(THE ONE-SENTENCE VERSION)
I explore ideas about psychological flexibility and fulfillment, influenced by psychology, philosophy, religion, and stories.
ABOUT KINDWOLVES
I often feel pulled between different values that sometimes seem incompatible and in conflict.
Kindness, honesty, discipline, compassion (for myself and others), boundaries, vulnerability, courage, more reflection, more action.
When the choices that we might make based on these values (and others) come into conflict, I find it challenging to know what to do. But I also think that this tension between values could lead to something useful. I want to find ways to act at the intersection of these values.
What do you get when you combine kindness and honesty and action? Something good, I hope.
Perhaps the same is true for the middle way that can be found in many situations if we combine an array of values with mental models (or borrowed wisdom) and the context currently at hand.
The writing I do here is my attempt at exploring how we might act based on the intersection of values.
If you find yourself often torn between competing values, mental models, and beliefs, you might find some of my articles interesting.
Ultimately, pretty much everything I write ends up being about mental or spiritual fitness and flexibility. I tend to explore topics related to psychology, philosophy, creativity, and mindfulness.
ABOUT ME
My name is David Manuel. My internet name is David Eliot Manuel because there are a lot of David Manuels.
I’m working towards a career as a psychotherapist and scientist.
I’m also trying to be a partially autodidactic multidisciplinary werewolf.
I’m based in Vancouver, B.C.
I was born in Bombay, I spent my early childhood in Hong Kong, and I’ve lived in B.C. since 1999. I studied at Simon Fraser University and graduated in 2013 with a B.F.A. in Film Production. I’m currently finishing a second undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of British Columbia.
The academic research that I’m working on is about connectedness’s role in protecting against suicidality.
I want to bring more kindness, courage, and connection to the world. I try to orient my actions and writing around these values. Through a combination of my writing and interdisciplinary therapeutic practices, I hope that I may be able to help share contexts and facilitate connections that bring people together.
I’m obsessed with ideas about meaning and expression, and I love the process of trying to make creative work that is directly beneficial to someone else.
