The Hyggelig Journey

In the course of daily life, concepts such as knowledge, self-knowledge, and the practice of goodness ought never to be forgotten. Yet not only are they neglected — they are actively abandoned, especially when they stand at odds with the ambitions of humankind. And therein lies the blind spot of human pride: the self — the ever-contemplated navel. I see it manifest in the most absurd of circumstances, where there is no sincere interest in understanding the other. The affluent denigrate the poor; the poor resent the affluent. But where, I ask, is our shared humanity? Where is the recognition that the destiny of one is bound to the destiny of all? That recognition remains — dimmed, tucked away in some forgotten recess — awaiting the rekindling of light. When I welcome a homosexual patient, I see someone in search of that very light, navigating life in a conservative, restrictive city that offers little room to breathe. When I receive someone ensnared in substance use, I encou...

There is, after all, a fine yet profound distinction between being human and being humane. The former is a matter of birth, a biological inevitability; the latter — a choice — deliberate, tremulous, and often inconvenient. To be human is to possess a body that breathes and falters, to be bound by hunger, weariness, and the quiet certainty of decay. But to be humane? Ah, that is another matter entirely. One may walk the earth for decades, fully human yet never truly humane. One may have hands yet never reach out, eyes yet never truly see, a voice yet never utter a word that eases another’s sorrow. It is not the mere fact of existence that dignifies a person, but the unseen, uncelebrated acts — the pause before judgement, the mercy given in silence, the refusal to let another soul slip unnoticed into despair. And how often do we mistake the two? How often do we believe that merely living is enough? That to feel pain is to understand it, when in truth, only those who have tran...

There was a time when belonging was not something we questioned. It existed in the quiet fabric of daily life — in the rhythm of familiar streets, in the nods exchanged with neighbours, in the unspoken understanding that we were part of something beyond ourselves. Then, without fanfare, something changed. We became preoccupied with independence, mistaking it for strength. We prized self-sufficiency but overlooked its cost. We withdrew, ever so slightly at first, until distance became the norm. Belonging was no longer assumed; it had to be curated, managed, explained. We speak now of connection, yet we skim the surface of relationships, hesitant to wade too deep. And yet, belonging has not disappeared. It lingers in the spaces between our hurried lives, waiting to be recognised. It is there in the warmth of a hand steadying another, in the kindness that expects nothing in return. It exists in the simple, human acts we too often dismiss — preparing a meal for someone else, li...

Now that the light at the end of the tunnel is finally visible, the mind wavers between hope and imbalance. Many have fallen victim to the syndemic, and many have survived, yet the scars will remain in humanity’s history for years to come. Recognising this is crucial because, in the years ahead, many will experience uncertainty. The fear that COVID-19 may leave lasting after-effects will be the subject of intense research. However, this is neither the first nor the last time humanity has undergone a collective rupture from normality. The difference is that you have witnessed it firsthand and will carry the critical perspective of someone who has lived through uncertainty. More than ever, we will celebrate life, yet among us will remain a lingering sense of sorrow, melancholy, and indignation that will take time to fade. Pain becomes history’s pages, while times of peace and tranquillity are only truly remembered by those who have seen the worst and learned to recognise t...

Whether we feel joy, sadness, anger, fear, envy, or rage, we cannot help but share our emotions with those around us. Even when we remain silent, we are wired to express our feelings through our faces, body language, and behaviour. Emotions enable people of all kinds to communicate, regardless of what they say — or choose not to say. It is no coincidence that this has been the primary reason for our survival across generations, and it will remain the single most decisive factor in humanity’s long-term success or failure. There is an inherent responsibility in being human—to strive for greater compassion towards one another. Perhaps no force shapes the human experience more than our ability to understand and harness emotion within the social fabric, using it as a tool for fraternity and mutual cooperation.