“Eternal life is a free gift” — is perhaps the most successful marketing ploy in history: A specious claim that offers the one thing that no one could have, at no cost at all.

It was 4:30 AM when the intercom in my dorm room interrupted my sleep: “Maroela is hier! Maroela is hier!” The distressed voice on the intercom was that of our primarius, the chief ranked member of the House Committee of our men’s residence, announcing the arrival of our arch-enemy residence, Maroela.

"To be a scientist is to be naive. We are so focused on our search for truth we fail to consider how few actually want us to find it.”

Before that, for half of my adult life, whenever I found myself in seclusion with, and mutually attracted to another woman, we teetered on the edge of what could hardly be considered a complete sexual act.

I am not sure that I exist. I am sure of existence itself, but I… what is I?

What did you do to deserve where you were born? Did you choose the U.S. over North Korea? Paris over Riyadh? What did you do to deserve the parents whom you were born to? What about the school you attended or the teachers you were subjected to?

The answer to all of these factors is an emphatic, ‘Nothing’.

What is faith? It is belief in something without sufficient evidence. Billions of people pride themselves as being people of faith. Conversely, the atheist prides herself in being skeptical. I.e. she withholds faith until sufficient evidence presents itself…

“What does it all mean? What is the meaning of life?” We’ve been told that in the absence of a meaningful answer, there is a great void in our lives that must be filled with something: An idea, a God, a myth or a person. But what if this is an imaginary problem? What if it is an illusion or story we’ve told ourselves for millennia?

Arianna Huffington read this piece and asked for it to be published on Thrive Global. The Chinese have an insightful word for the concept of 'nature'. It is pronounced, 'Ziran,' and means 'of itself', 'naturally' or 'spontaneously.'

A mentor of mine once shared, that sure, it is a good thing when you learn to tolerate those with other world views, but it is an even greater thing when you learn, not only to tolerate, but to embrace.

A whole new world has opened for me. The religious teachers in my formative years have told me not to touch, and not to handle... that it will lead me off the straight and narrow. Now, some years later, I can see exactly why. Because it did indeed lead me off the path they have wanted for me...