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Ortega y Gasset: “I am I and my circumstance”

Harriet Wainwright • September 22, 2026

The phrase “I am I and my circumstance” shows that identity does not emerge in isolation. For Ortega y Gasset,...

Person holding a compass and open notebook by the sea with sailboats and city skyline in the background.

Why There Is No Favourable Wind Without Direction

Harriet Wainwright • September 22, 2026

The phrase “There is no favourable wind for someone who does not know where they are going” makes direction essential...

Young woman sitting cross-legged by a window, reading a book and touching her chest with a hand.

How Voluntary Solitude Protects Your Inner Freedom

Harriet Wainwright • September 22, 2026

In a world filled with demands and relentless stimulation, safeguarding periods of voluntary retreat has become essential. Temporarily stepping away...

Young man painting eyes on a Daruma doll at a wooden table with an open notebook and plants nearby.

Fall Seven Times, Stand Up Eight: The Daruma and Resilience

Harriet Wainwright • September 22, 2026

“Fall seven times, stand up eight” frames resilience as a choice made repeatedly, rather than the absence of hardship. Its...

Elderly man sharing stories with two children around a low table in a traditional Japanese room.

Tsutomu Yamaguchi: Survivor of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Harriet Wainwright • September 22, 2026

Tsutomu Yamaguchi defied every expectation by surviving the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, making him one of the most...

Person arranging stones and small wooden buildings on a table with a steaming cup of tea and an open book nearby.

The Famous Proverb About Patience and Perseverance

Harriet Wainwright • September 22, 2026

Popular wisdom has endured for centuries through remarkable sayings that shape our everyday behaviour. Among the best-known expressions is the...

Woman sitting at a kitchen table, turning an hourglass, with a notebook and glass of coffee nearby.

Italian Proverb: Why Patience Overcomes Haste

Harriet Wainwright • September 22, 2026

The famous Italian proverb encourages us to consider how the excessive bustle of modern life can undermine the decisions we...

Young man standing at a wooden desk with an open book, an alarm clock, glasses, and a smiling mask by the window.

Schopenhauer’s Philosophical Pessimism and the Illusion of Happiness

Harriet Wainwright • September 22, 2026

Human existence takes on profound dimensions through the philosophical pessimism developed by Arthur Schopenhauer. In this realist view, our earthly...

Person kneeling by a stream, touching water on a rock, with an open book, notebook, and hourglass nearby.

The Origin of the Popular Saying About Water and Rock

Harriet Wainwright • September 22, 2026

Popular expressions carry the immense cultural wealth accumulated across earlier generations. Discovering the true origins of these memorable phrases links...

A young man sits on a bench between two pillars with shopping bags hanging on one side in a city park.

Schopenhauer’s Pendulum: Why Desire Leads to Suffering and Emptiness

Harriet Wainwright • September 22, 2026

Understanding human existence means confronting uncomfortable truths about our persistent search for complete fulfilment. The German philosopher examined how people...

Young woman in sportswear doing yoga on wooden floor in a traditional Japanese room with bonsai and calligraphy scroll.

Nana korobi ya oki: Fall Seven Times, Get Up Eight

Harriet Wainwright • September 22, 2026

The Japanese proverb “Nana korobi ya oki”, written as 七転び八起き, conveys the idea of falling seven times and getting up...

Person standing between two large arrows on a rooftop, holding a book, facing an urban skyline at dusk.

Kierkegaard’s Philosophy: Freedom, Authenticity and Despair

Harriet Wainwright • September 22, 2026

Modern society enforces rigid standards that stifle our deepest individuality. In trying to please others, we abandon our true essence....

Older woman and younger man cooking together in warm, rustic kitchen with steam rising from pot on stove.

Old Hens Make Good Stock: Meaning and Wisdom

Harriet Wainwright • September 22, 2026

The saying “Old hens make good stock” conveys a straightforward idea: time and practice can lead to more mature decisions....

Child standing in a field holding a prism that projects a rainbow under a colourful sunset sky.

Why Is the Sky Blue? The Science of Rayleigh Scattering

Harriet Wainwright • September 22, 2026

You may assume that telling someone why the sky is blue is fairly straightforward. Yet even a short account involves...

Young man studying with laptop and book in a library with globes and bookshelves in the background.

Newton’s First Law May Have Been Mistranslated for Centuries

Harriet Wainwright • September 22, 2026

When Isaac Newton set down his now-renowned laws of motion on parchment in 1687, he could scarcely have imagined they...

Schoolgirl smiling and writing in a notebook at her desk in a classroom with other students and a teacher.

How Growth Mindset Shapes Pupil Success at School

Harriet Wainwright • September 22, 2026

Success at school depends on more than natural ability. Although many pupils assume that hard work alone is sufficient, research...

Bare feet stepping on rocks in a shallow sunlit forest stream with a notebook and phone on a nearby rock.

Still Water and Flowing Water: What the Proverb Teaches

Harriet Wainwright • September 22, 2026

The proverb “still water rots, but water that runs between stones purifies itself and reaches the sea clear” uses the...

Young man sitting at a desk by a window, reading a book and using a smartphone, with a steaming cup of tea nearby.

Happiness According to Aristotle: A Daily Practice

Harriet Wainwright • September 22, 2026

For Aristotle, happiness should not be seen as a far-off reward or a perfect condition that someone suddenly discovers. It...

Young man sitting at a wooden desk reading two sealed letters in a library with a steaming cup of tea nearby.

Kant’s Categorical Imperative: A Guide to Moral Decisions

Harriet Wainwright • September 22, 2026

Kant’s statement, “act only according to that which you could will to become a universal law for everyone”, captures one...

Teenager observing the crescent moon through a telescope on a rooftop at dusk with star charts and notes nearby.

Waxing Crescent Moon: phase on 25 May 2026

Harriet Wainwright • September 22, 2026

On Monday, 25 May 2026, the Moon is in its Waxing Crescent phase, the stage in which the natural satellite’s...

Young man with pen studies notes on glass wall in bright modern office with notebook and paper titled Canceled Targets.

Albert Einstein and Innovation in the Workplace

Harriet Wainwright • September 22, 2026

Today’s working environment creates intense pressure for consistent results, causing deep frustration when an important project is unexpectedly cancelled. Amid...