Showing 121 articles
Developing Virtue
Author: Tushar SawantMay 12, 2021
A long time ago, in the lands marked by the Roman Republic, a group of senators marched with haste to meet a man tilling a small farm. Upon watching the senators approach his farm, the man enquired, “Is everything alright?” to which they replied, “We hope that it might turn out well for both you [...]
Do Not Give In to Pessimism
Author: Delia Steinberg GuzmánMay 2, 2021
We live at a time in history – which is everybody’s life – when events are accelerating unstoppably, and often give us the impression that they are completely beyond our powers. We know that the duration of time varies in accordance with the inner state with which we measure it. For this reason, neither in [...]
Racism, a Product of Modernity
Author: Fernando SchwarzApril 11, 2021
Racism can be expressed and experienced on different levels. Not knowing how to value another race or another religion is part of an ethical conception of racism. This is a relatively recent phenomenon. It appears in the Renaissance and especially develops in the 18th and 19th centuries. Non acceptance has always existed; in this regard, [...]
Fear and the Stages of Life
Author: Carlos AdelantadoApril 4, 2021
We live in a world of lasers, particle accelerators, satellite image transmission, mainframe computers and microchips, and many other things so unique to this era. At the same time, however, we live with our desires, passions, defects and virtues, with our universal and timeless fears, typical of every human being and of all times. And [...]
Battle of Identity
Author: Ambuj DixitMarch 31, 2021
Is it not ironic that while we love the blossoming life, we try to avoid the very process that leads to the blossoming – the process of challenges. It seems to me that the purpose of human life is to grow. When I look back at the moments or the phases through which I have [...]
The Art of Losing
Author: Gilad SommerMarch 24, 2021
“Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest. Except when you don’t. Because, sometimes, you won’t.” (Dr. Seuss, “Oh, the places you’ll go”) Everybody likes to be a winner; Nobody wants to be a loser. We all dream of ourselves conquering the trials of [...]
In the Hollow of a Weeping Willow
Author: Tushar SawantMarch 1, 2021
“Knock on wood!,” as the saying goes. The universal tradition of knocking on, or touching wood to drive away misfortune has its roots in an archaic Celtic tradition. Many ancient European cultures held the willow tree in high regard in their customs and traditions. Some mystical fairy tales make mention about the wind within the [...]
Reflections of the Fall
Author: Tushar SawantFebruary 28, 2021
2020 has been a tumultuous year. We are dealing with a quarantine instigated by a global pandemic and the quietude such isolation can provide us, in addition to the clamor of civil uprisings incited by a myriad of injustices. Whether we have experienced great tragedy or merely bore witness to the absurdity of our condition, [...]
All the Time in the World
Author: Sivan BarzilayDecember 27, 2020
For many of us who live in big cities, Time is something we always lack. We find ourselves struggling to reach places on time, to submit our work on time, to wake up on time, and the list can go on and on… If only someone could give us a little more time to complete [...]
Ubuntu: I Am Because We Are
Author: Manjula NanavatiDecember 27, 2020
One of the foundations of how we conceptualize our sense of self today, perhaps came from the 17th century philosopher Rene Descartes’ most famous maxim, cogito ergo sum or I think therefore I am. Taken to an extreme that Descartes himself may never have meant, we are conditioned to prioritize self-interest, applaud the pursuit of [...]
Othello & I
Author: Anusree MenonDecember 27, 2020
It is evident that beyond entertainment, theatre might also be a means to investigate the world in which we live, and what it means to be human. Recently, I had the opportunity to revisit Othello in which Shakespeare deals with an array of human experience that is always pertinent. As I re-read and met the [...]
Courage to Be A Daily Hero
Author: Vasant Sanzgiri & Samarth ShettyDecember 27, 2020
The word ‘hero’ comes from an ancient Greek root, which literally translates to ‘protector’ or ‘defender’. Dictionary.com defines the word as “a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character”, and popular perception recognizes a hero as one who performs deeds that are not commonly possible, or one who exhibits virtues or values that makes them [...]