Philosophy can help you a lot in your research journey, but it's also easy to misunderstand and get lost in all the different schools of thought.Philosophy is essential, not just for intellectuals in the ivory towers. It can help cure the human spirit's problems.

Purpose of Philosophy

Philosophy is the love of wisdom. It is the study of fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, and language. At its most basic level, philosophy is a way of thinking about the world, the universe, and society.Philosophy is understood differently by different people.

What is Philosophy?

People used to think that thunder and lightning were caused by Thor and that poems and myths were true stories. But after people began to think more rationally, they realized that natural causes were responsible for these things, not supernatural ones.The ancient Greeks, like the Romans, wrote poetry and told myths. The myths were about gods and goddesses, like Zeus, Apollo, Athena, and Dionysus. The ancient Greeks wanted to find out why things changed in nature, instead of blaming it on the gods. These people were called "natural philosophers."

Philosophical Thinkers

Parmenides thought that everything in existence was unchanging and that there was no literal transformation. He believed that only "one-ness" is real.

Thinker 01: Parmenides

Heraclitus argued against Parmenides' belief that everything is static. He said that everything is constantly changing and that we need both good and bad things to exist.The world would not exist without the continual interplay of opposing forces.

Thinker 02: Heraclitus

Socrates was a mysterious person who kept to himself and was known for his silence. He was one of the most important individuals in European philosophy.Socrates believed that philosophers were people who realized that they know nothing and were disturbed by this. As a result, Socrates considered himself to be a philosopher.Socrates was a famous philosopher who taught Plato. They both believed that philosophers should love wisdom and know that they know nothing.He once said, “One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing.”

Thinker 03: Socrates

Many historians think that Socrates was a type of philosophy, and not just a philosopher. They say that after he died, philosophy became more important to people and that people started to see it as more of a career.

The death of Socrates changed Philosophy

Plato was 29 years old when his teacher Socrates died from drinking hemlock. He was taken aback when Athens sentenced its greatest intellectual to death. This event had a lasting impact on his later philosophical career.According to Plato, the death of Socrates showed that there was a contradiction between the real world and the ideal one. As a philosopher, Plato's first action was to publish Socrates' entreaty for acquittal in the form of the Apology of Socrates. Aside from the Apology, Plato is responsible for all of Socrates' and Plato's writings.

Thinker 04: Plato

Plato's thoughts were not only linked to his teacher Socrates but even his student Aristotle.Throughout the last two millennia, Plato's ideas have been repeatedly discussed and criticized by others. It was Aristotle who began this practice.Aristotle admired Plato a great deal and said "Plato is dear to me, but dearer still is truth." Lastly, according to Aristotle, nature was a reflection of the real world.Aristotle was a famous teacher who taught Alexander the Great. He wrote about different things, including physics, metaphysics, biology, poetry, music, politics, economics, and more.

Thinker 05: Aristotle

Philosophical assumptions are:<ol><li>Epistemology</li><li>Meta-physics</li><li>Axiology</li></ol>

3 major branches of Philosophy:

<ul><li>Episteme (knowledge) + Logy (science) = science of knowledge </li><li>It is the argument - why this and not that.</li></ul>Epistemology is the study of knowledge - how we come to know what is real, and what our limitations are.

01 Epistemology

a) Revealed knowledge: this is true because it is written in religious books. Even what we know from religious books is being studied using scientific knowledge. b) Scientific knowledge: through a systematic study, the knowledge has been organized into general concepts. For example, many scientific theories are based on mathematics.c) Intuitive knowledge: little or no specific knowledge informs subjective judgment or gut feelings.d) Man-made knowledge: remember that when we are looking at how knowledge is created, we need to think about how it works in the real world.

Epistemology || Sources of knowledge

<ul><li>Meta (beyond) + Physics (nature) = beyond the nature</li><li>Discussion about reality.</li><li>What is the reality of this universe?</li><li>What is the reality of human beings?</li><li>What is the reality of everything that exists or does not exist?</li><li>What is truth?</li><li>What is beyond nature?</li></ul>

02 Meta-physics

a) Cosmogony: the study of the universe, space, time, and the origins and evolution of phenomena.b) Cosmology: the study of the universe, space, and time.c) Ontology: the philosophical study of existence and reality.d) Teleology: the study of or reasoning based on final causes.e) Eschatology: the study of or doctrine about the end of history or the last things. For instance, the judgment day.

Branches of meta-physics are:

<ul><li>Axio (value) + Logy (science) = science of value</li><li>What are values?</li><li>What is good? </li><li>What is bad? </li><li>What is acceptable?</li><li>What should be rejected?</li></ul>Basically, discussion of values within a society.

03 Axiology

a) Ethics: are the things that people think are the right thing to do. They can change from place to place and from time to time.b) Aesthetic: is all about personal opinions. What might look pretty to me might look ugly to you.

Branches of axiology are:

Greek word meaning 'pattern'Whenever we think of doing research, we get a few thoughts such as:<ul><li>'How do we plan to do this research?'</li><li>'What will be my approach to the investigation?'</li><li>'Will I do Qualitative or Quantitative or mixed?'</li></ul>To come out of this situation, the researcher takes the help of the "Research Paradigm"A research paradigm is a framework that is used to guide research. It includes the assumptions that researchers make about what is being studied, and how it can be studied.Paradigms can be based on different philosophies, such as positivism or constructivism.

What is Research Paradigm?

Our beliefs, knowledge, and reality are termed paradigms by social scientists.Example: Let's assume you are in a new country and exploring places. You want to go to a certain location. There are three or more routes to reach the destinationNow, it depends on the person to decide on a route based on his knowledge, belief, and reality.The important thing is what is the person's view on each of the routes.

Paradigm has its roots in Philosophy

When all the 'ology' is of the same nature, they lead to a certain research methodology. For example, positivism or interpretivism.<ul><li>First ontology.</li><li>Second, ontology will decide the epistemology.</li><li>Third, epistemology will decide axiology.</li><li>Fourth, all three will meet and decide the research methodology (quantitative or qualitative).</li><li>Research Methodology will showcase the research design (experimental, cause-effect, survey, grounded theory, ethnography, etc)</li><li>Lastly, Research Design will guide the research instrument.</li></ul>

Every Paradigm has its own Ontology, Epistemology, and Axiology

Ontology↓Epistemology↓Axiology↓Methodology (Quantitative or Qualitative)↓Research Design↓Research Instrument

Constituents of Paradigm

Philosophy is a confusing subject. But it's important to understand the basics. The three main branches of philosophy are Epistemology (the study of knowledge), Meta-physics (the study of existence and reality), and Axiology (the study of values).

This article details the basics of philosophy as it applies to a Ph.D. student or anyone researching for an academic paper, dissertation, or thesis. Learn more about epistemology, metaphysics, and axiology.

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Philosophy

history

History

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Society, Arts & Culture

What is Philosophy and Why Every Ph.D. Candidate Should Study It First

”The creation of Jazz is therefore a story of expanding creative alternatives, energized by new educational resources, profit-making opportunities, and social connections in urban America; but it is also a story of individual and group aspirations stymied, and sometimes crushed, by a partially y democratic society that upheld policies of exclusion, unbridled economic competition, and atomizing individualism.” - <a href="https://www.burtonperetti.com">Burton W. Peretti</a>

Creative Alternatives

<ul><li>More than any other art form, Jazz was shaped by, and spoke of, these cultural reconciliations and compromises</li><li>The music was highly rhythmic, the contribution of the drums and of its symbiotic relation to dance</li><li>The music, because of its rich spiritual and social role, was complex</li></ul>

The Art Form Of Jazz

<ul><li>Musicians had absorbed the education and diverse stimuli provided by the experience of migration, they entered a stage of independent and self-definition, in which the materials of the common musical culture became elements of distinctive and acknowledged personal styles</li><li>As musicians adopted these new views, jazz shed some of its early identity as a folk music and acquired a few of the formal characteristics of an elite or art musical</li></ul>

Migration & Jazz

“Sweet jazz dancing signified a temporary abandonment of <a href="https://www.almanac.com/victorian-era-etiquette-and-manners">Victorian decorum</a> and manners.” - <a href="https://www.burtonperetti.com">Burton W. Peretti</a>

Victorian Decorum

“In creating jazz, black players exercised a kind of cultural leadership in America that has rarely been permitted or acknowledged.” - <a href="https://www.burtonperetti.com">Burton W. Peretti</a>

Cultural Leadership

“Louis Armstrong’s trumpet, speaks to the possibilities available to the individual in a democracy.”

”With jazz, they were not lost in urban America.” - <a href="https://www.burtonperetti.com">Burton W. Peretti</a>

Comfort In Art

Jazz was a groundbreaking art form that allowed black musicians to thrive in urban America. This book is a great study for those interested in the medium.

As musicians, listeners, and scholars have sensed for many years, the story of jazz is more than a history of the music. Burton Peretti presents a fascinating account of how the racial and cultural dynamics of American cities created the music, life, and business that was jazz. From its origins in the jook joints of sharecroppers and the streets and dance halls of 1890s New Orleans, through its later metamorphoses in the cities of the North, Peretti charts the life of jazz culture to the eve of bebop and World War II. In the course of those fifty years, jazz was the story of players who made the transition from childhood spasm bands to Carnegie Hall and worldwide touring and fame. It became the music of the Twenties, a decade of Prohibition, of adolescent discontent, of Harlem pride, and of Americans hoping to preserve cultural traditions in an urban, commercial age. And jazz was where black and white musicians performed together, as uneasy partners, in the big bands of Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman. "Blacks fought back by using jazz", states Peretti, "with its unique cultural and intellectual properties, to prove, assess, and evade the "dynamic of minstrelsy". Drawing on newspaper reports of the times and on the firsthand testimony of more than seventy prominent musicians and singers (among them Benny Carter, Bud Freeman, Kid Ory, and Mary Lou Williams), The Creation of Jazz is the first comprehensive analysis of the role of early jazz in American social history.

music

Music

books

Books

Burton William Peretti

The Creation of Jazz

<ul><li>There's a ton of name churn now - new names coming in, old names dropping out of use</li><li>Names that were rising fastest in popularity in 2021 apparently included Loyal, Ozzy, Emberlynn, and Raya</li><li>These are names meant to define one's individuality rather than blend into the crowd</li><li>Originality is the point</li><li>An entire pop-culture subgenre dedicated to making fun of made-up baby names</li><li>On Facebook, there are many groups dedicated to this.</li></ul>

Name churn

<ul><li>For decades, social psychologists have researched the links between given names and life experiences</li><li>Names represent an act of possibly futile branding on the part of parents.</li><li> "Cultural" names are very often "made up."</li></ul>

Why do we mock the names we mock?

<ul><li>Status is a way that people help make sense of their social worlds.</li><li>When deciding how to approach a stranger, we look for clues in their dress and their manner. These clues help us decide how we want to behave.</li><li>Class is a major way that status is experienced and communicated. And over the last few decades, class has become less stable, less guaranteed - for everyone, including white people, for a change.</li></ul>

Status and class

Why do we mock the first names we mock? It’s clear that the act of “making up” names for kids is a breach of some sense of decency for a lot of white people in particular. It comes down to class anxiety and status policing.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

parenting

Parenting

Why Do We Mock Names?

Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience, rather than about things. It is about being with the people we love. A feeling of home. A feeling that we are safe, that we are shielded from the world and allow ourselves to let our guard down.

Hygge has been called everything from “the art of creating intimacy,” “coziness of the soul,” and “the absence of annoyance,” to “taking pleasure from the presence of soothing things,” “cozy togetherness,” and my personal favorite, “cocoa by candlelight”.

Hygge is the pursuit of everyday happiness – it's about finding joy in the experience of each and every day. It's about finding an appreciation for the small things that add huge value to our lives.This appreciation manifests itself in Danish culture because hygge is also about togetherness and sharing. While you can experience hygge by yourself, the Danes put a lot of emphasis on spending time in intimate groups. The core ideas are around well-being, coziness, warmth, safety, intimacy, and gratitude.

Hygge: the pursuit of everyday happiness

<ul><li>Its earliest written roots go back to an old Norwegian word meaning “wellbeing” and date to the early 1800s. Other possible origins might be variants of the words “hug,” another old Norwegian term for “comfort” and another for “mood.”</li><li>While most modern interpretations have settled on “coziness” as an appropriate translation, this not quite gets the point either.</li><li>Hygge has been described in several ways: 'the art of being consciously cozy,' 'a hug without touching,' 'socializing for introverts,' 'cocoa by candlelight.' Anything annoying or invasive is the antithesis of "hygge."</li></ul>

The etymology of the word “hygge” 

You’ll need to make a conscious effort to create the right environment.Feeling at home requires a homey place, so unless you create one, you’ll have a hard time getting into the right mood. It’s why the Danish are obsessed with candles, lighting and lamp design, and natural elements like wood in interior design.Fun fact: At 6 kg or 13 lbs of candles burned per person per year, the Danes are Europe’s number one candlelight junkies. They also have almost 2 rooms per person in the living space.

Hygge is a lot about the atmosphere

<ul><li>Dimly, but sufficiently lit rooms.</li><li>Candles, scented or unscented.</li><li>Beautifully designed, sleek lamps.</li><li>Wide, open rooms and surfaces.</li><li>A fireplace or a stove.</li><li>Shelves, boards, and other interior design elements made of wood.</li><li>A hyggekrog – a cozy corner specifically designed to snuggle up, enjoy a hot beverage, and read or relax.</li></ul>

Some things that promote hygge at home 

<ul><li>Where people often misinterpret it, is that it's not about consumerism or commodification.</li><li>Hygge is all about a spirit of sharing, togetherness, and equality. Social media influencers, Pinterest users, and YouTubers have taken to hygge in a massive way, and it's lost a lot of its original ethos.</li><li>Hygge is for everyone, it's not a design scheme, and it shouldn't necessarily come with a hefty price tag.</li></ul>

Hygge isn't an aesthetic

When creating a cozy and welcoming experience, we need to consider the impact of both sounds and silence. Sound affects how we relate to the space around us, and it can be very distracting – particularly if it's a manufactured sound.Whether you choose to experience hygge alone, or with other people, it's crucial to practice mindfulness and "be in the here and now." Since hygge is about enjoying what's around us, living in the moment, and being free of distractions, it means that technology should be switched off and ignored.

Sound and silence

The Danish philosophy seems to be that if you genuinely enjoy eating something, then you can delight in cakes, cookies, cheese, coffee, and so on. The idea here is that life is about enjoying pleasures, and not feeling without or restricted.In many other cultures, mindful eating isn't practiced as often as it should be, and instant gratification results in consuming without enjoyment. The hygge philosophy is to celebrate indulgent treats, to share them, and experience them slowly. Savor the moment. And don't rush what you're putting into your body.

Embracing small and indulgent pleasures

In fact, they have a word called kaffe-hygge. By bringing together lighting, atmosphere, warmth, beverages, and delicious homemade treats, the simple act of meeting a friend for coffee can be intensely hygge-like.However, kaffe-hygge also brings together the idea of good quality and ethically sourced ingredients.

The Danish coffee shop is at the heart of hygge

<ul><li>Hygge embraces nostalgia and capturing those beautiful memories and moments.</li><li>However, hygge isn't just about the significant events like Christmas, birthdays, and so on. Hygge is about making the everyday something to celebrate. The Danish mentality is that exercising gratitude and being thankful is part of every meal. </li><li>Family dinner isn't just about sharing a meal with relatives – it's about acknowledging that family comes in many forms. We form kinship through storytelling and creating memories. Relationships are continually being built upon, so never take that family meal for granted.</li></ul>

Hygge isn't about large crowds; it's about intimacy

The difference between Denmark and the rest of Europe may be attributed to their time spent interacting with their communities because Danes leave work early whereas most Europeans stay at work until 5:30 p.m., leaving no time for after-work gatherings or family dinners due to long hours at the office. It isn’t surprising that hygge (the Danish way of creating intimacy) involves spending time with loved ones since touching others makes us feel warm and secure by releasing oxytocin into our bloodstreams, which causes bonding feelings between parents and children.

Spending time with loved ones

Ethics, equality, fairness, and organic are some of the other words you're likely to find in the hygge lexicon.The Danes pay high taxes, but you'll seldom hear them grumble about this. Despite the high taxation, Denmark is a very equitable country, and the taxes are used on free quality education, free healthcare, excellent infrastructure, an efficient transport system, and an abundance of cultural and recreational facilities.The mindset of the Danish population is that community is paramount. Whereas other countries adopt a singular, and "me" attitude, the Danes are all about the collective "<warningtag>we."</warningtag>

The sense of community 

Small things  you can do every day to quickly put yourself in a mood. 

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Food

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Motivation & Inspiration

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Mental Health

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Personal Development

Mood Boosters: Put Yourself in a Happy Mood 

Embrace Hygge (pronounced hoo-ga) and become happier with this definitive guide to the Danish philosophy of comfort, togetherness, and well-being. Why are Danes the happiest people in the world? The answer, says Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, is Hygge. Loosely translated, Hygge—pronounced Hoo-ga—is a sense of comfort, togetherness, and well-being. "Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience," Wiking explains. "It is about being with the people we love. A feeling of home. A feeling that we are safe." Hygge is the sensation you get when you’re cuddled up on a sofa, in cozy socks under a soft throw, during a storm. It’s that feeling when you’re sharing comfort food and easy conversation with loved ones at a candlelit table. It is the warmth of morning light shining just right on a crisp blue-sky day. The Little Book of Hygge introduces you to this cornerstone of Danish life, and offers advice and ideas on incorporating it into your own life, such as: Get comfy. Take a break. Be here now. Turn off the phones. Turn down the lights. Bring out the candles. Build relationships. Spend time with your tribe. Give yourself a break from the demands of healthy living. Cake is most definitely Hygge. Live life today, like there is no coffee tomorrow. From picking the right lighting to organizing a Hygge get-together to dressing hygge, Wiking shows you how to experience more joy and contentment the Danish way.

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Travel

New York Times BestsellerEmbrace Hygge (pronounced hoo-ga) and become happier with this definitive guide to the Danish philosophy of comfort, togetherness, and well-being.Why are Danes the happiest people in the world? The answer, says Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, is Hygge. Loosely translated, Hygge—pronounced Hoo-ga—is a sense of comfort, togetherness, and well-being. "Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience," Wiking explains. "It is about being with the people we love. A feeling of home. A feeling that we are safe."Hygge is the sensation you get when you’re cuddled up on a sofa, in cozy socks under a soft throw, during a storm. It’s that feeling when you’re sharing comfort food and easy conversation with loved ones at a candlelit table. It is the warmth of morning light shining just right on a crisp blue-sky day.The Little Book of Hygge introduces you to this cornerstone of Danish life, and offers advice and ideas on incorporating it into your own life, such as:<ul><li>Get comfy. Take a break.</li><li>Be here now. Turn off the phones.</li><li>Turn down the lights. Bring out the candles.</li><li>Build relationships. Spend time with your tribe.</li><li>Give yourself a break from the demands of healthy living. Cake is most definitely Hygge.</li><li>Live life today, like there is no coffee tomorrow.</li></ul>From picking the right lighting to organizing a Hygge get-together to dressing hygge, Wiking shows you how to experience more joy and contentment the Danish way.

Meik Wiking

The Little Book of Hygge

<ul><li>Hygge is a Danish word that can be best described as enjoying life’s simple pleasures. It was created as a concept and lifestyle by the Danish in the 18th century and is now a fundamental part of their culture.</li><li>While the word is meant to encompass the Danish way of life, it also embodies their decor. The main idea of hygge decor is to create a peaceful, serene space that is free of clutter.</li><li>Clutter can cause stress, which is the opposite of the calming and happy way of the Danish lifestyle. Even though hygge is a concept that is commonly associated with winter, it was actually meant to be enj<warningtag>oyed year-round. </warningtag></li></ul>

Hygge, peace, and serenity

Hygge is a Scandinavian way of life that spreads warmth and calm. It celebrates health and happiness and can be accomplished in other ways besides just decor. Here are some ways that you can incorporate hygge into your lifestyle:<ul><li>Surround yourself with friends and family</li><li>Enjoy the simple pleasures</li><li>Be present and thankful</li><li>Stay an extra hour in bed</li><li>Barbeque outside</li><li>Reuse and recycle</li><li>Take up a new hobby</li><li>Don’t stress</li><li>Appreciate your surroundings</li><li>Enjoy a good book.</li></ul>

How to hygge

The color scheme for your home decor should never be too overwhelming when it comes to hygge.Sticking to a neutral color palette is important when creating a relaxing space. Using pastel colors like light grays, browns, and creams will create a comfortable area for you and your guests to enjoy.

Stick to a neutral color scheme

Coziness is key when it comes to hygge decor. One way to do this is by decorating with fluffy pillows and soft comforters. Snuggle up on the couch with layers of blankets and pillows for a warm place to unwind.You can also do this by creating cozy nooks like a window bench or a love seat. These make for a great place to relax with a good book and a cup of hot cocoa for some peace and quiet.

Create a comfortable atmosphere

When you think of candles, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Perhaps it’s romance, a relaxing bath or a calm night with a book. These are all things that encompass the hygge lifestyle. The soft and kind glow of a candle cannot be replicated by anything else and should be used throughout your home to create a warm radiance.

Decorate with candles

Twinkly lights are also ideal when it comes to hygge decor. Not only are they cheery and festive, but they look great everywhere. You can use them in your bedroom, living room, or even outdoor areas. Like candles, they give off a softer light and can add a pleasant touch to your home design without being too overwhelming.

Light up the area with twinkly lights.

Having a fireplace is an essential element to hygge decor.It represents warmth and togetherness and is most fun when enjoyed with loved ones.

The fireplace

Introducing texture to your living space is a great way to add interest to an otherwise minimalist design. You can do this by incorporating warm, natural materials like wood and wool into your decor. You can also add variety with different types of flowers for a small pop of color.

Add texture

Instead of just using your bathroom for a quick shower in the morning, make it a relaxing retreat. Your bathroom should be a place you go to for rest and rejuvenation.<ul><li>To create a bathroom that is pleasant and peaceful, make sure you have lots of hidden storage space to avoid any unwanted clutter. </li><li>For extra enjoyment, invest in candles and comfy robes for a design that is laid-back and serene.</li></ul>

Create a spa-style bathroom

Embracing the Danish concept of cosy and simple living

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Love & Relationships

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Health

The Definitive Guide to Hygge

Seven styling tips to incorporate hygge into your home. Also includes a visual guide to the do’s and don’ts of hygge decor, what hygge means and how to properly pronounce it.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Hygge Decor

Danes, often hailed as some of the happiest people on Earth, love nothing more than to hygge. That could mean reading a book while snuggling in a blanket, or a cozy night in with loved ones, laughing in the velvety candlelight with a cup of hot chocolate, gløgg (mulled wine) or coffee, depending on the time of day and year.Bun even they have rainy days. So what do they do, then, when there isn’t any help to be had from these cozy accompaniments? They say the magical word: ‘pyt’ [‘pyd’].

What do Danes say when things aren't so cosy?

Pyt is used to express that you accept a situation is out of your control, and even though you might be annoyed or frustrated, you decide not to waste unnecessary energy on thinking more about it.It is also used to comfort other people and diffuse unfortunate situations.

The meaning of Pyt

<ul><li>The power of 'pyt' had changed the atmosphere from potentially bleak to one of relief</li><li>'Pyt' was chosen as the nation's favourite word, which is a reflection of Danes' desire to take it easy and relax.</li><li>Children at kindergarten and primary school use the word to diffuse a tense situation</li><li>Visitors to Denmark can buy their own version of the ‘pyt’ button</li><li>These red-and-white plastic buttons resemble the ones that contestants in TV game shows press when they have the right answer</li><li>Press it and you’ll hear the word “pyt,” reminding you to step back from the situation and refocus.</li></ul>

Pyt: curiosities

Danes, often hailed as some of the happiest people on Earth, love nothing more than to hygge. But what do they do then when things aren’t so cosy? They say the magical word: ‘pyt’.

What to do when hygge no longer works

"Slow living is a lifestyle that emphasizes simplicity, mindfulness, and an appreciation of the natural world."Slow living is a philosophy that focuses on the importance of minimizing one’s environmental impact. The term was first coined by Jackie Jarvis in his book "In Pursuit of Slow".

Slow Living Lifestyle

Aspiration and escapism: There may not be gardens or coffee machines in everyone's homes, but watching this content lets us escape into a different mindset and world.Achievement: Once the viewers have completed these activities and followed the video instructions, they experience a sense of accomplishment. Moreover, when we feel in control of our tasks, despite so much uncertainty around us, it gives us a sense of satisfaction.

What makes slow living appealing? 

The trend of slowing down and doing things at a more leisurely pace is not new to history. It has been in the past and we can see it today.The slow living trend is not just about the way people live their lives, but also about how they consume products.Slow living can be seen as a reaction to the fast-paced society that most of us live in today. By adopting this lifestyle, consumers are able to take back control of their lives and enjoy things at a slower pace.

Slow Living Consumer Trend

ASMR videos (aka whisper videos) are among one the most watched formats on YouTube. These are soothing, often sedative videos that typically include placid sights and sounds.The content often features people whispering or making soft sounds, which can help listeners relax and give them a gentle tingling sensation across their scalp and body.Other popular forms of soothing content include nature films, cottagecore videos, and compilations of "oddly satisfying" clips.YouTube has a huge library of soothing videos about faraway destinations, village lifestyles, and the natural world.

Whisper videos

One of the most profound changes has been a slower pace of life that is being embraced by many consumers. We have entered a new era of “slow living.”

Google’s Official Digital Marketing Publication. Discover Gen Z’s viewing habits focused on soothing videos for stress relief & relaxation.

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Entertainment

The soothing videos that are captivating Gen Z

In the middle of a London August in 1827, a small group of mourners gathered on a hill in the fields just north of the city limits at Bunhill Fields, named for “bone hill,” longtime burial ground for the disgraceful dead. There, in what was now a dissenters’ cemetery, the English Poor Laws had ensured a pauper’s funeral for the man who had died five days earlier in his squalid home and was now being lowered into an unmarked grave. The man who, 150 years later, would be celebrated as “the loom’s loom, spinning the fiber of revelation” — a guiding sun in the human cosmos of creativity.

The Loom’s Loom, Spinning The Fiber Of Revelation

Those who knew William Blake (November 28, 1757–August 12, 1827) cherished his overwhelming kindness, his capacity for delight even during his frequent and fathomless depressions, his “expression of great sweetness, but bordering on weakness — except when his features are animated by expression, and then he has an air of inspiration about him.”

A Man Looking So Sweet, That Almost Looked Weak

Blake was remembered for the strange, koan-like things he said about Jesus (He is the only God. And so am I and so are you.), about the prosperous artists who held his poverty as proof of his failure (I possess my visions and peace. They have bartered their birthright for a mess of pottage.), about the nature of creativity (The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing which stands in the way… As a man is, so he sees.)

A Man Saying Strange, Koan-like Things

Unseen by his own world, Blake saw deep into the worlds to come, channeling his visions through anything at hand. It was not the medium that mattered, but its pliancy as he bent it to his vision of the mystery that is itself the message — the message we call art: He was a painter, a poet, a philosopher without meaning to, an early prophet of panpsychism, a mystic who lived not to solve the mystery but to revel in it, to encode it in verses and etch it onto copper plates and stain it onto canvases and seed it into souls for centuries to come.

An Artist Above And Beneath Any Medium

As an artist, he was resolutely his own standard, his own guiding sun. Like Beethoven, with whom he shared a death-year and the stubborn unwillingness to compromise on the artistic vision he experienced as life, Blake was determined to make what he wanted to make and to make it on his own terms — in a world unready for the art and unfriendly to the terms.There is no greater act of creative courage than this.

An Artist In A World Unready And Unfriendly

And so, centuries before the technologies existed to enable the proof, William Blake became the first living conjecture of the 1.000 True Fans theory. He knew what we all eventually realize, if we are awake and courageous enough: that the best way — and the only effective way — to complain about the way things are is to make new and better things, untested and unexampled things, things that spring from the gravity of creative conviction and drag the status quo like a tide toward some new horizon.

The Only Way To Complain Is To Create

Poverty is no friend to the creative spirit, nor to this artist who knew that “Man has no body distinct from his Soul for that called Body is a portion of Soul.” To feed the body, Blake worked long wearying hours as an engraver for hire, squinting at sheets of copper to scratch and cross-hatch shapes onto them in intricate patterns of dots and lines. “Engraving is Eternal work,”he sighed to a client who grumbled that a project was taking too long.

There Was A Body To Feed, So He Fed It

All the while, Blake’s mind bustled and bloomed with the transcendent chaos of his own ideas. He pressed the plates onto white paper, watching the ink held in the tiny canals of the etchings render stark yet delicate black-and-white shapes, alive with light and shadow.It was beautiful, but it was intensely toilsome — he could barely make a living illustrating other people’s work, and it left no time for his own art. He yearned for a different technique that could achieve the same result in less time and with less toil.No such technique existed.So he invented it.

There Was A Technique Missing, So He Invented It

Rather than cut the shapes onto the plates with his sharp steel burin, he painted directly onto the copper with a quill or brush dipped in acid-resistant varnish, then bathed the plates in acid, which stripped a layer of the surface to revealed the embossed shape of what he had drawn. A complaint made in chemistry and creative restlessness.

A Complaint Made In Creative Restlessness

The new technique gave Blake full creative freedom and full control of production. Suddenly, he could combine text and image on a single page, in a single process, which neither traditional engraving nor etching could do — both required separate space for lettering and a second production pass for type-setting the words.There was only one challenge with his invention: Because the print was still made by pressing a plate onto a page, any text he painted onto the plate was printed backward.So he learned mirror-writing.

A Challenge Overcome With Creative Persistence

Suddenly, William Blake had unfettered himself from the production machine, giving his creative might free rein. His new process, he estimated, enabled him to make what he wanted to make for a quarter of the cost. He was a one-man operation, creating in his own space and with his own hands what ordinarily took entire teams of artisans and craftsmen, each with different training, using different tools, working in different workshops.

Being A One-Man Operation

Centuries before zines, before blogs, before Instagram, before Substack, William Blake had built himself an autonomous platform on which to share his creative labors, exactly as he wanted them to live.The magnitude of his innovation was not lost on Blake. In 1793, he composed and printed his Prospectus, addressed “To The Public”, in which he announced that he had “invented a method of Printing both Letter-press and Engraving in a style more ornamental, uniform, and grand, than any before discovered.” It was nothing less than a manifesto for creative self-liberation:

Building An Autonomous Platform

The Labours of the Artist, the Poet, the Musician, have been proverbially attended by poverty and obscurity; this was never the fault of the Public, but was owing to a neglect of means to propagate such works as have wholly absorbed the Man of Genius. Even Milton and Shakespeare could not publish their own works.

In William Blake vs. the World John Higgs captures just how radical what Blake did was, both as a technology of creation and as an ethos:“Eighteenth-century printing was a complex job which involved many specialist tradesmen. One person wrote the book, another was responsible for editing it, and a third typeset the text. An artist designed illustrations for an engraver to produce, and a printer put each page through the press, once for text and a second time for the images. On occasions, these would be hand-coloured by another specialist, and finally a bookseller would sell the finished book.”

William Blake vs. The World

Thanks to Blake’s new technique, he had the ability to do all these tasks himself. He was a one-person publishing industry, writing, designing, printing and colouring illustrated works of his own devising. Although he was still in the Georgian era, Blake was practising the “do it yourself” ethos of punk rock.

Here is where a cynic or a Silicon Valley entrepreneur might scoff:So what? He died a pauper. And here is where Blake would wince back, as he did in a letter:I should be sorry if I had any earthly fame, for whatever natural glory a man has is so much detracted from his spiritual glory.

“I Should Be Sorry If I Had Any Earthly Fame”

Precisely because Blake was his own standard, because he wanted to make exactly what he wanted to make, it was enough for him that a handful of devoted fans became his collectors and commissioned work he was inspired to make. It was just about enough to live on. And it was never what he lived for. (Centuries later, this ethos — which is the natural state of the creative spirit — still raises eyebrows as radicalism.)

Being One’s Own Standard

The Only Valiant Way to Complain Is to Create: William Blake and the Stubborn Courage of the Unexampled

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