supply chain management industry showed an extremely high prevalence of psychopathy, with 21 per cent of participants found to have clinically […]
Envy, wanting what other people have, is greed’s evil twin. Envy can include wanting other people’s possessions, their lifestyle, their looks, their status and even their husband or wife.
By nature, people compare themselves to others, and this causes no end of trouble. The drive to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ can lead to dissatisfaction, covetousness, status anxiety and worst of all resentment.
Whether or […]
Sustainabilism is the approach for achieving environmentally sustainable human well-being.
Econation’s mission is to highlight the ways that enhance and contribute to the wellbeing of both people and planet. We also uncover and criticise the ways that harm the wellbeing of both people and planet. It just so happens that generally speaking what is best for people is best for the planet and vice versa. This makes sense because […]
“To attain knowledge, add things every day.
To attain wisdom, remove things every day.”
– Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu’s advice is an age-old truism. Antoine de Saint-Exupery said something akin: “[a] designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” And E.F. Schumacher said: “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. […]
Most people are trying to get ahead, but ahead of what?
It is common to think that getting ahead has to do with increasing wealth. This idea is perpetuated by an economic system that in the beginning alleviated scarcity and poverty. However, we long ago overcame these debilitations. By 1970 the vast majority of people in the western world described themselves as happy. In the intervening 50 years the rate […]
Altruism is when you help someone without conditions. It is the opposite of greed and selfishness. This unconditional care and support goes toward creating a pool of goodwill that anyone can dip into in times of need. It might be volunteering at a school working bee, helping a stranger who has tripped over or needs his car pushed, helping a lost child find her parents, or protesting […]
