On the whole, doubt often gets a bad rap. We don’t like it; we prefer certainty. But the ways in which we deal with doubt may reveal some insights into what makes us human and how to find your way in a life in which uncertainty will always play a part.
The little details of life—and their associated kindnesses—are often lost in the maelstrom of history. But in many ways, it’s those little details that matter most.
Teenage boys are more interested in binge-watching the latest anime than going to a classical music performance. Still, it’s my job as a parent to expose my sons to different cultural experiences, so that they can make up their own minds what to hold on to as they emerge into adulthood.
Humans are deeply social creatures—we can scarcely imagine a life for ourselves that doesn’t involve being part of a community. But a sense of community membership is much more than an objective assessment of which qualities “we” do or don’t possess.
The nerd-baptism of watching a new Star Wars movie for the first time is, to quote a certain Supreme Leader, “something truly special.” The anticipation, the chills, that stirring feeling in your gut… there’s nothing else like it.