Human civilization is an elaborate, symbolic defense mechanism against the knowledge of our own mortality. That’s what American cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker argued in his Pulitzer-winning book “The Denial of Death.” But unlike our denial of death, our consciousness of death is a powerful life-affirming force that can help us change the way we live … Read more
“I discovered a long time ago that writing of the small things of the day, the trivial matters of the heart, the inconsequential but near things of this living,” wrote E. B. White to his brother Stanley White while reflecting on the art of living through writing. “Was the only kind of creative work which … Read more
In 1845, moved by the desire to reconnect with the essence of his own being, great Transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817–May 6, 1862) embarked on a voluntary two-year exile in the woods. It was an experiment in simple living and contemplation of nature, which later became the basis for his book Walden; or, Life … Read more
What is moderation? Simple on the outside, this perennial question has infinite depth, and it’s up to us how deep we want to dive into finding its true meaning. In the age of smartphones, digital advertising, and invisible tracking systems that know intimate details of our online activities, it becomes harder and harder to resist … Read more