On a shelf in my bedroom sits a three-inch stone statue of a giggling Buddha. He is perhaps my favourite piece of decor. Yet, if I had bought him online, I would like him a little less. That is to say, the fact that I bought him in a market in Chongqing, rather than by clicking a button, increases my enjoyment of the item. Having bought him where, when, from whom, and with whom I did ties him to an experience that gives the item meaning. The same goes for whatever you buy, consume, make, or...

Fitness is more than what some make it out to be “Gym Bros are More Likely to be Right-Wing Assholes, Science Confirms” – VICE headline.   “Getting fit is great – but it could turn you into a rightwing jerk” – Guardian headline.   ‘MSNBC thinks you’re a nazi if you work out lmaooo’ – Elon Musk tweet.   As someone who has been lifting for over seven years, has competed in bodybuilding, and would recommend no activity more than physical exercise, headlines and comments like these disturb me....

We lose a lot if we're constantly tuned in …and maybe the podcast. Whatever you listen to on that dreaded fifteen-minute walk to your next tutorial, during which time you must give 200 nods to people you vaguely know and hardly like while the Scottish rain falls freezing on your head — stop. Take out your headphones. There are so many little things you’re missing out on. And we all know it’s the little things in life that make the biggest difference.   A few days ago, I turned down a mate who...