Category: Uncategorized

On Bullshit

“When an honest man speaks, he says only what he believes to be true; and for the liar, it is correspondingly indispensable that he considers his statements to be false. For the bullshitter, however, all these bets are off: he is neither on the side of the true nor on the side of the false. His eye is not on the facts at all, as the eyes of the honest man and of the liar are, except insofar as they may be pertinent to his interest in getting away with what he says. He does not care whether the things he says describe reality correctly. He just picks them out, or makes them up, to suit his purpose.”

Revelry

Sunday night, remembering what the world was like before this plague hit us all. Remembering what it was like to intentionally go somewhere crowded with people, somewhere hot, noisy, and sweaty. Somewhere with loud music and pounding beats, where everyone’s nervous systems synchronized to the same rhythms. Will the world ever be like that again?

The Gaslighter’s Dictionary

People who gaslight others want, fundamentally, one thing. Control. They might be calculated manipulators, they might think gaslighting is the only way to preserve (their idea of) a healthy relationship, they might not even know that they’re gaslighting you. But, in every case, they are driven by fear and the desire to control. Are you under someone else’s… Continue reading The Gaslighter’s Dictionary

How to Defeat a Narcissist

If there is someone in your life who makes you feel terrible about yourself, whose mere existence has become the bane of your life, then you should consider whether they might have narcissist personality disorder. Some warning signs for this disorder are: A sense of entitlement. Their needs trump those of other people. Pompous or grandiose.… Continue reading How to Defeat a Narcissist

The Science of Spiritual Narcissism

Via Scientific American: “As has been observed by many spiritual leaders, spiritual practitioners and psychologists over the years, the ego has an incessant need to be seen in a positive light, and will eagerly hijack whatever flow of consciousness it can use for its own enhancement.” https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-science-of-spiritual-narcissism

the first of the year

Quieter celebrations this year, no gatherings, no people downstairs, and the fireworks were late by two minutes. We imagined a lighter malfunctioning and silent panic as all the other neighborhoods erupted into noise around us. Eventually, however, the fireworks came. Random bursts in an otherwise quiet night. Barely any smoke. Just breathe in the new… Continue reading the first of the year