Plato’s cave

…Every society, in order to live and prosper, needs stability, cohesion, and a common value code: it needs shared values that shape commonly accepted rules of coexistence… …and which, ideally, become laws: they crystallize into a commonly accepted and respected legislation. All of this requires a common vision that will give hope, resilience, stubborn effort, and patience for achieving goals and solving problems. A common vision granted by God, from the transcendent realm, is the best and most authoritative solution. A story that (almost) everyone accepts as true is a great solution. Leaders who enjoy metaphysical favor and who communicate with the transcendent — which guides them and informs them about the right course for the people — are exactly what is needed. The story can be modified over the years, but not radically: a radical transformation of the foundational myth on which a society rests entails the transformation of that society… …its transformation into a differe...

  …The other day — Thursday — was World Philosophy Day, and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) decided to celebrate it for the very first time. In the country that produced the very first purely philosophical discourse — the Greek Pre-Socratics — the country that, with incredible boldness and insight, tried to explain the world beyond myths, religious beliefs, superstitions, and prejudices; the country that gave the world the giants who laid the foundations for almost every philosophical current… they sat there like little schoolchildren. Before the emergence of philosophy, the dominant way of explaining the world was based on myth. “The basic characteristics of mythical thinking were: •  Anthropomorphism: Natural phenomena (e.g., thunder, earthquakes, the sun) were explained as acts or expressions of the will of gods and heroes who had human form and qualities. •  Arbitrariness: Events happened because of the personal, unlimited power of deit...

…I like how some gorgeous women flaunt their perfect, cellulite-free thighs with pride on social media, while also posting photos of the delicacies they eat at restaurants. Their life is a scam: obviously, perfect thighs don’t go with short ribs. This is proven by their chubby companions. But I like these fraudsters: I don’t believe them, but their effort to convince us that happiness is achievable and easy is touching.  :)

Monologue “…so, doctor, I survived. Yes… we had a good marriage, we lived a good life together. A whole life together. I respected him, and he respected me. Of course, I was devastated when he passed… pain, so much pain. But I didn’t collapse. Loneliness doesn’t scare me. I’ve learned to be alone. The ability to be alone is a prerequisite for true love. It’s the necessary freedom you must have to be able to love truly. It may seem paradoxical, but it’s not. It’s a truth… only those who are capable of being alone are capable of loving.” I nodded my head slightly, …to encourage her without interrupting. A silence fell. …she thought for a moment… …and continued: “Only those who can feel secure and confident enough to enter the deepest core of another person without wanting to control them… only they can avoid depending on the other, reducing them to a tool or a refuge. Only they are not at risk of becoming addicted to the other’s presence. They allow the other their freedom, because they ...

  The simplest way to make money, get women, and achieve electoral success is to say what people want to hear. It’s that simple. And what they want to hear is also simple. Once, for fun, I falsely claimed in a group that I could read coffee grounds. (Of course, I don’t know anything about it, nor do I believe in such nonsense.) Many eyes lit up with interest, and they immediately asked for predictions. While the coffee was being prepared, I racked my brain about what to say. In the end, I decided to tell everyone—phrased differently each time—that they are very unique cases: “Interesting… very interesting.” (Pause) “You’re a very special case… I see unusual traits in your character.” (Everyone considers themselves interesting and “unusual.”) “There are contradictory elements.” “You’re very sensitive, but sometimes you can be very tough.” And so on. As for the future? The future always holds “very interesting developments,” clearly has “many opportunities,” which “come in waves” and...

I wonder why Arabs and Africans who migrate to Northern Europe display so much aggression and anger… and seem to hate the countries that welcomed them, where they obviously live better and, above all, with more safety. In Europe, they have guaranteed food, benefits, healthcare, education for themselves and their children… things that are far from certain in their home countries… …and, above all, less violence, terrorism, and oppression. They come from countries where your head is unsteady on your shoulders… …so… why so much hatred? And so much anger? I think they had built a fantasy in their minds about a paradise that doesn’t exist. These countries may offer those benefits, but they’re cold-hearted countries, with cold-hearted residents and a cold-hearted environment. They don’t feel comfortable, they can’t go out to walk, to hang out, to sip coffee for hours at cafés… because it’s cold and because it’s not socially acceptable. They feel the hidden contempt of the locals who ...