Unfiltered thinking, lightly roasted.

What do Spanish philosopher Miguel de Unamuno (1864-193) and the fictional character Currant Kepler from Megan Preston Meyer’s novel Firebrand have in common? Both experienced profound existential crises, each grappling with different dilemmas. Unamuno’s crisis stemmed from his inability to reconcile faith and reason. He recognized the limitations of reason in palliating the tragic reality of our mortality. Unamuno also recognized that faith involved a belief, a leap of trust that there is something beyond the mere vanishing of life upon death. Nonetheless, the nature of faith inherently meant that certainty about one’s beliefs could not be attained. ...

This article is based on Nick Gray’s book ‘The 2-Hour Cocktail Party’ and the chat I had with him on my Marketplace Discussions podcast. You can tune in to our conversation at the following links: 1) Audio (available across several podcasting platforms including Spotify, & Apple), 2) YouTube. Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone A few months ago, I decided to challenge myself and step out of my comfort zone by trying new things that I would otherwise prefer not to, much like Bartleby. This culminated in a fun cocktail party hosted at my place. I only knew half of the 21 attendees, while the rest were friends of friends. ...

This article consists of two parts, both delving into the topics discussed during my conversation with Louis Pereira on my Marketplace Discussions podcast. In the first part, I recount my personal experience of becoming immersed in coding, only to discover that it wasn’t the right fit for me. Surprisingly, this path eventually led me to cross paths with Louis during one of my online courses. The second part showcases Louis’ remarkable journey from struggling with coding to successfully developing web applications, culminating in his latest venture, AudioPen. ...

The following article is divided into two parts, both of which tackle some of the issues that arose in my discussion with philosopher Keith Frankish on my Marketplace Discussions podcast. The first part tells the story of how Keith and I met on Twitter back in 2018. The second part is an attempt to understand Illusionism, the philosophical view that Keith defends and has been striving to communicate, refine, and explain better in various formats and across different channels. Note that I stated it is an attempt to understand Illusionism, so it is in no way a clear or correct explanation of the argument. It may be confusing for some, and those familiar with the argument may think I have egregiously misunderstood it. Nevertheless, writing can help clarify ideas and foster an ongoing conversation that brings us closer to a clearer understanding of this debate and the underlying arguments. ...

This article is divided into two parts. The first one gives a quick glimpse into how I ended up choosing Decafquest as my social media handle. The second explores Jordan O’Connor’s journey, whom I recently had as a guest on my Marketplace Discussions podcast, toward digital entrepreneurship. How does part one relate to part two? Broadly speaking, my focus in this newsletter issue is on ‘quest,’ the journeys we all embark on in search of something and what we can learn from each other despite the differences in circumstances. ...

What can we learn from failure? I don’t know. A few years ago I thought I knew the answer. It usually went something along the following lines: failure is an important drive toward growth and success. You learn a lot by failing a lot. Hold on, what’s the point of repeatedly failing without making necessary adjustments toward a successful venture? If you continue to experience failure, how will you identify the potential causes and make improvements accordingly? ...

I recently stumbled on a book by Joy Batra called ‘ The Freelance Mindset: Unleashing Your Side Hustles for Better Work, Play, and Life.’ What caught my attention was particularly the word mindset, a concept I’ve been exploring for the past year. Not long ago, I have undergone a shift in my mindset regarding my goals for the next few months. As such, I have made the decision to rebrand myself, explore new opportunities, and determine my long-term pursuits. ...

صور طايشة من وحي المناسبة بتطلّ من ورا بواب كان صرلا سنين مهجورة. إجمالاً هالبواب منّا إلا عبارة عن حواجز وهمية بتتسكّر ع ذكريات لا واعية بتتجمع ع مرّ الزمن عالساكت. صور عشوائية بتتغلغل وبتتمسكن بكل خبايا الحياة وكأنها جسم مخابراتي عم يتآمر ع حالو. وخدلك ع بارانويا أضرب من ضجيج ورشة بيت الجيران اللي قرّروا ينفضوا البيت يوم ما بلّشت شغل نايت شيفت. الاستفزاز هو إنك تاكل البيتزا بالشوكة. بس مش الحق عليك. الحق ع هالذكريات المنسيّة ل حتى دعاية النيدو ما بترجعلك ياهن لأنو الستالايت مقطوع، والإنترنت مش ماشي. بس هالذكريات بتعزم حالها بالوقت الغلط، بتكون عم تتنطنط قدامك إنت وعم تحاول تقنع الأستاذ إنّك كتبت الورقة إنت، وإنّك مش شاريها من حدا. ...

Eating a man’oushe during recess every day comprised nothing more than engaging in a monotonous routine that satiated his hunger. It also afforded him a good excuse not to talk while pretending to socialize with the rest of his classmates. Wissam’s daily ritual consisted of spending 1,500 Lebanese Pounds at the school cafeteria (a small kiosk, really), where he had to unleash his WWE skills in order not to come out empty-handed. ...