The Human Need for Storytelling

We are a storytelling species. Not only do we weave stories about our own lives (which is known as narrativisation: the process of presenting and interpreting experiences, events, and scenarios in the form of a narrative; that is, a story), we also create, tell, and retell stories of an epic, mythic, and fantastical nature. Moreover,…

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Book Review: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

Man’s Search for Meaning is one of the most profound and moving books I have read. It illustrates what we can learn from the human condition in the face of extreme suffering. The author, Viktor Frankl, was an Austrian psychiatrist who was transported to and imprisoned in Auschwitz. Frankl does not go into great and…

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The Importance of Finding Meaningful Work

According to a survey published by Investors in People, 60% of workers in the UK aren’t satisfied in their current role. Another survey revealed that nearly 80% of Londoners are unhappy at work. And a Gallop poll shows that 23% of workers worldwide hate their jobs, with only 15% of those surveyed saying they feel engaged by their jobs, which means…

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Are Human Beings Driven by a ‘Will to Novelty’?

Philosophers and psychologists throughout history have tried to define and elucidate the human species by referring to certain basic drives that we all have. One that I would like to suggest, which I believe reflects the trajectory of humanity, is the will to novelty – the desire to seek out what is new and innovative.…

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