https://decafquest.com/Essays on philosophy, ethics and decision-making — DecafQuestHugoenSun, 14 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/vienna-philosophy-retreat/Sun, 14 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/vienna-philosophy-retreat/The third philosophy retreat took place in Vienna. Notes on the city of ideas, AI, consciousness, and what it means to act responsibly.https://decafquest.com/the-problem-with-introspection/Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/the-problem-with-introspection/Is introspection useless? A Schelling-inspired look at why self-knowledge comes from creating and acting, not endlessly looking inward.https://decafquest.com/ortega-y-gasset-madrid-retreat/Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/ortega-y-gasset-madrid-retreat/The 2025 Madrid retreat explored Ortega's 'I am myself and my circumstance' through philosophical walks, Goya's art, and Socratic dialogue.https://decafquest.com/know-thyself-perfect-portfolio/Mon, 06 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/know-thyself-perfect-portfolio/A review of 'In Pursuit of the Perfect Portfolio' examining 10 expert perspectives on investment theory and the philosophical core: know thyself.https://decafquest.com/economic-sanctions-ethics-collateral-damage/Thu, 02 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/economic-sanctions-ethics-collateral-damage/Examining the ethical dilemmas of economic sanctions and their impact on SMEs and civilians, exploring frameworks for minimizing collateral damage.https://decafquest.com/from-finance-to-philosophy/Sat, 26 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/from-finance-to-philosophy/How studying finance during the 2008 crisis led me to philosophy when business formulas weren't enough to answer deeper questions about ethics.https://decafquest.com/humes-lesson-on-moderation/Wed, 23 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/humes-lesson-on-moderation/How David Hume's early burnout taught him the importance of balance in intellectual pursuits.https://decafquest.com/am-i-in-the-matrix/Sun, 20 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/am-i-in-the-matrix/Descartes systematically doubted everything - senses, dreams, math, even God - until he found one thing he couldn't doubt.https://decafquest.com/spinoza-the-troublemaker/Sun, 20 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/spinoza-the-troublemaker/Three anecdotes about Spinoza's troublemaking ways: excommunication, family lawsuits, and choosing lens grinding over academia.https://decafquest.com/when-is-it-ok-to-believe-without-proof/Sun, 20 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/when-is-it-ok-to-believe-without-proof/William James explains when belief without sufficient evidence is justified: in life decisions that are plausible, unavoidable, and important.https://decafquest.com/philosophers-portfolio-bryan-magee/Sat, 19 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/philosophers-portfolio-bryan-magee/How philosopher Bryan Magee solved the money problem by diversifying income streams to pursue his true interests, a strategy more relevant than ever.https://decafquest.com/the-trickster-within/Sat, 19 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/the-trickster-within/Jung saw tricksters as guides between conscious and unconscious minds, catalysts for growth who help societies question assumptions.https://decafquest.com/when-legality-isnt-enough-ethics/Sat, 19 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/when-legality-isnt-enough-ethics/Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's right. A look at the GameStop saga, cultural clashes, and why ethics goes beyond compliance.https://decafquest.com/why-philosophy-is-useless/Sat, 19 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/why-philosophy-is-useless/Philosophy may be impractical, but its value lies precisely in its uncertainty and ability to challenge our assumptions and what we think we know.https://decafquest.com/in-praise-of-the-process/Fri, 18 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/in-praise-of-the-process/Teachers lack the training grounds comedians have to refine their craft. How embracing process over perfection could transform education.https://decafquest.com/philosophy-as-spiritual-exercises/Fri, 18 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/philosophy-as-spiritual-exercises/In the Greco-Roman tradition, philosophy wasn't abstract theory but practical spiritual exercises for learning how to live, dialogue, die, and read.https://decafquest.com/existential-inaction-risk-taking/Fri, 18 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/existential-inaction-risk-taking/How status quo bias drives costly inaction. Chekhov, Kahneman, and philosophy on why embracing calculated risk is how you protect what matters.https://decafquest.com/aristotle-virtue-ethics/Thu, 10 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/aristotle-virtue-ethics/Aristotle's virtue ethics: the golden mean, practical wisdom, and how to cultivate courage, honesty, and the other virtues for a life of eudaimonia.https://decafquest.com/risk-and-the-comfort-of-a-good-story/Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/risk-and-the-comfort-of-a-good-story/From eclipses to market crashes, we turn to stories to make sense of uncertainty. A reflection on risk, myth, and how we frame the unknown.https://decafquest.com/why-formulas-fail/Sat, 21 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/why-formulas-fail/We chase prompts, hacks, and blueprints to fix our lives. But real growth takes time. Could philosophy be the self-help we've been avoiding?https://decafquest.com/philosophical-mindset-leadership/Fri, 20 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/philosophical-mindset-leadership/Exploring how a philosophical mindset can enrich leadership, decision-making, and reflection in uncertain times.https://decafquest.com/the-unexamined-ai/Sun, 15 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/the-unexamined-ai/We crave certainty. AI delivers it. But does fluency equal truth? From the alignment problem to self-examination, what happens when we stop questioning?https://decafquest.com/examining-yourself-questioning-assumptions/Thu, 12 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/examining-yourself-questioning-assumptions/In Philosophy for Business Leaders, see how a philosophy mindset, self-reflection and questioning beliefs contribute to better leadership.https://decafquest.com/what-does-it-mean-to-know/Mon, 09 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/what-does-it-mean-to-know/What does it mean to truly know something? A philosophical reflection on knowledge, judgment, and navigating complexity in real life.https://decafquest.com/navigating-the-corporate-world-existential-journey/Mon, 17 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/navigating-the-corporate-world-existential-journey/Comparing Unamuno’s philosophy with corporate dilemmas. A look at navigating the dichotomies of the real world, ethics, and the limits of the MBA framework.https://decafquest.com/hosting-my-first-2-hour-cocktail-party/Thu, 15 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/hosting-my-first-2-hour-cocktail-party/An account of hosting a party in Salamanca using Nick Gray’s formula. A look at how simple structure makes meeting new people much easier.https://decafquest.com/building-assets-on-the-internet/Fri, 02 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/building-assets-on-the-internet/Trading Python for no-code tools. A look at Louis Pereira’s journey from coding struggles to the viral success of AudioPen and the logic of digital assets.https://decafquest.com/the-illusionists-quest-consciousness-illusionism/Fri, 19 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/the-illusionists-quest-consciousness-illusionism/From a Twitter disagreement to a podcast on Illusionism: why consciousness might be an evolutionary trick rather than a ghost in the machine.https://decafquest.com/the-rollercoaster-ride-of-digital-entrepreneurship/Fri, 05 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/the-rollercoaster-ride-of-digital-entrepreneurship/A conversation with Jordan O'Connor on building and scaling a SaaS side hustle.https://decafquest.com/small-wins-and-the-portfolio-of-side-hustles/Fri, 21 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/small-wins-and-the-portfolio-of-side-hustles/Rethinking the 'fail fast' mantra. A look at how minimizing downside and focusing on small wins helps build career resilience and multiple income streams.https://decafquest.com/risk-autonomy-and-the-freelance-mindset/Sat, 15 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/risk-autonomy-and-the-freelance-mindset/Discussing Joy Batra’s work on career autonomy. A look at why a freelance mindset is a necessary tool for managing risk, even in a traditional 9-5 job.https://decafquest.com/sowar-tayshe/Tue, 11 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/sowar-tayshe/من وحي المناسبة بتطلّ من ورا بواب كان صرلا سنين مهجورة.https://decafquest.com/freshly-baked-manoushe/Thu, 16 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://decafquest.com/freshly-baked-manoushe/The bakery was a place where people socialized and gossiped. Time stopped there, and everyone was friendly with the rest.