We often discount an ancient view on the basis that the holder of the view held other views that, in later times, became abhorrent. Why should the fact that someone lived in a generally sexist society hundreds or thousands of years ago mean that their views on other things have no value?

I've applied to do an acting course, something I never thought I'd be doing. I find myself in a weird spot - I really want to get in and yet I don't want to because it's expensive and I don't plan to be a pro actor. Whatever happens, there will be some disappointment.

BREAKING: Entire Human Race Flagged By DEI Purge Because of “Homo” in “Homo Sapiens”

There are aspects of stoicism in improv, too. It's deliberately giving up the idea of controlling anything outside of myself. It's practice of taking what others give and running with it. I take what the others give and build on it without wishing it was different.

Therapy is expensive and competent therapists are evidently rare. Improv puts me in a position of practicing getting out of my head, out of my own way and of trusting others. It offers up practicing not considering the judgements of others. CBT from the other end.

A fundamental difficulty in any sort of self-improvement is that we are usually a very biased viewer of ourselves, whether that bias leans positive or negative. Is tempering a negative view of self easier than tempering a positive view?

Working on myself has some similarities to mindful or transcendental meditation - when I stray, the answer is gentle guidance back to the path, not self-admonition or punishment

It's somewhat amusing that most people consider me to be very skinny, but according to BMI I'm actually overweight.

Can I forgive someone who did something to someone else? Obviously not on behalf of the other. But I can forgive any effect it had on me.

Forgiveness is an odd word because it seems to have no fixed definition. For some it includes absolution. I see it as not reducing the person to bring identical to their crime, but still holding them accountable for it. Even someone without remorse can be forgiven.

Are you able to wish for something good for someone you don't like? What about someone you dislike? If someone does something terrible, they should be held accountable. Does that include them no longer being allowed anything good? If not, what value do we expect to find in them only suffering?

It's always good to remember that people do things they believe are right, justified. We call evil the things that we find abhorrent. The perpetrators have beliefs and justifications that give a completely different perspective

Life throws curveballs all the time. It's easy to focus on things that don't go to plan. One approach is to practice reminding myself that what I want may not happen, learning to be ok with things as they are. This does not mean everything is acceptable or attempts to change things cannot be made.

How do I identify my own blind spots? It's often easy to see those of others. Identifying my own seems to require allowing others to challenge my views. And seeing it as a challenge of my views, not an attack on me.

I jump to conclusions so often. It's easy to imagine that I don't. But how often have I stopped to consider what, if any evidence I have for the conclusion I've drawn? And how often do I seriously scrutinise and challenge evidence? Really considering something takes effort.

Even a small responsibility can easily feel overwhelming. It's a cliché, but adding items to a to-do list and tidying them off is not only useful, but psychologically rewarding. I break a task down into subtasks. It helps get them off my mind and sets me up to view them differently.

Every day is a contest between the irrational and rational. Turning what is so easily a battering into growth is the real challenge.