Language
Why a Definition Changes with Its Neighbours
Why a definition changes with its neighbours: use nearby words, sentence structure, and setting to identify a word’s…
The collection
Reading list
Browse explanations and close readings of the words, beliefs and concepts that quietly influence how we make sense of the world.
Interpretation
Metaphor or Literal Description: What Does the Phrase Ask You to Picture?
Learn to tell metaphor from literal description by identifying the image a phrase invites, so you can interpret its…
History
Before the Modern Idea of Privacy
Before the modern idea of privacy, rooms and customs shaped who could withdraw, keep a confidence, or control access.…
Beliefs
The Myth That a Common Belief Has Always Been Common
Learn how to test claims that a common belief has always been common by comparing dated sources, identifying whose…
Ideas
A Conversation About the Word Fair
A conversation about the word fair helps a small group uncover different assumptions through everyday examples…
Our point of view
Ideas shape what we notice
A familiar phrase or belief can feel self-evident until we pause over it. We follow that pause with context, clear distinctions and questions worth carrying forward.