When evaluating the conspiracy beliefs of someone, I always use Mercier's framework... What does this belief allow that person to do?
Ppl usually have all sorts of conspiracy beliefs until consequences happen and they usually revert back to believing normal stuff

I'm concerned about several ideas promoted in this article on overdiagnosis, which argues that people are now excessively and unnecessarily seeking medical diagnoses for a range of difficulties. I describe my concerns below

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Je viens de publier un nouvel article ou je critique Freud. Je m'attaque cette fois à la sexualité de la défécation. Une idée qui est à l'origine du stade anal.
www.lafindelillusion.com/p/la-sexuali...

New post on The World between the Line. I'm continuing to modernize the 1898 translation of Jayasi's Padmavat. This week. Canto 3: The Birth of Padmavati
niespika.substack.com/p/jayasis-pa...

Second instalment of the modernized translation of Jayasi's poem, the Padmavat.
In the first canto, Jayasi promises to tell the tale of Queen Padmavati, and begins to praises the Creator, while acknowledging his spiritual guides and close friends.

New Article for the Artificial writer: Ways to the Good Life
open.substack.com/pub/theartif...
Three ancient epics—Homer's Iliad, Ashvagosha's Life of the Buddha, and the Mahābhārata—offer profound guidance on living well, challenging our modern preference for simple narratives and quick solutions.

New post for The Artifical Writer
Babur’s journey began at 12, inheriting Ferghanah in a world of Timurid chaos. Born into a legacy of conquest and culture, his early trials shaped him: a boy forced to grow up fast, balancing ambition, resilience, and the weight of his lineage.

For the past 4 years, I've set myself up a #readingthegreats challenge. Here are this year's best.
First up is Khaldun's Muqaddimah. Everything is in that book. History, philosophy, literary criticism, anthropology. The abridged version is great. Apparently the full version is even better

Best 5 books i've read this year, in no particular order
Starr's Lost Enlightenment. This history of Central Asia was an amazing intro to a world filled with mystery. Samarkand, Merv, Balkh are gates to a world full of adventure

In the Mahabharata (Section 36, Subsection 475), King Nahusha, transformed into a serpent, delves into Hindu philosophical concepts during a dialogue with Yudhishthira. His discourse portrays the self as relying on both mind and intelligence for worldly engagement.