Ronan 
I listened to a very interesting episode of the Making Sense podcast the other day. It was between the founder of the podcast, Sam Harris, and cognitive psychologist, Scott Barry Kaufman. A topic that came up was pathological altruism, and it got me thinking about this paradox of selfish altruism. I’d like to elaborate on …
As a lover of language, I appreciate the attempts people make to express ineffable ideas and feelings through words. One of the best tools for such attempts is the metaphor. My favourite metaphors tend to be ones that make me think deeply or differently about the bigger things in life. With that in mind, here …
This is an article in which I recommend five must-read books about minimalism to better understand the concept and implement it in your life in ways you deem valuable or helpful. The philosophy of minimalism can be defined as a way of living in which you identify the essential things in your life and eliminate …
Artificial intelligence often makes news headlines because of its growing number of exciting and positive uses in our daily lives. From self-driving cars powered by machine learning algorithms to neural networks that can better diagnose illnesses than expert physicians, the use cases are undeniably exciting. Many headlines are also grabbed by new achievements performed by …
The intersection of spirituality and consciousness is a profoundly interesting topic. Consciousness remains one of the greatest mysteries in science, and my agnosticism on the topic means that I’m open to perspectives and ideas on the origin of consciousness that aren’t necessarily derived from strictly scientific circles. This article is a list of my six …
In my blog post about ways to become less neurotic, one of the suggested scientifically-backed areas to explore was psychedelics. Whether you’ve tried psychedelics before or you’re venturing into this domain of self-exploration for the first time, there are lots of fascinating books on this topic. This blog post is a selection of my recommended …
If you experience high levels of neuroticism, it likely impacts your life in a range of pretty shitty ways. As hard as it might be to believe, especially if you’ve felt the same way for years, it is possible to reduce your neuroticism and its negative effects on your life. There used to be a …
Religion gets a bad rep in the modern world of rapid scientific progress. Many liberal, educated, materialistic people dismiss religion as an outdated artifact, belonging to a formerly ignorant world. Over one billion people now identify as atheist/secular. When taken at face value, it’s no major surprise that we’re so dismissive of religion, particularly those …
Read moreDoes The Perennial Philosophy Reveal the True Purpose of Religion?
Living During the Coronvavirus Pandemic Dear reader, I don’t know what year it’ll be when you read this letter, but I hope it’s at a point in which the COVID-19 ‘s destructive effects have been quelled. Before going on to the body of this letter, if there’s anything good to come from the global coronavirus …
Read moreA Letter to Future Generations About Living During the Coronvavirus Pandemic
What if I told you the decision to have children is largely influenced by your fear of death and the desire to be immortal, whether you’re conscious of it or not? Would this supposition surprise or interest you? If so, keep reading. Literal and Symbolic Immortality According to Ernest Becker, all human activity is driven …
Read moreHow the Fear of Death Influences The Decision to Have Children