• Return of the Third Place

    Return of the Third Place

    Commercial centers are vital for the economy but offer additional benefits, particularly for socialization, exposure to differences, and cultural enrichment. Commercial activities nurture culture, with each part of town taking on a distinct character based on its predominant businesses. Read more

  • Big Things Are Over

    Big Things Are Over

    We now have an outdated, bizarre group (class, if you will), whom I call the dotcom millennials—well-traveled bilinguals who feel globally integrated yet locally isolated. While their time is long gone, the core idea lingers. Read more

  • Ascent of the Sidekick

    Ascent of the Sidekick

    The Hero’s Journey starts with a call, whether a desire or a conflict—a call for transformation. One of my favorites is Homer’s absolute epic banger, ‘The Odyssey.’ The story follows the King of Ithaca, Odysseus, on his journey back home. Convincing gods, fighting monsters, and still arriving on time before someone else weds your wife Read more

  • Eros Squandered

    Eros Squandered

    Falling in love is an authoritarian demand. It’s an act of self-destruction, creative destruction -if you will. It’s an act of birthing yourself in the eyes of another. Lending what exists in you to someone else and demanding it back piece by piece. Falling in love is not primal. It doesn’t get our needs met.… Read more

  • We Don’t Belong Here

    We Don’t Belong Here

    One of the pivotal contributors to the success of political movements lies in their level of hospitality towards newcomers. A direct correlation can be observed between the ability to make individuals feel at home and the subsequent success of an initiative. As a result, collectivist practices, whether from the right or left, easily gain momentum, Read more

  • Loyalty Kills (Sometimes)

    Loyalty Kills (Sometimes)

    Exalted moral status is a tool that grants power by proxy. When we experience outrage, it signifies a higher status and, consequently, a degree of power. Of course, this moral outrage must be recognized or appreciated by society; otherwise, it’s merely personal anger to grapple with individually. Read more