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The Rational and Irrational Nature of Humans: Excerpts from Steven Pinker’s Book
Man is a rational animal. So at least we have been told. Throughout a long life I have searched diligently for evidence in favour of this statement. So far, I have not had the good fortune to come across it. ~ Bertrand Russell Homo sapiens means wise hominin, and in many ways we have earned Read more
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Are You Emotionally Healthy?
Emotional health is the sense that what is happening, is happening now. It is experiencing the world as first-hand, immediate, rather than only knowing what was experienced when you reflect upon it later. You are, as the sports commentators put it, ‘in the zone’. You feel real rather than false. You are comfortable in your Read more
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How to Think About a Kiss
Let us begin by picturing a couple in a cafe at eleven o’clock on a Saturday night in a large city, eating ice cream after seeing a film together. There is doubtless a biological explanation for the sexual excitement this couple are feeling, connected to an unconscious narrative about reproduction and genetics, but the man Read more
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Tibet and China’s Contrasting Narratives
No struggle in the world is as unequal as the one between Tibet and China. Beijing’s position in Tibet is unassailable, reinforced by a network of all-weather roads, airports and an expanding railway line that are integrating the world’s highest, largest and remotest plateau more closely to the mainland. China uses its economic weight to Read more
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The Educational Heritage of India
India’s earliest teachers were the Gurus who taught in gurukulas and ashrams located far away from the hustle and bustle of towns. It is no surprise that the Vedas, which are the earliest known oral books containing the thoughts of a highly civilised society, are replete with exquisite references to Nature and the concept of Read more
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How to Read a Book
How to read a book? The question seems easy; fairly obvious, in fact. You pick a book and start reading it. Of course, this works only if you are a literate person, otherwise it can be a bit of nightmare. But… if we go back to the question and give it a deep thought, we Read more
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