Tag Archives: society

three paths.

A yearly highlight for me is tuning into XXL Magazine’s Freshman Cypher, which shines a spotlight on those billed to be hip hop’s rising stars. I remember watching the 2016 XXL cypher and being in awe of the new crop of genre-bending artists who have since gone on to become household names: Denzel Curry, LilContinue reading “three paths.”

blue-eyed soul

In September 1978, Bobby Caldwell dropped his most famous and commercially successful single, ‘What You Won’t Do For Love’, a sensual, groovy R&B classic that has stood the test of time. I’ve been recently listening to his eponymous record and, much like many listeners both today and at the time the single was released, IContinue reading “blue-eyed soul”

eton mess & meritocracy.

In a time where we are starting to revisit and critically evaluate age-old narratives that have permeated the value system of our society, there are some ideas that just seem harder to shake off than others. ‘God is dead and we have killed him’ proclaimed Nietzche in the 1880s, with the literary works sprouting outContinue reading “eton mess & meritocracy.”

i can’t breathe.

Feelings of numbness and injustice have collectively resurfaced following the tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minnesota Police Department. Instances of police brutality should be becoming less common given the increasing awareness of the discriminatory treatment of citizens of colour, but it still continues to pervade the shared minority experience. EventsContinue reading “i can’t breathe.”

smoke and mirrors.

One month ago, the word ‘coronavirus’ was nothing more than a rogue addition to my lexicon that had barely any meaning to me. Fast forward to now, and it has been the dominating voice of conversations and collective pandemonium. What was once an abstract idea tucked away in the Far East has now adopted anContinue reading “smoke and mirrors.”

faceless killer.

I have been reading Arthur Schopenhauer’s, ‘On the Suffering of the World’, and have been quietly astounded as to how readily it has conjured up a fresh perception of the human condition. Even a serial optimist such as myself is carefully guided to connect the dots, revealing what is already quite evident; the futility of humanity’sContinue reading “faceless killer.”

the axe.

In the run-up to a generation-defining election in the U.K., there has been much pandering by politicians in the form of short, vague slogans. A gentle reminder that the preservation of self-interest runs deep into the foundations of the Palace of Westminster, and despite the wielding of power being less tyrannical compared to centuries goneContinue reading “the axe.”

what do they know?

In an age of abundance, where we are bombarded with information that leaks out of our pockets, it is no surprise that we are living in a period that has been dubbed by some as ‘The Age of Disinformation’. We see this most evidently in our politics, as actors existing in the extreme ends ofContinue reading “what do they know?”

isolation radar.

I recently watched this video, where members of the public could ask any question to a person from the incel community, short for ‘involuntarily celibate’. There are many aspects of the incel community’s core beliefs that I struggle to reconcile with my own, which includes the subservience of women as an apparent means to reachContinue reading “isolation radar.”

visible.

Corporate presentation events have the potential to be rigid and awkward at the best of times, and I expected much of the same at the LGBT+ presentation I attended. It had the usual polite interactions with support staff in order to know how to navigate an office with over 30 floors. It had the nameContinue reading “visible.”

blind eye to the burns.

We are the loneliest, most disconnected generation. Our values have been hijacked, and we gorge on them like junk food. We live alone in small apartments, a far cry away from the tight-knit communes with close friends that Epicurus knew was vital for our wellbeing. We believe that we are unique in our individual troubles,Continue reading “blind eye to the burns.”

sober response to teenage angst.

For all the billing of parties being a foolproof source of enjoyment, there are some unsettling prerequisites that you are supposed to comply with. There’s a pressure to not just ‘be’, but to be interesting and not simply stand with your back against the wall, drifting away into obscurity. ‘Just being yourself’ doesn’t afford anyContinue reading “sober response to teenage angst.”

free spirit.

I hadn’t been to a gig/concert in a long time. Music was something I had recently relegated to Spotify playlists out of convenience, but when the chance to see Khalid in London came up, it satisfied what I had long been craving – listening to raw, transcendent melody live in the flesh. The ballads ‘Better’Continue reading “free spirit.”

to be angry.

Anger is not a failing or fault, whether it’s deep-rooted or merely surface level. Reason is but a servant of Passion, so it would be a great disservice to ignore it for fear of appearing emotionally haphazard. Self control is, of course, an illusion, and to think otherwise would be to believe that existing entirelyContinue reading “to be angry.”

log off.

I’ve never placed great pride in my ability to organise a top class holiday, but I feel like the trip to Santorini signed, sealed and delivered just that. It’s honestly a stunning island, with beautiful cycladic architecture that’s carved into the cliff faces and narrow streets, which you can probably read all about on TripAdvisor.Continue reading “log off.”

flattery fuel.

It is quite tiring to encounter the same malevolence again and again. The same people who are solely determined to belittle and destroy those that are on the path to greatness. It doesn’t even have to be greatness – just any individual who is moving ahead, whilst the onlooking critic curses the quicksand that theyContinue reading “flattery fuel.”

kaleidoscope.

Patterns and lavish decoration serve a useful purpose, despite some describing them as unnecessary and an exercise in over-indulgence. Art has historically been revered as a means of exploring and creatively depicting the world around us, and it has lead to the complex and convoluted structures in our midst to possess a certain kind ofContinue reading “kaleidoscope.”