Consent and Pace
Haste is good only when catching fleas. — Folk wisdom Two people enter an apartment voluntarily. One agrees to a kiss. Then to being touched. A minute later the responses…
The Strong Side
Self-improvement culture often tells you to start with your weaknesses, as if a person were a list of defects awaiting repair. Meanwhile we usually like what works out, and what…
Unfinished Work Has to Be Safe Too
Everyday culture judges safety by the moment of active work: the tool is switched off, so the danger is over. But an unfinished structure, an open container or a removed…
A “no” does not need an autopsy
Negotiation culture treats a refusal as an objection that has simply not been handled correctly yet. But a “no” is sometimes not an obstacle on the way to a deal…
Truth without a cult of candour
Public morality offers a simple ideal: an honest person always tells the whole truth. That formula fails to distinguish lying, privacy, confidentiality, tact and protection from danger. You have to…
Why Trust Accumulates Slowly
Trust, but verify. — A Russian proverb In the first round, a person repays a debt on time. That may mean reliability. It may mean wanting a second, larger loan.…