Feeling Ambivalent in Borneo: A Cruise Down the Kinabatangan River

I visited Malaysian Borneo as part of a round-the-world trip I did in 2015/16. One of my main motivations for visiting this part of the world was to appreciate the unique wildlife, especially orangutans, which I did manage to see at Semenggoh Nature Reserve (30km outside Kuching City, where I spent a few nights). But…

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Why Men Avoid Self-Care

Self-care has become a fairly trendy term, promoted by mental health bloggers and advocates. Simply put, self-care refers to actions that individuals take in order to take care of themselves. And taking care of yourself means developing, protecting, maintaining, or improving your well-being. According to the mental health charity Mind, positive mental well-being is associated…

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The Opioid Crisis and the Future of Pain Relief

The opioid crisis (or opioid epidemic) is still a major public health issue in the US; despite news headlines being dominated by the coronavirus pandemic and lack of coverage of the opioid crisis, the number of opioid overdoses has been increasing. A recent paper in The Lancet reports that in 2019, drug overdose deaths reached…

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A Pessimist’s Guide to the Pandemic

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, along with new government measures and vaccine developments shaping its trajectory, many people are still left confused about how best to respond. Should be pessimistic or optimistic about the current situation and the future? In terms of personal well-being, an optimistic attitude is ostensibly preferable. Adjusting to the ‘new normal’…

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Antinatalism and the Consent Argument

Antinatalism is the view that it is morally wrong to bring new people into existence (although a more universal sense of antinatalism includes all sentient beings, not just humans). The common arguments used to defend antinatalism include the position that existence is an overall harm, negative utilitarian arguments (which posit that minimising suffering takes priority…

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