Category: Understanding life and the world

Big ideas and analysis related to life and the world. This is where I become philosophical and tend towards guru-ness.

Critical Mass [en]

I often notice what I have come to call the “critical mass” syndrome. When a service or community becomes too popular, its quality comes down.
I may be pessimistic, but I see no way out of this.

Fame [en]

Maybe being famous just means that people get a chance to see what you do. I’m not sure it means that what you do is better than average.

Excess [en]

There are lots of talented people in the world. They produce good music, that I can hear on the radio, or write interesting things that I can read on the Internet.

I can access something that was produced at the other end of the world in the click of the mouse or a flick of the radio button. And that is wonderful.

But it also brings on some sense of frustration: there is too much good music for me to listen to it all. There are too many interesting sites or articles for me to visit them all.

There is too much out there for me to absorb.
Life is too short. Choices have to be made.

Vaisselle [en]

Certes, je n’ai pas envie de faire la vaisselle maintenant.
Mais je n’en aurai pas plus envie dans dix minutes, une heure, un jour ou une semaine.

Autant la faire maintenant.

Pragmatique [en]

Lorsqu’un outil refuse de faire son travail, il vaut peut-être mieux s’en passer.

Pragmatic [en]

If a tool refuses to serve the purpose it was designed for, maybe it is wise to let go of the tool.

Entre gris clair et gris foncé [en]

It is a mistake to judge relationships or events as “overall good” and “overall bad”. Everything has good sides and bad sides. Summing up to just one of them will only contribute to repressing the other into darkness and denial.

There are times when one has to look at the “good” and the “bad” in things independantly – although of course they are never independant.

Looking back at all I have been through, I tend to say that everything was “overall good” because it has brought me where I am – and I am happy of where I am.
But it doesn’t mean I didn’t suffer. And even though it made me grow, it doesn’t mean I am happy with this pain, or that it doesn’t touch me as pain.

Understanding and loving someone who hurt us should not prevent us from dealing with the pain this person has caused. And that means putting love and understanding into brackets.

Human [en]

Finally, everybody has something to say. Everybody has a voice. Some will appeal to more people, and therefore be more popular – but even the meekest is bound to create an echo in others.
For we are all human beings, and I believe there is a fundamental unity between us – a little bit of “me” in the “other”.

Clubbing [en]

Out dancing last night to celebrate my brother’s birthday, I tried to mentally enter the lives of these people who would spend all their week-end evenings dancing away to deafening music, consuming alcohol and possibly more evil substances.

Do you really get a chance to know people and meet future friends in such places? Can you get more there on a human level than fast sex and body rubbing?

Sure, we need face-to-face and physical contact with other human beings.
But admitting you get that in other areas of your life, does an evening out clubbing have more “value” than an evening online – especially if you are not very keen on the kind of encounters the night-club has to offer?