Dregs of Yore

Have you ever stood at a point where you are able to agree (to some extent at least) with two opposing sides of a debate? It’s a strange place, uncharted and raw, a land scattered with ideas that you’ve seen from afar but never had the nerve to wrestle down. To walk this line—timidly at first, dipping just a toe into that unknown—is a thrill like no other. The easy road is to dig deeper into what you already know, to fortify your arguments for the side you’re already on. Lately, I’ve been straying into that strange terrain myself, turning over ideas that clash with my own, stretching them out, writing through them. This piece is one such endeavour, and the idea I’ve been contemplating on — capitalism. I suppose, before all else, I should square with where I stand. As someone entrenched in the corporate world, it would be hard to argue against the very framework that sustains my livelihood without sounding like a hypocrite hacking at the branch I’m sitting on. I work in a field that wou...

It’s a curious thing, this debate between man and the bear that sprung up on social media a few months ago. The gist of it is simple enough—women are asked to choose: would they rather find themselves alone in a forest with a bear or a man? In the original TikTok video that sparked it all, eight women were asked the question, and seven of them picked the bear. When the post went viral, women from all over chimed in online, and, overwhelmingly, they echoed the same choice. The reason cited behind the choice of the bear was associated with the widespread violence and sexual assault committed by men towards women. It didn’t stop there. On came a tirade with arguments stretched to all proportions, some, admittedly understandable, while others ridiculously far-fetched. But the underlying message was clear: women claimed having felt unsafe around men for much of their lives, and were now saying they'd rather take their chances with a bear. I don’t deny for a second that most, if not all,...

I’ve spent over nine years in the corporate world—an existence that is anything but conducive to creativity. It’s a life that promises some stability for sure, but quietly, without you noticing, it starts to wrap itself around you like a tightening coil. Every morning starts the same: the alarm at the same time, breakfast like clockwork, and the commute that follows the same winding route to the office. There’s a rhythm to this life, but it’s not the rhythm of poetry or music. It’s the steady beat of meetings, targets, emails and spreadsheets, calendars crammed full of deadlines, and jargon that pretends that something big is happening—though most of the time it isn’t. And yet, there you are, like many others, at a computer for nine hours, surrounded by the same faces, chatting at the water cooler about the same promotions, job switches, and stock predictions. It’s a world that seems to squeeze the soul right out of you—leaving little room for the dreamers, the poets, the artists. And ...

I have a sneaking suspicion that the spirit of Mephistopheles is at large in the world today. Even as I write this, it sounds like an overblown and slightly deranged diagnosis of a lot that is currently wrong with public psyche. But I have my reasons for this somewhat strange idea.  To give more context, Mephistopheles is Goethe's devil in Faust, a figure born from the darker edges of the world. He strikes a deal with God, wagering that he can corrupt Faust, a doctor and scholar whose faith lies in reason and science, unswayed by the divine. Faust, in his relentless search for meaning, becomes the perfect prey for Mephistopheles' whispered promises of worldly pleasure and knowledge beyond limits. Mephistopheles, however, is not just evil for its own sake. He stands as the embodiment of negation, of doubt, of the ceaseless struggle against creation itself. His essence is captured in his own words: "I am the spirit that denies!"   Nietzsche would recognize in Mephistoph...

Feminism, at its core, claims to champion the empowerment and equality of women. Yet, over the decades, the movement has evolved in ways that often feel disconnected from the everyday realities and complexities women face. What started as a pursuit for basic rights—like suffrage and access to education—has transformed into something more divisive, frequently promoting narratives that seem to oversimplify societal dynamics, and in some cases, even backfire against the very women they seek to uplift.  Not all victories belong to feminism Feminism is often credited with much of the progress made in advancing women’s rights, from improved social status to increased participation in the workforce. While the feminist movement has played some part in promoting gender equality (in the context of suffrage for instance), many of the changes in women's roles and opportunities can be traced back to technological advancements and historical events that had little to do with feminism itself and ...

I've recently been enjoying classic American TV series from the '70s, like Little House on the Prairie and The Waltons . An episode from The Waltons (Season 6, Episode 21 – "The Revelation") made me reflect on something deeper. In this episode, John-boy proposes to his girlfriend Daisy, who initially accepts but later changes her mind. Both realise they have other commitments: John-boy, an author, declines a job offer in London for the marriage, while Daisy, a dancer, reconnects with the child she had abandoned. In the end, they part ways, and John-boy takes the job in London. This episode made me reflect on how love is portrayed in American films and TV. The storyline itself isn’t flawed, and The Waltons remains one of my favourite shows. However, it's clear that American media, widely consumed around the world, often promotes the idea that the truest form of love is one that endures despite personal or career ambitions being placed above marriage. This narrati...