A Thinking Man

Reflections on Life

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Life’s Worth – from Nature or Meeting Room?

December 26, 2021 Filed Under: Philosophy

At work, our worth is determined based on what we bring to the table. But, after spending most of our waking hours at work, we think our worth outside work also, depends on what we bring to the table.

We think our worth will be based on how great a relationship we build, on what we make out of a hobby, on what we make out of ourselves. Because if work has taught us anything it is this – ‘we need to constantly contribute value if we are to survive or succeed’. So, naturally that thought extends itself to life as well.

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Philosophical Insights to dealing with Mental Issues

October 10, 2021 Filed Under: Philosophy

Today is World Mental Health Day.

I’ve had my share of mental health struggles, just like anyone else. While medication helps, the far more effective way, to manage mental health issues, I’ve realized is by taking a look at our belief systems on which we’ve constructed our life. Questioning our belief systems and reconstructing that foundation on which our approach to life is dependent, is crucial, if we are to face the challenges of life. I’ve found such insights in the confluence of Stoicism, Taoism and Buddhism.

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What are we running for?

September 5, 2021 Filed Under: Philosophy

I don’t understand the hurry of modern life. We’ve loaded ourselves with commitments. We spend 9 hours at work, 3 hours in commute, 7 hours in sleep. What have we been left with? 5 hours? And, if you take out time that goes into chores of daily personal and home maintenance, what’s left? 2-3 hours of personal time. No wonder we look forward so much for the weekend. We need time right, to enjoy what we’ve been so feverishly working for. So, when weekend comes, we don our finest clothes, visit the nearest pub, drink ourselves to glory, pull out our cameras, snap a few pictures, with ourselves in it, lest we feel that experience was never real.

But, is this how life is supposed to be? To live life on the weekends only? Why isn’t anyone questioning it? Why have we accepted life in this form? What choice do we have here?

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Contemplating my Mortality

April 24, 2021 Filed Under: Philosophy

‘Memento Mori’. Death has never been so right in front of our face than over the last one year. More so, over the last month in India with Covid ravaging the country. You see news filled with one distress story after another. Your heart goes out to them. You know you are not very different from them. It could’ve easily been you, instead of them. You fear, you have anxiety worrying what will happen if you are stuck with Covid? True, many won’t die (thankfully). But, who lives and who dies is still a roll of dice in the air. So, we all worry. We try to bury ourselves in our work, families and try to keep the anxiety at bay. I’m no exception.

But, what if our number is up? Are we ready to leave? Will we ever be ready to leave?

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The Peace of Wild Things

March 15, 2021 Filed Under: Philosophy

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

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