Topic

Modern Culture & Society

A collection of 45 issues

Living, a Multi-Dimensional Payoff Function

In navigating the contours of existence, I have often questioned the reductionist paradigms that frame life as a sequence of linear decisions aimed at singular, deterministic outcomes. Rather, I have come to perceive life as a multi-dimensional payoff function — a philosophical metaphor capturing the complex interplay of values, desires, and

The Fragile Reign of Reason : Why Perfect Logic is a Myth?

Logic, they say, is the highest faculty of human intelligence — a tool that sets us apart, elevates us from chaos, and grants us a semblance of control over a fundamentally indifferent universe. But as I sit here, reflecting on countless instances when reason faltered in the face of human complexity,

The Curse of Perfection : When Striving for the Best Brings the Worst

Human life is a cascade of desires — those intricate yearnings that push us toward goals, status, and meaning. Among these, the pursuit of “the best” holds a special allure. Striving for the best house, the best career, the best partner, or the best life — all resonate deeply with our ideals

Mud-Slinging : The Theater of Evasion – What Compels Us to Assign Blame Faster Than Solutions?

Blame is an ancient ritual, an instinctive response we turn to when tensions rise or when things go wrong. In the face of crises or conflicts, we tend to sling mud and point fingers rather than rolling up our sleeves to search for solutions. The speed with which we assign

Two Days in Shanghai : A Memoir of Concrete Souls and Flickering Dreams

The city breathes, but the breath is mechanical. I step off the plane, and the pulse of Shanghai reverberates beneath my feet, a rhythm not unlike a heartbeat but colder, distant. I have come to this towering metropolis for reasons I can’t even recall anymore — work, perhaps, or simply

Why Realistic Pessimism is a Gift in a Delusional World of Optimism?

It’s strange to live in a world where optimism is marketed as the only viable option for a meaningful life. “Stay positive!” they say, wielding optimism as a panacea for all things bleak. But does relentless optimism make us any less exposed to life’s absurdities? If anything, optimism

The Hollowing

In the fading hours of twilight, where shadows stretch their thin fingers across landscapes that have long lost their meaning, he observes a world now entrenched in the dull hum of transaction. Once, there was depth. The waters of life felt bottomless, rich with the sediment of genuine connection, of

Distraction : Humanity’s Eternal Quest to Escape the Abyss

Distraction as the Heartbeat of Human Life Humanity has always been, and perhaps will always be, engaged in some form of distraction. From the dawn of civilization to our hyper-connected digital age, we have filled our lives with activities, pursuits, and technologies designed to divert our attention. But why? What