We like to think of ourselves as ‘individuals’, but a surprising amount of what we do and think is really prompted by group-action and groupthink. And yet it’s a wonderful development for a human being to reconnect with something that came intuitively as a young child: the capacity to see directly. To become a truth […]
Uncommon Philosophy Articles by Mark Tyrrell
Here you’ll find my musings on life, the universe and everything. From why the World’s youth are so depressed to the role of humility in personal development, I explore many aspects of life that fascinate me and I hope you too. Here you’ll find my musing on what the past may be able to teach us moderns, why not taking risks may be the biggest risk of all and how many people lead lives of quiet unobserved despair. I write about brainwashing and what life may be really all about.
The Dangers of Toxic Positivity
The world needs ‘positive energy’ and can-do types. But while positivity can be a powerful tool for resilience and mental wellbeing, its toxic counterpart can do more harm than good. Let’s look at why toxic positivity is dangerous and how we can foster a more balanced approach to emotions.
The Ancient Art of Letting Go
We all have to leave things behind. Life, from womb to tomb, is a continual process of grabbing fast what we think will last… and then finding that it doesn’t. So what are the benefits of accepting the passing of earthly things and beings? And what happens if we feel we can’t let go?
Philosophy Piece: Why Are Our Children So Depressed?
It’s so poignant when we hear of children who feel life isn’t worth living, who feel doomed to lives of misery or even feel like killing themselves. And if childhood suicide rates and admissions to hospital for self-harm are anything to go by, childhood depression is trending upwards. So why might childhood depression be on […]
Philosophy Piece: 5 Psychological Strategies to Control Catastrophic Impulsivity
With the demise of religion and an increasing sense that “now is all there is”, some people have bought into the idea that personal pleasure and shortcuts to fragile and fleeting happiness are really all that matter. But we all become more efficient, effective, and happy when we master or at least gain more control […]
The Role of Humility in Personal Development
Being humble (and not in the way some people boast of being humble!) is not just a virtue because people say it is, but because it is a pathway to greater efficiency and greater perception. So what exactly is humility, and why is it so important to the individual, the community, and the world as […]
The Underappreciated Art of Taking Risks
Success may be associated with certain kinds of intelligence, diligence, and certainly conscientiousness, but – perhaps more than we realize – also with the capacity and willingness to take risks. Often the greater but less obvious risk lies in trying to avoid risk at all costs.
The Pandemic and Us
The world has changed. We have become divided, even splintered. What did this series of coronaviruses do to society? To collective and individual psychology? Certainly, anxiety conditions, depression, and addictions, as well as sleep disorders may well have increased hugely during the pandemic.3 And the treatment of other illnesses and diseases has been, in some […]
Why Do People Believe Weird Things?
We can all be induced to believe strange things and having ‘weird’ beliefs has real world consequences.
When Happy Fantasy Meets Hard Reality
Many of us have sometimes dreamed of fame, riches, perhaps even the words we might use during an award acceptance speech to display how simultaneously amazing yet humble we are. These kinds of fantasies may not be that uncommon and may not cause too much harm in and of themselves. But overwhelmingly seeking fame purely […]
