“It is so easy to be immature,” Immanuel Kant wrote in his essay “What is Enlightenment” from 1784. And it still is. We duck enlightenment. We don’t want to take on the burden of thinking for ourselves. We prefer to be directed by dancing emotions, instead of engaging in uphill reason. “Gladly remain in lifelong […]
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With a more mature person at the helm in Russia, we would not have had a war in Ukraine. But such calamities are never the result of one person. It takes an army of immature enablers. And that does not just include the Russian people. Europe has made the war in Ukraine possible. For decades
How Many Putins Do You Know? Read More »
You cannot make good decisions or choose what to believe in if you know nothing about “the other side”. Every issue has different angles. Even the war in Ukraine. Not the war itself, but the reason why some countries abstained from voting for the United Nations resolution to demand an end to the Russian invasion. 141 countries
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We will never be able to grow as human beings if we do not expose ourselves to controversy. If you constantly surround yourself with people and opinions you agree with, you will become more and more convinced you are right, since you hear and see nothing else. Even a slight disagreement becomes troublesome to read
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A 21-year-old woman with a red rucksack sat on a train to Hamburg on a sunny morning in September. She knew little about the world. She had travelled on her own since she was 13, but never outside her own country. “Will I get off at the right station?” “Will I understand what they announce?”
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This week I want you to meet Ulf. He is a boat builder who lives in Northern Norway. Ulf does not lead the life I want to live, but he is as close to living a mature life as I can imagine. I am also convinced that he is much happier than many people regarded
Not all Immature people are Narcissists, but all narcissists are Immature. Many of them can be found in high positions. They run countries and corporations. Apart from the high-level leaders, narcissists present themselves as bullies or victims (often interchangeably). You find them in homes and in workplaces. In America, it is estimated that 5 % of
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When people hear the word “narcissist” they usually think of a bumptious, megalomaniac who cares about nothing but his or her interests. A late president is often highlighted as a prototype. He wasn’t called “Baby Donald” for nothing. A few years ago, I didn’t know anything about narcissism, but learning about it has been an
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You walk around with cotton in your head. Not able to fully concentrate on anything. Not taking pleasure in anything. “Yeah, that was funny. Ha-ha.” Or: “Yeah, that was nice. Sort of.” No apparent physical pain you can use as an excuse. Or any personal crisis. You are not even sad or frustrated. You have
How to Overcome Lethargy: How I got rid of the Cotton in my Head Read More »
This is my tribute to Madam May. Last week was the traditional Lao New Year, reminding me of the things I miss from Laos, such as the best mangos in the world. It also made me think about inspiring human beings I have met. About how you might come across role models where
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