humanity
For better or for worse, relationships reveal the core of the human condition.
The Pickharness Principle
There exists a 14th-century play by a long-dead and long-anonymous individual known only by his (or her, but it was the 14th century, so-) highly aggrandizing epithet, The Wakefield Master. They are called that because they are considered to have authored four plays in the Wakefield Cycle, a series of biblical stories brought to theatre in Medieval England. Obviously these plays are written quite masterfully, otherwise the Wakefield Master would be considered the Wakefield Schlub. In whichever case, I would like to talk about one in particular, The Killing of Abel, which I, when I was at the tender age of 19, read for the first time so as to write what my professor called a “grotesquely long” research paper that annoyed her to no end. Most notably, the Wakefield Master’s Killing of Abel stood out to me because it is the first and only time I have ever encountered my favorite word in the wild.
By Steven Christopher McKnight3 months ago in Humans
the loop. Top Story - November 2025. Content Warning.
no one stopped. no one stopped and looked at me with care in their eyes when they found out. they looked at me with apathy and said they didn’t worry because my wounds weren’t as deep as someone else’s. they said they weren’t deep enough to do anything. so i went home and sliced through my skin and spent hours in the bathroom because the only solace i felt was in there. they looked at me and asked, why? i didn’t say anything, i could barely force myself to breathe. so they slapped me, again, why? my lips trembled, my palms sweat. how do i tell them that there are so many things creeping into my mind, into my head, into my heart that i couldn’t cope anymore, that breathing hurts, existing hurts, that i just want to be dead. how do i voice how much i want to disappear. so i say, i don’t know, another slap. this time it makes my ears ring. i pray they hit me harder.
By sumiya akter3 months ago in Humans
Rebuilding Reciprocity
Truth alone can heal what pride has broken. The war between men and women is not natural. It is manufactured by a culture that rewards resentment and mocks responsibility. Men are not the enemy of women, and women are not the enemy of men. The true enemy is the spirit of division that turned cooperation into competition. To rebuild what was lost, both must return to the principle that made civilization possible: reciprocity.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast3 months ago in Humans
The Decline of the Marriage Covenant
Marriage was once the sacred foundation of civilization. It was the covenant upon which families, communities, and moral order were built. It bound man and woman together in purpose, duty, and devotion under the authority of God. Today, that covenant has been reduced to a fragile contract of convenience. What was once holy has become negotiable. What was once permanent has become temporary. The decline of the marriage covenant is not only a personal tragedy. It is a national one.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast3 months ago in Humans
The Moral Economics of Love
Every human system, whether spiritual, political, or relational, is governed by incentives. People repeat what is rewarded and avoid what is punished. Love is no exception. It may sound sacred and emotional, but it still follows the law of cause and effect. When love is rewarded with gratitude, it grows. When it is met with entitlement, it dies. Modern society has rewritten the incentives of love, turning what was once an act of sacrifice into a transaction of convenience. The result is a generation that no longer knows how to give without gain.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast3 months ago in Humans
Long-Distance Twin Flames:
Long distance twin flame connections test your trust, patience, and emotional strength. You feel the bond every day, yet the physical distance shapes your routine. You need structure if you want the connection to stay steady. A clear plan helps you stay grounded instead of drifting into anxiety or emotional overload. The goal is simple. Build trust, create steady touchpoints, and keep your energy aligned over the next 30, 60, and 90 days.
By Wilson Igbasi3 months ago in Humans
The Map of My Grief
The Map of My Grief I never knew grief had a shape until I started walking through it. People say time heals, that loss softens, that you learn to live around the empty spaces. Maybe that’s true for some, but for me, grief became a place. A strange country I never planned to visit, let alone live inside. And in that country, I had to learn the roads by heart, because every step I took kept leading me back to my parents.
By Marie381Uk 3 months ago in Humans
Radiating Light:
The journey of divine feminine healing is a deeply personal one, often involving introspection, rediscovering inner strength, and embracing vulnerability. It’s about reconnecting with your intuition, compassion, and inherent power. But what happens when this internal work begins to ripple outwards? How can you tell if your healing journey is inspiring those around you?
By Wilson Igbasi3 months ago in Humans
A Hate Letter to Personal Statements. Top Story - November 2025.
I find myself once again writing personal statements for grad school applications. Why I would do such a thing to myself again after so many years of not doing that, I have no clue. Perhaps I have a sadistic streak, an echo of my Catholic upbringing which manifests the typical emotional self-flagellation into a desire to apply to and inevitably get rejected from grad school. I could put applications in all day, don’t get me wrong. I love going over checklists and reaching out to old professors asking them sweetly if they would be so kind as to say nice things about me on the official record for Miscellaneous University and their Obscure College of the Performing Arts. But good God, dude, why do I have to write a damn personal statement for each and every one of these programs?
By Steven Christopher McKnight3 months ago in Humans
Missing Bags and Missing Compassion: My Walmart Experience.
I got my groceries. But I lost a little faith. Yesterday started like any other errand day. I went to Walmart to pick up groceries—nothing fancy, just the usual essentials. I don’t drive anymore, so I took an Uber there and back. The trip home was uneventful. My Uber driver was kind, even helped carry the bags into the house. But when I started putting things away, I realized something was off. Two bags were missing.
By Julie O'Hara - Author, Poet and Spiritual Warrior3 months ago in Humans
