19 Sep, 2023
A recent discussion with a friend made me think of a saying: intelligence is a curse (eg, see quote below). There is indeed some truth in that saying. In his famous poem of 1742, Thomas Gray suggested something similar: "[..] ignorance is bliss [..]". Is our intelligence really to blame?? My friend is an intelligent woman. She is determined that things must go as...
15 Sep, 2023
Voorwoord LO Deze recente opinie uit de Volkskrant getuigt van veel pragmatisme en weinig ideologie. Mijn complimenten aan schrijver Ton van Rietbergen. In 2022 publiceerde diezelfde Volkskrant nog een zwaar ideologisch artikel op een soortgelijk onderwerp: Kent Nederland een huizentekort of een singlesoverschot? Zie ook mijn kritische reactie op dat artikel in mijn...
9 Aug, 2023
I could blame my coffee machine that broke down after some 10+ years of service. I could blame our rainy summer weather. I doubt it's about coffee or sunshine. I suppose it's far deeper. A recent road trip to Germany lifted my spirits. A lack of hotel sleep made matters worse, however. Actually, I do not (yet) know my reason(s) for feeling listless and bored. As a...
31 Jul, 2023
Recently, a Kenyan acquaintance posted the following: "Alone is not always loneliness. Alone is getting to find myself. [..]" In my view, she meant solitude. Hence, I replied by stating: "Solitude and loneliness are two very different concepts, despite being alone in both." She agreed. Several days later, I noticed a quote by Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860), a...
20 Jun, 2023
In a recent video (>3 min.), Dutch vlogger Harry Vermeegen wondered why liberal-left beliefs qualify as idealism, while conservative-right beliefs qualify as populism. His remark triggered a question that had once been on my mind, but which I had discarded back then, for reasons I cannot recall. The ingredients of conservative-right beliefs are either (i) emotions...
7 Jun, 2023
I have a dilemma and don't really know what to do besides my acceptance of a certain decision. The how of that decision is the center of my dilemma. I fail to see a solution - or an alternative - for that how. I'm afraid that the how will cause hurt and pain and possibly even regret and/or remorse. Strictly speaking, the model of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1926-2004)...
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