I occasionally like to play a game called Civilization. It’s a strategy video game in which you aim to build an empire and conquer a large map, overcoming many challenges and enemies on your way. I’m terrible at it, but there are many lessons to learn by playing it, so on occasion I'll fire it up to remind myself of how complex the world is and how inevitably corrupt human governments are.  To “win” in Civilization, … [Read more...]

Or: How I Learnt to Stop Worrying and Love the Flashing Cursor. Last night at 8:30pm I submitted an essay about the work of a third century north-African Bishop named Cyprian. It was due at midnight, and I hadn't started actually writing until the day before (when I spent about two hours on it). I wasn’t stressed or tired when I clicked that fateful Submit button, and had a great time writing it. I ended up spending … [Read more...]

This is how we slow down and build a better life. “I’m busy” is a misdiagnosis. We are only so busy because life is so complex. These might sound like the same problem, but the hurried and victimising state of “busy” is the symptom of the true problem: escalating complexity, which mostly happens slowly and without us noticing. For most modern adults, it’s not possible to improve life by addition, because part of our … [Read more...]