fact or fiction
Is it a fact or is it merely fiction? Fact or Fiction explores relationship myths and truths to get your head out of the clouds and back into romantic reality.
Embracing the Winter Ritual - A Personal Journey
On a typical cold winter morning, drowsiness still overwhelms me. It's not easy to remove the blankets from me, as the cold cuts through the bones. So, I stay wrapped up in the blankets for a while, feeling the temperature slowly increase. When the temperature is not so cold and frosty, then I say, it's time to get up.
By José Juan Gutierrez 2 months ago in Humans
Michael Savage on Why Christmas Inspires Gratitude
Christmas comes each year with warm lights, familiar songs, and a sense of quiet reflection that softens people. It is a season filled with memories, family traditions, and moments that remind us of what truly matters. Many people feel more appreciative during this time of year, even if life has been stressful or demanding. Writer Mike Savage, a New Canaan resident, often says that Christmas encourages people to slow down and notice the good around them. Gratitude becomes easier to feel because the season inspires connection, warmth, and generosity.
By Mike Savage New Canaan2 months ago in Humans
Are we truly alone?
Since the earliest days of civilization, humanity has looked toward the night sky and wondered about our place in the cosmos. Billions of stars ignite the Milky Way, each with the potential to host worlds where life might flourish. Yet despite this overwhelming abundance, every search for signals beyond Earth has returned only silence.
By Sakuni Bandara2 months ago in Humans
The Tomorrow Question
Alfonso Cuarón’s *Children of Men* (2006) is a film about the future, yet the issues it addresses are deeply relevant to the present world. The story takes place in 2027, where humanity has been unable to conceive for 18 years due to an unknown cause. The world is on the brink of collapse. Governments maintain military rule, suppressing unrest and treating refugees as the source of social instability. In this world without continuance, a woman named Kee unexpectedly becomes pregnant, turning her into humanity's last hope. Theo, a man disillusioned with the world, is forced onto a journey to escort and protect her.
By Water&Well&Page2 months ago in Humans
Poet Lord Byron: From Scandal to Sacrifice
Few figures in literary history are as compelling and contradictory as George Gordon Byron, known to the world as Lord Byron. Born into the English aristocracy in 1788, Byron inherited a title and wealth, yet his life would be defined as much by scandal as by privilege. A childhood marked by physical challenges, including a clubfoot, left him both self-conscious and fiercely independent, shaping a personality that alternated between charm, charisma, and a streak of recklessness. From his earliest years, Byron displayed the restless energy that would make him both the darling and the scandal of English society.
By Tim Carmichael2 months ago in Humans
Living Your Truth
"The world we see is but a shadow; the true world exists in a higher dimension." — Plato In the past, humans lived in a two-dimensional world, seeing only shadows on the cave wall and believing that to be the entirety of reality. However, when they stepped outside the cave, they discovered that the shadow was merely a projection cast by the sunlight on their bodies, and the world was, in fact, three-dimensional. Does this mean that what we perceive as reality is just the interior of another, larger cave? If we continuously break through the boundaries of cognition, might we discover an even vaster world outside? Human exploration is infinite, and what we call "reality" might just be layer upon layer of shadows.
By Water&Well&Page3 months ago in Humans
Find Your Light in the Darkness
Light is a form of energy that allows humans to see, and we rely on it to function. Having less light during the day affects many people. Some even develop depression from this lack of sunlight through a condition called S.A.D (Seasonal Deficit Disorder).
By Elizabeth Woods3 months ago in Humans
Why I Stopped Being a "Good Person": The Day I Quit People-Pleasing
For as long as I can remember, my identity was wrapped up in one simple word: "Yes." “Can you help me move apartments this weekend?” Yes. (Even though I had a fever.) “Can you cover my shift at work?” Yes. (Even though it was my only day off.) “Can I borrow money?” Yes. (Even though I was struggling to pay my own rent.) I wore my exhaustion like a badge of honor. I convinced myself that this was what it meant to be a "good person." I thought that if I sacrificed enough, if I gave enough, if I suffered enough for others, then I would be worthy of love. I treated relationships like vending machines: I inserted kindness, expecting respect to fall out. But the machine was broken. The turning point didn't come during a dramatic argument. It happened on a quiet Sunday afternoon. I was sitting in my car, parked outside a friend’s house. I had just spent four hours helping them organize their garage. I was tired, hungry, and my back was aching. I checked my phone. It was my birthday. Not a single person I had spent the last year "saving" had sent me a message. Not one. I sat there in the silence, staring at the steering wheel, and for the first time, I didn't feel angry at them. I felt angry at myself. I realized that I wasn't being kind. I was being transactional. I was doing things for people not because I wanted to, but because I was terrified that if I stopped being useful, they would stop liking me. I was buying their companionship with my labor. I had turned myself into a doormat and then complained that people were wiping their feet on me. That day, I made a decision. I decided to try a dangerous experiment. I decided to start saying "No." The first time was terrifying. A coworker asked me to do a report that was his responsibility. My heart hammered in my chest. My palms sweated. The old instinct to please screamed at me to just agree. But I took a deep breath and typed: “I can’t do that. I have my own workload to finish.” I waited for the world to end. I waited for him to scream at me, to fire me, to hate me. Instead, he simply replied: “Okay, no problem.” The world didn’t end. But my world shifted. Over the next few months, I went on a "No" spree. I stopped attending events I didn't want to go to. I stopped listening to drama that drained my energy. I stopped apologizing for taking up space. The reaction was revealing. Some people—the ones who truly cared about me—respected my boundaries. They were happy to see me taking care of myself. But the others? The ones who only liked me for what I could do for them? They became angry. They called me selfish. They called me "changed." They fell away from my life like dead leaves. And honestly? It was the greatest relief of my life. I realized that losing a "friend" who only calls you when they need something is not a loss. It is a gain. It is gaining back your time, your energy, and your self-respect. I am no longer a "nice" person. "Nice" is polite. "Nice" is quiet. "Nice" is doing what you are told. Instead, I am striving to be a kind person. There is a difference. Kindness is honest. Kindness comes from a place of strength, not fear. A kind person helps you up when you fall, but they won't lay down so you can walk over them. Today, my circle is smaller. My phone is quieter. But when I say "Yes" now, I mean it. I am not giving from an empty cup anymore. If protecting my peace makes me the villain in your story, then so be it. I would rather be a happy villain than a miserable hero.
By Noman Afridi3 months ago in Humans
