The latest articles from Steve Worsley.
Do you believe in luck? Through the ages many people have believed in a supernatural force which could bestow good fortune. Whether it was a lucky rabbit foot, lucky underwear or, as in the case of the Romans, the goddess Fortuna . Allegorie der Fortuna by Tadeusz Kuntze However the concept of luck has changed. Alain de Botton writes in Status Anxiety : “As man’s power to control and predict the…
Beware the to-do list rabbit hole. It starts off with one or two innocent reminders and ends up with you tumbling down a long hole of procrastination in search of the perfect system. After many years of trying different software I’m glad to say that I’m finally climbing back out of the hole wearing a rather dashing Cheshire Cat pelt. The great thing about to-do and check lists is that, not only…
It is widely acknowledged that the greatest danger we face on our journey to adulthood is not choking on LEGO bricks, falling from trees or passing out from strawpedioing Hooch. What really strikes fear into the hearts of every parent? The philosophy degree. What philosophy lacks in its ability to generate an income it makes up by helping people find fulfillment, cope with grief or even to decide…
In my recent series of posts I’ve put Santa to task, wafted away the myths of ghosts and passionately pooh-poohed bad advice . I now take aim at Cupid with my fly-swatter of justice... I remember cycling to my then girlfriend’s house. It was the furthest I had ever cycled. It was a fresh, bright morning and quite invigorating. In my backpack was a gift-wrapped box which, when opened, would bounce…
As the probability of a cushy afterlife dwindles when 72 virgins decide that instead of sex “We’d like to go home and have a nice cup of tea.”, St Peter is away ‘helping’ with Operation Yewtree and reincarnation has been put on hold after the talking pig incident. Is it any wonder that we feel compelled to find something fulfilling to do with our lives if there’s no likelihood of an afterlife? Add…
You’ve read the reviews, viewed the Watch it Played videos, eagerly waited for it to be released in the UK and there it is, sat in front of you, a box covered in smooth cellophane wrapping. You peel off the wrapping and gingerly lift the lid. The box sighs as the air seeps in. You’re presented with neat rows of glossy cards, shiny tokens and colourful dice. 4 confusing hours later you’ve packed it…
There I was, lost in Wales, standing in a field as the rain pattered off my hood, when I managed to get probably the only bit of phone signal in the area. I ditched the OS map and checked my phone - there was a text from Mum: “Can u ring me re Gma thanks”. “Uh oh, this can’t be good” I thought. Grandma has been in hospital for the last few months. And so it turned out that she had died. When I…
What is fear? Fear is old people sat in a shed with the keys to the lawnmower. Fear is what they’ll say if you let your allotment get overgrown. Fear is what you’ll do to avoid asking for the lawnmower. Fear is irrational, complicated and, quite frankly, a bit of a turd. Out of the fear of making you feel uncomfortable I was going to write this article as a story about someone else and at the end…
It’s been a year since I started gracing the web with the presence of my hastily written musings and, as long as I don’t lose my fingers to an angry camel whilst on a trip to the zoo - not that I go to zoos as they’re a bit harsh on the animals, could you imagine Mufasa in a zoo? “Look, Simba. Everything the light touches is our kingdom… except that part over there marked ‘Petting’. You must never…
I’m ashamed to say that I only became aware of the usefulness of notebooks after I got caught up in ‘designer’ culture. Many of the design interviews and articles I read contained a photo with some sort of diagram in a notebook usually accompanied with coffee and Apple product in tow. So when I saw a notebook which kind of looked like a Moleskine in Asda I jumped at the chance of becoming an…