We need drink, food, sleep and perhaps intimacy and sex, to exist comfortably. So do many animals. A kind of basic set of needs common to many complex beings. The common herd, category Gamma. Maybe some animal species also desire play, exploration and novelty. Let’s label species with such added urges as belonging to category Beta, a sub-set within the larger Gamma. And within category Beta is a further subset, Theta, consisting of species that may be interested in seeking …
Category: English
The more self-conscious we are the more we’d benefit from having spaces signposted, ‘What happens here doesn’t matter’. This aura is what alcohol settings offer – a kind of permitted abandon. Even the not-so-self-conscious benefit from such ‘time out’, or the temporary relief from critical scrutiny, afforded the drinker. Spread the privilege even-handedly and ensure that a few spoilers do not use it as an opportunity to be nasty or rude, and we gain all round. Drinking occasions need …
What students absorb from a teacher’s teachings is less precious than what they acquire by seeing what kind of person the teacher is. Sally Hulugalle never saw herself as teacher. But priceless lessons she taught. We are all each other’s teacher as well as pupil. The education nested in how Sally dealt with life was uncommon. I put into words a few of the lessons she lived but did not voice. Never give up on a cherished cause whatever the brickbats its pursuit …
We can make too big a deal of trying to improve our wellbeing. Also, too small a deal. Whether too small or not too small, starting with simple things that can effortlessly be incorporated in our daily lives can be recommended. ‘What things will be good to try doing?’ ‘Easy things. Things that I can do unaided. Things that don’t require changing significantly any of my routines.’ ‘What is …
High mental wellbeing is among the main life goals for many. People who have not actively thought about their goals too, when questioned, tend to mention that one of the most important things in life is to be happy. Mental wellbeing is thus a goal that many of us consciously have while others may also harbour the same wish but not yet be aware that they do. A large proportion of each of these two groups tend to use ‘happiness’ …
