'The unexamined life is not worth living: A thread ⬇️'

If alive today, would Socrates be an influencer and Plato, his social media manager?

An underrated thing I love about cities is that, if you wander long enough, you’ll land upon some inspiring quote scrawled on the pavement that might trigger a Liz Gilbert-style overhaul of your life. One aphorism I saw this weekend in east London: “Do it for your future self.” I reckon future me loves present me too much to allow me to go for my hot girl walk today, especially while it’s windy and damp outside. Let’s stay indoors and read together, eh? Here are some reads (and one listen) that have stuck in my head over the past week.

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Sarah de Lagarde’s life changed in an instant while traveling home from work on London’s Tube last September. The PR executive almost died after falling into the gap between the train and the platform. What happened in the minutes after the accident is harrowing—and tells of her superhuman strength. An incredible investigation into the incident, and Transport for London’s response, from the Financial Times’ Madison Marriage.

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‘Nones’ are a varied group of people across the world united by their disdain for organized religion. They’re not necessarily atheist or agnostic, some may say they’re spiritual, but they are all “nothing in particular” when it comes to religious beliefs—for various reasons. “I see all religions as very arrogant because the universe’s magnitude is so brutal, and yet they try to place humans as the epicenter,” Uruguay’s ex-president, Jose Mujica, who is atheist, tells the Associated Press. From Nigeria to Mexico, explore the AP’s stories on this growing demographic.

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Here’s a supernatural question: Why are so many ghosts female? The answer may lie in how some women are viewed while they’re living. Whether they were independent or had limited rights, their prevalence as omnipresent souls reasserts the power they may have been denied in life, Nathaniel Scharping finds.

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“Do we live in a society or a marketplace?” asks the New York Times’ Amanda Hess in the age of the viral airplane squabble. Whether entertaining or triggering to watch, these clips often reveal personal and cultural flashpoints that go beyond a wailing baby or a soggy mid-air meal.

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Bet you won’t guess which site this quote pertains to: “It’s a place for connection and a place for celebration.” It’s…LinkedIn, of all places. The platform is enjoying unlikely new life as a social media haven for some American high schoolers anxious about their futures and careers, The Cut’s Anya Kamenetz writes.

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“We love food and drink photos…but the TikToks and Instagram photoshoots have gotten a bit out of control for us,” comes a desperate plea from one new Brooklyn café overwhelmed by content creators. With its warm minimalist interior, Dae inadvertently became a new photoshoot spot, before the owners cracked down and banned pics, Curbed’s Clio Chang writes. Related: This somehow got me thinking about how ancient philosophers might perform in the social media age. Would Socrates and Plato post on TikTok and write extensive Twitter threads? (‘GRWM: True knowledge exists in knowing you know nothing.’) Loved this exploration by Nathan Dufour Oglesby.

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“Sometimes, I can do absolutely nothing but stand there and exist as a woman who doesn’t cower at intimidation. And that seems to be extremely unsettling for some people—and some men.” My favourite find this week is the Teakink podcast, hosted by dominatrix Eva Oh, who spills on her life of “sensuality, secrets and success.” Start with the most recent episode.

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Thank you for reading. Share with a friend and take care of yourself this week,

Isabel :) 

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