Politics
Dabrowski’s Dynamisms: Subject-Object in Oneself
Dynamisms are the heart of the theory of positive disintegration. But what exactly did Dabrowski mean by that abstruse term, “subject-object in oneself?” Our editor explains this powerful process.
Are We Voters or Are We Fans? Away from Factionalism, Toward a Politics of Empathy
When politics becomes a fandom, argues Merrill Miller, everyone ultimately loses. But there are ways to bring people around to your perspective—if only you can spare a little empathy.
Practicing Parrhesia: Fearless Speech for Agreeable Overthinkers Part II in a Series on Intellectual Intensity and Cancel Culture
Socrates and the Buddha have some suggestions for you highly agreeable types who can’t quite bring yourself to speak up about something important.
Cancel Culture and the Intellectually Intense Part I: Why We Need a Healthy & Courageous Speech Ideal
It’s always been hard to be a questioner, but today’s political atmosphere—combined with digital mobbing tools—have made it harder than ever. What’s a good-faith questioner to do?
Transformative Life Experiences Through the Decision-Making Process
Emotion fuels our decisions; our decisions, in turn, mark the points in our lives that put us on the higher path. So argues Krystyna Laycraft as she reflects on her own inner psychic transformation while deciding to return to Poland after the fall of Communism.
There and Half-Way Back Again How Openness Guided My Journey through Politics
How does openness to experience affect a person’s political stance? For Andrea, it’s caused her views to continuously evolve—as has her view on disagreement itself.
The Confusing Life of Being Too Different
It’s fashionable to argue that it’s better to fight for something and die trying than to surrender and admit defeat. In this article, Roland Persson argues that while we believe this for a reason, it’s not because of objective knowledge of human behavior. So what’s an extremely gifted person to do? Persson offers some thoughts on the pursuit of happiness for those who are simply never going to fit in.
Political Iridescence: Courage and Complexity in a Tribal World
We’ve divided the political world into a red team and a blue team. Where does a person belong when she sees not only shimmers of red in the blue and the blue in the red, but oranges, yellows, greens, and purples besides? One thing’s for sure: it will take courage for such a person to find—or keep—a political home.