Delightful Dissent

Have you ever struggled to do things the same way as everyone else? Even when you know your way works for you, and works well, people insist you do it "properly". You might even start to doubt yourse…

It seems like creative people have a vision, then single-mindedly set about making it reality. But what if not all creativity looks like this? What if sticking to a linear path can do us more harm th…

We can't stop and mess about when there's important work to be done. We can only play when there won't be negative consequences. But what if play, and the active exploration of the situation, was a v…

Ever been told you're doing things the hard way? Do you feel your jaw clench when you hear a sentence beginning with "why don't you just..."?

We don't have to do everything from scratch, but solution…

Without having a way to understand the world - a system - we feel lost. Other people expect us to have a system which makes sense to them, and to explain what we do based on that.

But what happens w…

Ever struggled to figure something out whilst sat still? Ever tried to learn something physical but found your brain getting in the way? We're told that the mind directs the body. That the best way t…

We're told that we should fit in. That it's safer that way. That we should stick with what we - and other people - know. But what if in attempting to fit in we lose sight of ourselves and our unique …

Ever been told in accusatory tones that "you've changed"? Had a sense that your desire to change things for the better - for yourself and others - is a personal failing? That by growing and developin…

You can buy a bar of chocolate in any supermarket. It's a treat, an indulgence. What matters is that it tastes good. But what if there was more to chocolate than a sugar hit?

Join me and Dan Knowlson…

If we feel bad we're expected to do something about that. To take a pill or to improve things so we don't feel bad. Perhaps to simply "toughen up" and work through whatever we are experiencing. But w…

When we want something we're told that we must take bold, decisive action to get it. That hesitation is a sign of weakness. That we keep ourselves and those we care about safe by staying in control. …

We're told that there's a right way to develop, and a right way to support others in their development. That if someone isn't reaching an important milestone then we should concentrate our efforts on…

We're told - not always explicitly - that in order to be attractive and successful we must edit ourselves and our feelings. That we need to present a shiny, airbrushed, always-happy version of oursel…

Ever feel vulnerable and anxious because you don't have a ready answer to a question? From early in life we're told how important it is to have an answer. Through school and into work, we're judged o…

Not everyone is blunt enough to say "who do you think you are?" explicitly, but if you're at all unusual it's still there, hanging around. We're expected to be able to justify ourselves and why we're…

We're told that some of the ways we do things are fixed, that they can't be changed. That doing them this way is the only way that works even though it's difficult. That we just have to live with the…

We're told that success comes from picking a goal and sticking to it. That doggedly pursuing the shortest path between A and B is the quickest way to get there. But what if directly pursuing a goal p…

We're told taking responsibility means upholding a set of standards, and making things the way they 'should' be. That if we don't keep striving for that ideal, we've failed. That we're to blame for w…

We're told that the solution to suffering is more empathy. That if we put ourselves in others' place we can do what's needed. That we should follow the Golden Rule above all else. But what if too muc…

We're told "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail". Right from childhood we're expected to have an acceptable answer to the question "what do you want to be when you grow up?". At work we're judged o…