Einzelgänger

THE ART OF NOT FORCING

When everything went well in the country, the Yellow Emperor decided to pamper himself. He summoned the best musicians to entertain him, ate the finest foods, and did whatever felt enjoyable. But the more he indulged in sensual pleasure, the more melancholic he became. He grew bored, looked worn and pale, his senses became dull… and so did his mind.

His empire wasn’t doing great either, so he decided it was time for a change. He poured all his intelligence, wisdom, and strength into governing the people. He worked himself to exhaustion during the day and worried at night about not being a good leader. Unfortunately, things only got worse: he looked even more worn down and pale, and felt even duller than before. He became an emotional wreck.

And so, he said: “I pampered myself too much, and then pushed myself too hard. No wonder I lost my health and my inner peace.”

The emperor abandoned his palace and retreated to a small dwelling nearby, where he calmed his mind and disciplined his body. For three months, he stayed out of government affairs. One day, he fell asleep and dreamt of traveling to a strange, far-away kingdom without laws or attempts to control people. Everything simply went on by itself, but, to his amazement, remained harmonious.

When he woke up, he realized his problem was his constant interference in his own life and the world around him. So he changed how he governed, controlling less and letting things unfold more naturally. As a result, the country flourished.

The story of the Yellow Emperor, found in the Taoist text Lieh Tzu, shows how forcing things can do more harm than good, a theme that runs throughout Taoist literature. Again and again, Taoist thinkers suggest that less force can lead to better results or, at the very least, a more peaceful way of living. This idea feels especially relevant today, in a world where so many deal with chronic stress and burnout.

So, why exactly does forcing stuff get us in trouble? And this idea of not forcing… How does that work in practice?

The upcoming episode explores the Taoist art of not forcing.

1 day ago | [YT] | 798

Einzelgänger

THE PHILOSOPHERS WHO BROKE REALITY

In the last episode, we explored the mind-jarring philosophy of Parmenides, who claimed that ‘nothing’ cannot be. Starting from this idea, he argued that change and movement are impossible. We followed his reasoning step by step, based on various interpretations of his work, and arrived at a shocking conclusion: the changing world we perceive cannot be ultimate reality. The only thing that could truly exist is an ungenerated, indivisible, changeless, and motionless oneness.

As we have seen, Parmenides’ line of thought is impressive and, in my view, often quite convincing. At some point, I kind of wanted to believe it, even though his conclusions directly contradict our everyday experience. Like… anyone with working eyes can see the movement, change, and multiplicity around us. It’s pretty hard to deny, right? So how can we accept a theory that so strongly contradicts what our senses tell us?

It’s no surprise that Parmenides experienced a lot of pushback. According to Plato, people mocked and ridiculed his ideas. Some scholars suggest he became the target of comedy. Luckily, Parmenides didn’t stand alone. Two thinkers defended and developed his ideas. They weren’t just assistants or sidekicks; they were pre-Socratic philosophers in their own right. I’m talking about Zeno of Elea and Melissus of Samos.

Zeno was traditionally regarded as Parmenides’ student and close associate. According to Plato, he was tall and handsome, and he didn’t just “do philosophy” with his teacher; they also did something else. At least, rumor had it, Zeno had once been Parmenides’ lover. Zeno later became known for his paradoxes, which supported his teacher’s ideas.

Melissus was a different story. He was a military commander and likely played a significant role in the war between his home island, Samos, and Athens. According to historian Plutarch, he even led the Samians to a naval victory. So, it makes me wonder: How could someone with such an active life, commanding ships and soldiers, see any value in weird philosophical claims that seemed to make the very movements of battle, from shooting arrows to swinging swords, impossible?

Nevertheless, these two ancient Greeks left their mark. And just when you thought it couldn’t get more absurd than Parmenides’ Way of Truth, Zeno and Melissus took things even further. Yet, as strange as their ideas may seem, they made important contributions to Western philosophy. And perhaps surprisingly, their arguments can even teach us something useful today.

The upcoming episode explores Zeno of Elea and Melissus of Samos.

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 431

Einzelgänger

WHY SQUIDWARD IS SO MISERABLE

At first glance, Squidward Tentacles is just a typical grumpy neighbor, irritated by the noise around him and preferring to keep to himself. However, behind his grumpiness and occasional hostility toward the world lies something tragic: a way of seeing life that alienates those around him and makes him… pretty miserable.

Even though Squidward’s grumpiness has been a source of amusement to many, I don’t think we can deny that, quite often, we recognize other people, and even ourselves, in this character. Just look at his life. Every day, he has to work a job he hates. His boss is stingy. His neighbors SpongeBob and Patrick are noisy and, in his eyes, stupid.

Meanwhile, his creative pursuits are going nowhere, while people he considers far less talented somehow become more successful than he is, constantly raising the question: Why doesn’t the world recognize my talent?

To Squidward, life is a source of frustration. It is unfulfilling and unfair, and so, whenever he doesn’t have to work at the dreaded Krusty Krab, he would rather spend his time alone, far away from all the madness.

Squidward’s character is quite complex, though. He’s miserable, but he clearly doesn’t want to be. He deeply longs for happiness, yet he never really seems to get there. Moreover, the more he tries, the deeper he appears to sink. So why does happiness seem so difficult for Squidward? Why can’t he just enjoy himself like SpongeBob and Patrick?

This week’s video explores why Squidward is so miserable and whether there’s a way out.

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 758

Einzelgänger

THE SHADOW

Do we really know ourselves? Or could there be certain parts of ourselves we’re hardly aware of - parts we’ve been repressing without even knowing it? Could something be hiding beneath the surface of our conscious awareness that occasionally makes its existence known?

No matter where we go, we constantly define and redefine who we are. Society expects us to behave in certain ways, often shaped by culture or religion, but also by the situations we find ourselves in. How many codes of conduct and ethical systems do we encounter at work, at home, in nightlife, at restaurants, at dinner parties, and elsewhere?

As a result, we wear many masks. These consist of behaviors and beliefs about ourselves and how we relate to the world. Jung called this mask the Persona: the image we construct and present to others. Our social media profiles have become extensions of the Persona, perhaps even amplifiers.

Of course, the Persona doesn’t necessarily represent the whole of who we are. We tend to hide less desirable attributes, such as greed or envy, but also harmless characteristics our environment disapproves of, such as my nerdy fascination with trains and subway systems, which the cool kids in high school would probably have laughed at.

And so, we’ve become, more or less, managers of our own public images. Managing what the world gets to see of us may seem like a straightforward process that is largely under our control. It’s a bit like owning a store and deciding which products to display and which to keep in storage. We assume we’re conscious of our entire inventory.

Jung, however, argued that a significant part of ourselves remains unknown to us. Within these unknown regions of the psyche are characteristics we’ve rejected or refused to recognize. Jung called these disowned aspects of ourselves the Shadow.

Years ago, I made a video about Carl Jung's Shadow archetype. Revisiting it, I realized the script needed improvement. I ended up rewriting it almost entirely.

You can read it here: journeyofideas.substack.com/p/the-shadow

1 month ago | [YT] | 888

Einzelgänger

STOP SOLVING YOUR PROBLEMS

Imagine a bad-tempered man in a boat colliding with another boat on a misty river. If the other boat were empty, he might be irritated, but probably not very angry. But if there were another man in it, he might start shouting, calling him an idiot and telling him to learn how to steer.

This comparison, found in the Taoist text Zhuangzi, raises an interesting question:

If the impact of the collision is the same in both cases, why does one provoke rage while the other barely bothers him? Aside from the man in the boat, the difference is what the mind adds to the collision: a story about what happened: that someone caused it, that he shouldn’t have done so, that he’s inconsiderate, and that he needs to change his ways.

If you have an average human mind, you may have noticed that it loves stirring the pot. Wherever we go, wherever our boats collide with reality (to follow Zhuangzi’s metaphor), our minds seem eager to point out what’s wrong, insisting that we cannot, for a moment, sit back, relax, and enjoy the journey. Instead, they tell us to be outraged, afraid, and ready to fix whatever problem has appeared.

Before we know it, life begins to feel like an endless stream of problems, many of which disturb our peace of mind. And because the mind keeps adding new concerns to the pile, we become perpetual problem solvers, often spending our lives feeling as though we’re carrying water in a sieve.

But what if many, if not most, of our problems don’t need to be solved?

This week’s video explores the nature of what we consider everyday problems, why we may be better off not solving them, and what to do instead.

1 month ago | [YT] | 1,708

Einzelgänger

DEALING WITH ANGER

When we look at history, we see that anger profoundly influenced human affairs. Anger has fueled personal tragedies, torn families apart, and started wars. In a fit of rage, Alexander the Great killed his close friend Cleitus. The Iliad tells the story of Achilles, whose anger drove him to commit terrible acts.

The Buddha repeatedly warned about the destructive nature of anger, while the Stoic philosopher Seneca described it as a form of temporary madness. And yet, after centuries of wisdom, human beings do not seem to have changed all that much.

Anger seems very prevalent in the online sphere today. We see it in comment sections, which have become spaces of ‘rage bait’ and attacks rather than meaningful, constructive dialogue. But there’s also plenty of anger outside of the internet, from ‘office rage’ to violent protests to nations in armed conflict. A significant number of people struggle with anger issues, and we seem to have become less tolerant and patient toward one another.

There’s a fair amount of anger involved with today’s politics, as it seems to play a major role in who people vote for. “Anger has come to define the public mood,” wrote psychoanalyst and emeritus professor Josh Cohen in an article in The Guardian, describing today’s society, characterized by fear, insecurity, and mistrust, as a fertile breeding ground for anger, amplified by social media and used by populist leaders for their own ends.

All in all, it seems more relevant than ever to discuss anger today. So, what is anger? Where does it come from? Why is anger problematic? Can it ever be good or useful? How can we prevent or reduce it when it comes up? And how, if possible, can we use anger as a force for good?

This week’s video contains a complete philosophical guide to anger.

2 months ago | [YT] | 1,128

Einzelgänger

A JOURNEY THROUGH PHILOSOPHY

Hello everyone,

Last year, I started a podcast called Journey of Ideas. The goal of this project is a slow, personal exploration of philosophy, beginning in ancient times and gradually working toward the present. I began with the Presocratics at the dawn of Western philosophy. Once that journey is complete, I plan to turn to other ancient philosophical traditions, including the Vedic sages of the Upanishads, Zoroaster (Zarathustra), Lao Tzu, and Confucius.

When I launched the podcast on Einzelgänger last year, after a long break, I was disappointed with the viewership and received feedback from followers who preferred my old format. So, after three episodes, I decided to bring back the old-school videos and continued Journey of Ideas on Substack and various podcast platforms at a much slower pace. So far, I’ve made six episodes.

If you’re a creative person, you might have experienced coming up with an unlimited amount of ideas (sometimes dozens in just one day), but only a few of these ideas stick, and even fewer stand the test of time. To me, Journey of Ideas is such an idea. It just doesn’t go away.

Of course, an idea that sticks isn’t necessarily a smart one. Considering the sheer size of this project, it’s actually a little crazy. It’s way too ambitious. It’s not particularly YouTube-friendly. But it’s simply something I feel inclined to do.

And when I think about it, having been a philosophical YouTuber for all these years, a journey through the history of philosophy, from its earliest thinkers to the ways their ideas developed, influenced later generations, and shaped how we understand ourselves and the world, makes a lot of sense. It’s also fun.

So, I want to continue the Journey of Ideas at a faster pace and publish the episodes on YouTube as well, along with nature footage I’ve shot over the years and will continue to shoot. I’ve already published the first three episodes on YouTube, so I’ll release the remaining episodes 4, 5, and 6 soon before continuing the journey.

Don’t worry. I’ll keep making the usual content as well.

For those who haven’t heard of the project, I’d be thrilled if you’d give it a try. You can find a playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE2of...

You can also listen here:

Substack: journeyofideas.substack.com/podcast
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/7lOQ65WUeSRBV77bYdoShN
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/journey-of-ideas/id1…

Thank you very much,

Stefan

2 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 861

Einzelgänger

LET THEM BE WRONG

We’re often deeply concerned with whether others are right or wrong. And let’s face it: when we hear people spouting utter nonsense about subjects like history, politics, or different cultures, it can be difficult not to speak up and correct them. For some reason, we want them to get it right; we want them to know and understand how things actually are.

But as many of us have probably experienced, people who are wrong often don’t want to be corrected. And when we try, they seem uninterested or even irritated by information that challenges their beliefs. It’s as if they don’t want their minds changed and couldn’t care less about what’s actually true.

It’s pretty frustrating. Especially when they come in groups, all repeating the same misinformation, hostile to anything that challenges their convictions, as if they’re trapped in their own ideological version of Plato’s cave.

Arguing with these people is like wrestling with pigs: you’ll only get dirty, and the pigs enjoy it. But what if we stop correcting them? What if we simply let them be wrong?

The upcoming video explores how to handle ignorance wisely and prevent it from becoming our problem.

2 months ago | [YT] | 2,159

Einzelgänger

I DON’T WANT KIDS. AM I A BAD PERSON?

Even though I’m a proud uncle, I don’t want kids myself. I was on the fence about it during my adolescence, but as the years passed, my wish to live without children solidified.

In the past, people have tried to convince me to have kids, but I’ve never found their reasons particularly appealing or conclusive. Others told me, honestly and based on experience, how difficult parenting can be and that I should think twice about it, which only strengthened my resolve.

The decision not to have kids isn’t received well by everyone. I’m lucky to have an understanding family, but I’ve also witnessed people getting condemned for their choice. The country I’m from, the Netherlands, is overall pretty accepting of people who wish to be voluntarily childless. But in many parts of the world, that’s certainly not the case.

On top of that, the internet is full of animosity toward the childfree. There is a great deal of shaming and blaming, ranging from ignorance and misunderstanding to outright spite toward those who don’t conform to the dominant social norm.

I’ve often struggled to understand, let alone explain or defend, why I don’t want children. At the same time, few life decisions have occupied my thoughts more than this question, which has followed me throughout my adult life, from dating and relationships to watching people around me, especially my friends and siblings, start families.

But today, I think I can explain quite well why I don’t want kids. Moreover, I believe I can make a strong case that choosing not to have children is not morally wrong, and may, in some circumstances, even be the more ethical choice.

In today’s video, I’d like to share with you the reasons why I don’t want children.

2 months ago | [YT] | 1,449

Einzelgänger

THE DARK PHILOSOPHY OF LOOKSMAXXING

The term looksmaxxing has been around for over a decade, but it has only recently entered the mainstream, with figures like Clavicular receiving widespread media attention.

At first glance, looksmaxxing seems like little more than internet slang for improving one’s appearance. At its softer end, it offers familiar advice: go to the gym, improve your grooming, watch your diet, get a nice haircut. But in its more extreme forms, it promotes steroid use, plastic surgery, and even practices like “bone smashing.”

When we dive deeper into the strange world of looksmaxxing, we find ideas and beliefs that are pretty… disturbing, to say the least.

Whole online communities have formed around a deeply pessimistic worldview that underpins much of the darker side of looksmaxxing. These communities are made up largely of teenagers and young men in their early twenties. They often push each other toward extreme forms of self-improvement, while attacking and degrading those who fail to meet their beauty ideals, sometimes in deeply dehumanizing ways.

So why are so many young people drawn to looksmaxxing? What kind of society makes plastic surgery and steroids seem like reasonable answers to insecurity and feelings of inadequacy among young men? What ideas drive them in that direction? And does looksmaxxing actually solve the problems it promises to solve?

This week’s video explores the dark philosophy of looksmaxxing.

2 months ago | [YT] | 985