The Reality Institute
Archive for 'Why-to'

Why to actually have (as in give birth to) a Child:

Posted 24 January 2018 | By | Categories: Text, Why-to | 1 Comment

Why-to revisit a previously written why-to: When I wrote a why-to for having a child before he was born, it was really an exercise in gaining a better understanding of what motivates any human to make another human. However, since creating that initial why-to, I have actually had the child—actually, my wife was the one who gave […]

Why-to take up hobbies:

Posted 15 August 2017 | By | Categories: Text, Why-to | No Comments

In the rush to pursue activities, you might end up with a hobby. Usually considered an outside interest in that it does not relate directly to labor, a hobby can lay on a spectrum from the esoteric, such as building miniature ships in bottles, to the mainstream, like sports. Obscure or commonplace, what all of […]

Why-to have a child:

Posted 18 July 2017 | By | Categories: Text, Why-to | No Comments

I wonder if, when our kid is born, we’ll be opened up to the world rebornin such a way that all of the brilliant stimuli that already exists around here will suddenly become brighter and more vibrant. Maybe he will—his body coated in a light, soft, downy coat—spring moment by moment to each new experience with […]

Why-to not eat:

Posted 13 July 2017 | By | Categories: Text, Why-to | No Comments

Despite the fact that many may consider it to be an enjoyable activity, eating may not always be on someone’s plate at a given moment. They may be in-between meals or in-between jobs. Either way, the reasons for not eating can be a bit more complex than they may seem. Let’s dig in.

Why-to eat:

Posted 22 June 2017 | By | Categories: Text, Why-to | No Comments

What’s the first thing you think of when you think of food? The likely answer: this is something I need to put in my mouth, chew and swallow to survive for some reason. Everyone knows that eating food is essential for carrying nutrients to various systems throughout the body in order to ensure that the organism makes it through each day, but did you know that some foods can actually taste quite good?

Why-to listen to music:

Posted 14 June 2017 | By | Categories: Text, Why-to | No Comments

Cross-posted at Entropy Magazine, but edited and changed since its original publication. I’m hard pressed to think of a person who doesn’t like music.  It’s been around since the beginning and it comes in all forms in all cultures so there’s got to be a reason for it.  Maybe we should dissect the process of the […]

Why-to drive a car:

Posted 12 June 2017 | By | Categories: Text, Why-to | No Comments

Somewhere in the hubbub of human history, humanity found time to develop the automobile. With horse drawn carriages only moving so fast and so far, the car seemed like the obvious next step in the evolution of transportation technology. And, before the appearance of freeways and the innovation of the traffic jam, cars were generally considered a quick way to get from point A to point B. So, driving a car can seem like a very practical thing to do.

Why-to have a name:

Posted 07 June 2017 | By | Categories: Text, Why-to | No Comments

The universe is an endless canvas of things and those things blend seamlessly into one another, making it difficult to differentiate them. Almost serendipitously, perception makes it possible to call out what appear to be sensory borders between the elements of the larger canvass in such a way that we may label them, categorize them and refer to them in speech.

Why-to watch the Twin Peaks reboot:

Posted 01 June 2017 | By | Categories: Text, Why-to | No Comments

Living in the era of the reboot, it’s difficult not to be jaded by every revival that Hollywood throws up onto the silver screen, all over the boob tube, or into the internet. These efforts more often resemble a Pet Cemetery-style resurrection-for-profit than a genuine intent to extend the life of a piece of art, […]

(Submission) Why-to criticize the conduct of the Iranian elections and Iran’s record on democracy, but never elections and democracy in Saudi Arabia:

Posted 30 May 2017 | By | Categories: Text, Why-to | No Comments

Um. Uh. (Sigh) (Lip smack) (Pause) I think what—uh—we say is that—uh—at this meeting we were able to—uh—make significant progress with Saudi and GCC partners ins—uh—both making a strong statement against extremism and also—um—and also putting—e ah eh—putting in place certain measures through this GCC mechanism where we can combat extremism. Clearly one source of […]