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Pause the busyness of life to reflect on ourselves, our relationships, and the Universe.
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Mini Philosophy is a place to slow down and think. It creates space to reflect on ourselves, our relationships, and the Universe, away from the noise and busyness of everyday life.

Through essays, interviews, and its newsletter, Mini Philosophy makes philosophy accessible and human. Subscribers get exclusive conversations with leading philosophers and become part of a thoughtful, supportive community of curious minds.

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Jonny Thomson is a Big Think columnist and the award-winning, bestselling author of three books translated into 22 languages. A former philosophy teacher in Oxford, he is known for making philosophy accessible, relatable, and engaging.

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Which of the 5 philosophical archetypes best describes you?
I'm definitely a Kitsune, but would a Kitsune actually say that?

by Jonny Thomson

A woman in white approaches a large, winged creature with a human face—an embodiment of ancient archtypes—partially hidden behind a rock in a mountainous landscape.
Everything Articles
A man in overalls, an example of epistemic trespassing, holds wrenches while standing between surgeons in scrubs and masks performing surgery.
Mini Philosophy
“Epistemic trespassing”: Why brilliant people say idiotic things
Not all knowledge carries over.
Jonny Thomson
A person in white clothing is partially emerging from a wooden coffin, one hand gripping the lid and the other reaching out, evoking a sense of nostalgia for stories of the past.
Mini Philosophy
Buried alive, leeched, and attacked with a poker: The dark history of nostalgia “cures”
Today, nostalgia is somewhat kitsch. Back then, it was something to be feared.
Jonny Thomson
Two people sit on white chairs facing each other, both smiling and dressed formally, on a brightly lit stage with a blue and white background.
Mini Philosophy
The Oprah Rule: What everyone wants you to say in a conversation  
People don't want you to buy their stories — they want you to listen to them.
Jonny Thomson
Person wearing a Santa Claus suit rakes sand in a purposeful pattern, resembling a Zen garden, against a beige background.
Mini Philosophy
All I want for Christmas is a sense of purpose
Santa's done really well this year.
Jonny Thomson
A woman in a blue floral robe looks at her reflection in a mirror, her back partially turned to the viewer as she contemplates her identity.
Mini Philosophy
The tyrannous grip of extreme identity politics
Who polices our identities?
Jonny Thomson
A close-up drawing of a woman's face with her eyes closed, head tilted back in pleasure, and dramatic shadows cast across her cheeks and lips.
Mini Philosophy
How to get your ethically sourced pleasure
Pleasure is never bad — but its source can be.
Jonny Thomson
A woman with long red hair, wearing a puffer jacket, stands outdoors with passion in her gaze—holding binoculars and looking up as a camera hangs from her neck.
Mini Philosophy
3 ways to cultivate a passion
Be weird and esoteric because humans are weird and esoteric.
Jonny Thomson
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