Playing With Fire

Have you heard about—and maybe believe—the “lab leak hypothesis” related to COVID? The idea is this: people tasked with doing basic research on respiratory viruses might have been partly responsible for the outbreak. Why partly? Their work would have included “gain of function research”, which seeks to investigate more aggressive versions of the virus, artificially… Continue reading Playing With Fire

Reciprocal Openings

Earlier this week, I took part in an empathy circle practice organized by Rebel Wisdom together with Edwin Rutsch and a group of facilitators. I was part of a group of five people, and after we engaged in this practice, we all reported on the effect this had: each of us, in different words, experienced… Continue reading Reciprocal Openings

Going Off-Script

Last night, I took part in a group conversation as part of an online course I am taking. Over the past two weeks, participants focused on three aspects of the same general process to which humans are subjected. The outcome of this process are behavioral templates that solve fundamental problems—such as how to fit into… Continue reading Going Off-Script

From Victimhood to Curiosity

In pretty much any relationship I find myself in, situations come up where the other person does something triggering emotions—sometimes really strong ones. And of course, the same is true in reverse. For instance, I am becoming more and more familiar with a pattern: during a conversation, I find it difficult to keep my attention… Continue reading From Victimhood to Curiosity