People-watching
As corona once more sets severe limits on human contact, the fleeting occasions when more was possible become moments to treasure.
Christmas cards
Christmas cards. Every year, it’s a big job to write and send them. In an age in which we can speak to anyone anywhere via internet, is there any point in sending a paper card?
Preparing for the next crisis
Right now, the corona crisis is taking up most of our time and energy. But if we divert some attention to becoming more healthy and resilient as a community in the long-term, might that make us better prepared for the next crisis, whatever it is?
Corona and the ultimate question
Leaving aside all the long-term unknowns, the current corona prospects in the Netherlands are good. Schools and restaurants are open again, people are being allowed to return to work after more than a year in improvised home offices, and practical plans to enable holidays abroad are well underway. Some people are chafing at the leash […]
Follow the rules or follow your own judgement?
Unlike the Ten Commandments, rules are not set in stone. They are often open to interpretation, fail to cover the current situation, or even come into conflict with common sense or our conscience. Yet when we decide for ourselves, we are led by our own bias and the temptation to put our needs and desires above what we know to be right. When should we follow rules, and when should we use our own judgement?
The importance of striving for perfection
Throughout this series of posts about perfection, I have pointed out the pitfalls of perfectionism. But, paradoxically, I would argue that despite all its drawbacks and dangers, we need perfectionism.
Perfection: The perfect solution
We want to believe in perfect solutions. We want better hospitals without paying taxes to fund them, safety from crime and terrorism without our civil liberties being impinged on, new technological gadgets without factory pollution. In reality, life is a constant trade-off. This is enshrined in various scientific laws, but also in simple folk wisdom: ‘There’s no such thing as a free lunch’.
Perfection: The perfect society
Is our society gradually getting better, bringing us closer to utopia? Or are we in a downwards spiral, heading for a dystopian nightmare? Or – could it just be both?
Perfection: The perfect parent
Being a parent is by far the hardest thing I have ever done. At the same time, it is the thing I most desperately want to get right. Many parents probably recognize this. You give birth to this tiny little being, so perfect that it takes your breath away. You want to love and protect them, to keep them safe, in the untouched state in which they came from the womb.
Perfection: The perfect partner
As teenagers, my best friend and I spent many hours discussing our ideas of the perfect boyfriend. Piercing blue eyes or gorgeous deep brown ones, a warm smile, a good sense of humour, intelligent, considerate… it was a long list. At the same time as I dreamed of meeting this paragon of perfection, I held out no real hope of ever finding any boyfriend. They would undoubtedly have their own list of ideal traits in a girlfriend, and I was acutely aware of how few boxes I would tick.