Stream of Consciousness

The first known example of human social empathy is Little Benjamin.
For over half a million years, Benjamina's tiny skull was concealed in the Atapuerca Mountains of Spain. Her account now calls into question long-held beliefs about the origins of human empathy.
By Francis Dami7 months ago in Humans
just marry me.💔. Content Warning.
There was this girl who used to sell bangles. Somehow… she fell in love with me. And man, her love was something else. Like, every place she went, she’d always bring something special for me. Like a gift. Just for me.
By Usama7 months ago in Humans
How Changing My Environment Changed My Identity
We often talk about growth like it’s something that happens in therapy, in books, or in conversations with ourselves. But sometimes, it happens when you pack your things, leave behind everything you thought you were, and land in a place where no one knows your name.
By Irfan Ali7 months ago in Humans
The Spiritual Practice of Getting Lost
We live in a world obsessed with direction. With goals, timelines, five-year plans, and clearly marked paths. We’re taught from an early age to know where we’re going. To have answers. To be decisive, strategic, and on track.
By Irfan Ali7 months ago in Humans
Becoming a Safe Space for Myself
For most of my life, I searched for safety in other people. In relationships, I wanted reassurance. In friendships, I needed approval.
By Irfan Ali7 months ago in Humans
Leaving Isn’t Always Escaping
For a long time, I believed that leaving meant quitting. That walking away equated to failure. That staying—no matter how painful or misaligned—was the more noble, more courageous act. I thought that to endure was to be strong, and to leave was to give up.
By Irfan Ali7 months ago in Humans
“Stones of Tradition
The sun rose over Cedar Hollow like any other spring morning, bathing the village green in gentle light. People emerged from their clapboard houses with polite smiles and quiet anticipation. Today was the Choosing—the day they’d practiced for generations.
By Jack sparrow 7 months ago in Humans
I Am Not a Phase, I Am a Rebirth
For years, I was told I was “just going through a phase.” When I shifted my beliefs, changed my lifestyle, cut my hair, set boundaries, walked away from certain people—I was met with eye rolls, concern, and the ever-dismissive, “You’ll come back around. This is just a phase.”
By Irfan Ali7 months ago in Humans
How I Navigated a Season of Shedding
There are seasons in life that don’t look like blooming. They don’t come with fireworks, breakthroughs, or celebrations. They look more like unraveling—quiet, gritty, raw. They come with goodbyes, empty rooms, and aching clarity.
By Irfan Ali7 months ago in Humans
Unlearning Who I Thought I Had to Be
We spend so much of our lives becoming. Becoming who we’re told we should be. Becoming what’s applauded, rewarded, or expected.
By Irfan Ali7 months ago in Humans
Loving the Version of Me That Didn’t Make It
We often celebrate the parts of ourselves that arrived—the achievements, the growth, the glow-up after the storm. But what about the versions of us who didn’t make it? The selves who held big dreams that didn’t unfold, who gave their all and still fell short, who stayed hopeful until they couldn’t anymore?
By Irfan Ali7 months ago in Humans
Starting Over Without a Roadmap
Nobody teaches you how to start over. There’s no handbook for when life unravels. No syllabus for navigating a sudden job loss, a breakup that cracks you open, or a quiet inner shift that tells you—you can’t keep going like this. Sometimes, the ground disappears beneath you before you’ve figured out where you’re going next.
By Irfan Ali7 months ago in Humans