I dined recently at a hotel that gave all the traditional signals of a highly sophisticated establishment. The menu was black text on gold paper. The waiters were smartly dressed, they addressed diners as sir and madam. The presentation of the dishes was remarkable. But there was one inconsistency with this elegant story. One hitch … Continue reading Inconsistency in story →

If I sit down to watch TV I could end up sitting there for hours. Even if, I only sat down just to watch something while I'm eating, It doesn't matter. Sitting in front of a tv can be a black hole for time. What was only supposed to be 20 minutes ends up being … Continue reading Triggers →

I enjoy the Fantastic Beasts films a lot more than the Harry Potter ones. Which I think is down to the books. When I'm watching a Harry Potter movie, all I can think of is how they differ from the books. I say things like: "Well that's not supposed to happen" Or "That's not the … Continue reading Fantastic Beasts v Harry Potter →

When civility is the group norm it's all very pleasant. Conversations are polite and mannerly. Nobody gets upset. The ribbing is gentle and never personal or upsetting. When tension is the group norm it's exciting. Conversations are rich with barbs and potential digs. Everyone is point scoring. The ribbing is stronger and closer to the … Continue reading Civility v tension →

Lectures are one way communication and they're extremely boring. The lecturer just rambles on and on. They take roughly an hour to make one point which is reached via a number of different tangents. Whether as a discussion is a completely different beast. A discussion means equal conversation time for all parties. And the result? … Continue reading Lectures v Discussions →

Suffering on in silence never ends well. You haven't done it yet because in your head it's going to be the worst thing ever. As soon as you utter those words it's going to be the end of days. But the reality is, it won't be that bad. The awkwardness and tension will only be … Continue reading Suffering in silence →

I always found this very frustrating advice. You know you’re not in the moment when you have to say be in the moment and the more not present you are the more frustrated you get. It’s a vicious cycle really. But I heard recently a great way to counteract this that’s worked wonders for me. … Continue reading Just be in the moment →

I think there's a clear distinction between vanity and taking pride in your appearance. So here's my stab at it. I think that it revolves around fear. The vain human is almost obsessive about their looks. They can't go long without checking their reflection. They have to constantly make sure they're looking good. Whether as … Continue reading Vanity v taking pride in your appearance →

Looking forward to Christmas? This has been my go to small talk starter recently. Which I reckon, isn't a bad one. It usually reveals my conversing partner's views on Christmas. Which the majority respond with describing some form of anxiety about buying gifts. I have to admit I can relate. I experience different levels of … Continue reading Gift anxiety →

The arrogance of crossing the road wherever you want and expecting the surrounding traffic to come to a halt for you is ridiculous. These reckless pedestrians know that you don't want to hit them so they deliberately don't look up and put all the responsibility for avoiding a crash onto you. It's simply reckless and … Continue reading Deliberately not looking whilst crossing the road. →