Writer and Friendly Neighbourhood Philosopher
Just Thinking…
Philosophy As Self-Help
Take a nap, light a candle that smells like sugar cookies, make a cup of tea, put on your favourite mushy movie, and paint your toenails purple. All of those things feel pretty darn good, but I have to say, so does feeling clever and creative, like you’re able to handle hard stuff and solve problems.
How Do We Like Them Apples? Please Ask A Philosopher.
While there may be a vitamin or two hiding in it, maybe a scrap of fibre here and there, it’s designed to address cravings, to serve as quick relief and instant gratification. We like this junk, with its glossy packaging and superb convenience. And we don’t like apples…right?
I Am the Yeti…Again.
The book was great fun to write (I even made it rhyme), and it played into one of my very favourite questions in philosophy: What are we, and why do we do the things we do?
The Dog’s Nose: A Metaphor for Better Thinking
If we allowed ourselves to think the way a dog uses their nose, with complexity, depth and discernment, think of the ripple effect it might have. What if we chose to see our world in detail, to marvel at it at a granular level, to take the time to sort, analyze and digest it, small bite by small bite. What if we allowed ourselves to notice all the things that we ordinarily choose to miss, the diverse, the interesting, the useful, and the beautiful?
Why, More Than Ever, There Are No Stupid Questions.
You can ask. It’s okay.
You can say the quiet part loud.
There’s room for lots of different ideas.
It’s not wrong to wonder.
Curiosity is a good thing.
You’re not a jerk or a pain for asking. You just want to understand.
What I Learned From A Pufferfish
When I set out to write another kids’ book, I decided to use the noble, but somewhat reactive pufferfish as a jumping off point. I thought about all the ways we 21st century humans tend to react when we’re faced with a difficult question, a challenging idea, or any sort or disagreement or confrontation. Spoiler: it ain’t pretty.
What It Means To Be A Philosopher These Days
I’m a public philosopher, a friendly neighbourhood philosopher, and after three decades in these shoes, here’s what I think I do.
An Editor’s Guide To Intolerance
I’m a human being, and every so often, stupid thoughts about other human beings ping-pong around in my head. Honestly, I don’t even believe these things are actually true. These thoughts are basically echoes of historical and cultural “bad grammar”, bits of misinformation or ignorance that I’ve heard often enough to have them lodge themselves into the dark corners of my brain.
Philosophy Is Not A Four Letter Word.
Here’s the bottom line, folks: philosophy is a life skill, dare I say even a survival skill.