Thought provoking
But no one has ever started over from scratch by devising a wholly new conceptual structure, an entirely new vessel. Why? Because we cannot step outside of our own thought. We think in terms of the conceptual structure that we happen to have. Thought changes from within, step by step, in the harsh and continuous confrontation with its object: reali
... See moreIt seems odd to look at achievement through this lens, not as the thing the newspapers tell us it is, but – very often – as a species of mental illness. Those who put up the skyscrapers, write the bestselling books, perform on stage, or make partner may, in fact, be the unwell ones. Whereas the characters who – without agony – can bear an ordinary ... See more
The School of Life • Overcoming the Need to Be Exceptional
“The cure for imposter syndrome is to realize that all the other people are just convincing imposters, too.” – Alison Gopnik
Morgan Housel • Makes You Think
if you’re so intelligent why isn’t your life more cozy?

"For me, that’s pretty much it: waking up and being excited and curiously restless to face the day ahead, and being very present with that day, and then going to bed feeling like it actually happened, that the day was lived. There’s nothing more than that, really."
Maria Popova • Maria Popova — Cartographer of Meaning in a Digital Age
That’s what commitments are—alternatives to self-obsession. Commitments free us to dedicate ourselves to something bigger than ourselves—to something beyond our shells. The French philosopher Jacques Maritain said that the meaning of life is “self-mastery for the purpose of self-giving.” This is the challenge of growing up—to turn the corner from s... See more
Pete Davis • Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing
We like to pretend that our generous impulses come naturally. But the reality is we often become our kindest, most ethical selves only by seeing what it feels like to be a selfish jackass first. It's the reason... we have to get burned before we understand the power of fire; the reason our most meaningful relationships are so often those that cont
... See morecheryl strayed • Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice from Dear Sugar
what if public libraries were open late every night and we could engage in public life there instead of having to choose between drinking at the bar and domestic isolation