Brenna
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The Strange and Comforting Power of Memory
Not only do our memories have the power to be a joy and a comfort to us, they help form our identity, and they are safe from ever being lost.
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Why Solitude Is a Skill
Solitude, far from being the same thing as loneliness, is a skill we must cultivate if we’re to mentally thrive.
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No, $75,000 Isn’t “Enough.” But Money Still Can’t Buy Happiness
A landmark 2010 study suggests that our emotional well-being peaks at $75,000. A closer look at the data reveals deeper philosophical insights.
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The Awful Nearness of Marriage
“Marriage is so unlike anything else. There is something even awful in the nearness it brings.” These words are from Dorothea Brooke, the protagonist of Middlemarch, and I agree with her. Marriage is like nothing else. It will either make you or break you. There’s not much room in between. Why do we enter into
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In Praise of Laundry and Dishes
I do a lot of dishes and laundry. These two activities – unless you live in a nude colony and always eat out – are inescapable facts of life. Unlike training for a marathon or writing a novel, there are no compounded returns. There’s no muscle being toned. No skill being polished. You wash the
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A Useful Life Is a Happy Life
The true joy in life is not in focusing on yourself, but in being used for a mighty purpose.
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Beauty and Design Matter to Your Happiness
How much do the spaces we live and work in affect our happiness?
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The Best Friendships Are Virtuous Ones
Most of us want “forever friends” who will fulfil us, but they aren’t that easy to find. Luckily, Aristotle had some insight.
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The Paradox of Anger
Anger is a paradox in that even in the face of injustice, we find peace when we focus on the only thing we can control: ourselves.
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Is Family Life at Odds with “the Good Life”?
Most of the household names in Western philosophy weren’t married. Is a contemplative life more important than family life, or is this a false choice?
