EXISTENTIAL OPENING The philosopher Andrew Taggart believes that crisis moments lead to “existential openings” that force us to grapple with the deepest questions about life.⁠10 He argues there are two typical ways this happens. One is the “way of loss,” when things that matter are taken from us, such as loved ones, our health, or a job. The other

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Most of the things I do to hurt myself involve recreating the sharp pain of my childhood to avoid the dull pain of my adulthood.

Last night, after our show, on a rocky beach off the coast of Maine, I dared Jacob to stand with me in the ice-cold water and see which of us could stand it longer. I fixed my eyes on a set point in the horizon and... See more

“I succumbed,” she said. “I stopped denying the wounds and felt them, felt their width and breadth. Pain can be clarifying. If you are able to feel it...the pain itself will tell you what to do.”

I looked out of the window, feeling disappointed and empty. This was not the answer I had come for. I wanted something else, some other formula or

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