Ever feel like self-help books are just ancient wisdom in modern packaging? You’re not wrong. From Stoicism in Mark Manson’s no-nonsense advice to Aristotle hiding in James Clear’s habit hacks, the overlap is real. Even The Alchemist echoes the spiritual journey of Neoplatonism. Turns out, our search for meaning, discipline, and change hasn’t changed much in 2,000 years — we’ve just swapped scrolls for bestsellers.
When people talk about philosophy, they usually picture togas, scrolls, and the sun-drenched forums of Ancient Greece. What they don’t picture is a monk, a Muslim doctor, and a Jewish legal scholar walking into a library. But maybe they should. The Middle Ages weren’t just a thousand-year nap between Aristotle and Descartes — they were full of thinkers wrestling with the same big questions: What is truth? How should we live? Is faith compatible with reason? This piece takes a fresh look at three medieval giants — Aquinas, Avicenna, and Maimonides — who prove that even in “dark” times, philosophy burned bright.
What Friends Taught Me About Philosophy (Yes, Really) When people think of philosophy, they imagine old Greek men in togas debating the meaning of life. What they don’t imagine? Ross Geller yelling “PIVOT!” while shoving a couch up the world’s narrowest staircase. And yet, that’s exactly where philosophy showed up for me—right in the middle of a Friends binge during high school Philosophy class (yes, that was a real assignment). Turns out, philosophers and sitcom writers have something in common: they both know the power of a good story. Plato had his allegory of the cave, Camus had his boulder, and Ross? Ross had that couch. And honestly, all three teach us something about the human condition. Stories—whether ancient or sitcom-level ridiculous—help us process life, laugh at it, and sometimes, accidentally stumble into some pretty deep thoughts. Because if you really think about it, aren’t we all just trying to pivot our way through life’s tight corners?
