It’s OK to Laugh at Pain and Suffering

Some time ago, I had an interesting online encounter with a phobia coach. I shared an article about a supermarket customer who burst out in tears feeling intimidated by an ‘aggressive’ supermarket employee who was scanning items ‘too fast’. While my comment was mostly meant to highlight the absurdity of the situation (it is quiteContinue reading “It’s OK to Laugh at Pain and Suffering”

Are You a Ghost in the Machine?

In his classic book ‘The Concept of Mind’ philosopher Gilbert Ryle argues against the concept of the ‘Ghost in the Machine’: the idea that our mental and physical worlds are two distinct realities which we vainly try to reconcile in illogical ways. Ryle argues that there is no such thing as a ‘ghost in theContinue reading “Are You a Ghost in the Machine?”