travel
The ultimate test of a compatible relationship is whether you can stand to travel together.
(3) Authority Without Consequence
- The Moment Authority Became Untethered - Every functioning system of governance relies on a constraint so fundamental it often goes unnoticed until it disappears: authority must be exposed to consequence. When those who make decisions experience the downstream effects of those decisions personally, power is naturally disciplined by risk. That discipline does not require virtue or foresight. It operates mechanically. Decisions that produce harm are abandoned because they injure the decision-maker, and decisions that succeed are reinforced because they reward restraint. Modern political systems did not lose this constraint through a single reform or moral collapse. They lost it gradually, through delegation, bureaucratic layering, procedural complexity, and the normalization of distance between action and outcome, until authority could be exercised without meaningful exposure to its effects.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast15 days ago in Humans
(2) From Stake to Abstraction
- The Original Logic of Representation - For most of human political history, representation was not conceived as a mechanism for expressing individual preference or personal identity. It was understood as an extension of responsibility. Political participation flowed to those who bore the material risks of maintaining the community, because those risks imposed discipline on decision making. To have a voice in governance meant being exposed to the consequences of governance. That exposure included taxation, compulsory service, property seizure, legal punishment, and, in many cases, the obligation to physically defend the community. Representation was therefore not grounded in abstract equality, but in the practical need to align authority with liability so that decisions would remain tethered to reality rather than sentiment or impulse. The system did not assume wisdom or virtue. It assumed self-interest and constrained it by consequence.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast15 days ago in Humans
(1) Seeing the System Clearly
- The Shared Feeling No One Can Quite Explain - Most people do not need to be convinced that something is wrong. They feel it in rising costs that never seem to stabilize, in rules that change without explanation, in institutions that demand compliance but no longer command trust, and in a political process that feels permanently hostile yet strangely ineffective. These experiences are not isolated. They are widespread, persistent, and remarkably consistent across demographics, ideologies, and personal circumstances. What differs is not the feeling, but the explanation people are given for it.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast15 days ago in Humans
(0) Prologue: Before You Read
This series is written for readers who sense that something in the structure of modern life no longer works the way it once did, but who have found most available explanations unsatisfying. It assumes the reader is capable of sustained attention and willing to engage with complexity without demanding immediate resolution. It does not assume political alignment, ideological agreement, or shared conclusions. What it does assume is a willingness to slow down long enough for clarity to emerge.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast15 days ago in Humans
After two millennia, the Commodus passage is once again accessible to the general public.
Visitors to Rome are exploring the Commodus Passage, a secret passageway in the Colosseum that was formerly only accessible to emperors, for the first time in nearly two millennia.
By Francis Dami15 days ago in Humans
Stranded in the Sky: The Unbreakable Spirit of the Andes Survivors
Imagine this: You're flipping through a dusty old album on a quiet Sunday, the kind where the house is too still and your mind wanders. Suddenly, a photo hits you like a punch. A bunch of young guys, bundled in whatever rags they've got, standing in blinding snow, arms slung around each other, smiling like they've just scored the winning try. But right in the middle of the frame-there's a human spine. Clean. White. Stark against the whiteout. Your stomach drops. These aren't props. These are the remains of their friends. And those smiles? They're not fake. They're the smiles of people who've stared death down and somehow kept breathing.
By KWAO LEARNER WINFRED16 days ago in Humans
Hoʻoponopono of Hawaiʻi: Home Sweet Home
Lost in America Growing up in Korea, Japan and Italy, it was hard to adapt to life in Mississippi and Oklahoma. I felt lost in America. Finally, in high school we moved to Los Angeles, where I became a gymnast and loved to practice martial arts. Finally, I found someplace I fit in. I learned Spanish because no one speaks English there; at least, none of my friends did, they spoke Chinese, Korean, Spanish or other languages. The only time I heard English was when people from different cultures were forced to talk to each other.
By SAMURAI SAM AND WILD DRAGONS18 days ago in Humans
I Was Thrown Out of an Airbnb House
I had never felt more unwelcome in my life than I did that night. The Airbnb host had been polite enough when I arrived, but something shifted the moment I unpacked my bag. I didn’t notice at first—just a quiet tension, a tight smile, a glance that lingered too long. By the time I had put my toothbrush in the tiny bathroom cup, it was obvious: I wasn’t staying.
By John Smith18 days ago in Humans
Nairobi After Dark: What First-Time Nights Don’t Tell You
Your first night out in Nairobi can be confusing. You arrive early, dressed and ready, expecting the buzz you’ve heard about. Instead, the room feels calm. Music plays softly. People linger at tables. The energy you anticipated hasn’t arrived yet, and you begin to wonder if the city’s nightlife reputation was exaggerated.
By Melody Dalisay19 days ago in Humans
How Can Beginners Enjoy Surfing Safely at Playa Avellanas?
There is something magical about standing on the sand at Playa Avellanas, feeling the warm Costa Rican sun on your skin, and listening to the ocean roll in. If you have ever wanted to try surfing but felt nervous about it, this beach is one of the best places to start. I still remember my first paddle out here, the mix of excitement and nervous energy as the waves approached, and the feeling of accomplishment when I finally caught my first ride.
By Amanda Glen20 days ago in Humans
