Why I developed a Life Manifesto.
We live in an age of relentless distractions and deceit.
God-like technology is not just a tool anymore — it is a force shaping our attention, our behavior, and our values. And most of us are woefully unprepared.
But tech isn’t the only problem.
As I move through life, I see individuals (and organisations) consumed by self-interest — driven by greed, insecurity, or the urge to extract. They build relationships not to connect, but to exploit — drawing on resources, knowledge, access, and networks for their own gain.
It is the quiet, constant acquisition of things — insidious and exhausting.
It’s as R.H. Tawney spoke of a “straightforward hatred of a system which stunts personality and corrupts human relations by permitting the use of man by man as an instrument of pecuniary gain”.
This Manifesto is my response.
It is a commitment to stay grounded in my values, to keep focused, and to cut through the noise. It helps me stay aligned with what truly matters.
It is also a filter. If you read it, you will understand more about who I am — and what I expect in any relationship worth building. It is a guide for how I intend to show up, and what I cannot tolerate.
Because life is short, and time is sacred — why waste it on the disingenuous?
On Self.
A call to inner peace — to reclaim presence, freedom, and wholeness in a world that fragments the self.
Integrity
Become who you are — not what the world demands.
Silence
Silence is not empty. It’s the beginning of discernment.
True Freedom
The freedom you seek is not from something, but for something.
Being Human
Stop optimising yourself. Start remembering yourself.
Truth
The deepest truths are not shouted — they’re lived, quietly.
Inner Peace
To be at peace with yourself is to wage war against the age.
The greatest hazard of all, losing one’s self, can occur very quietly in the world, as if it were nothing at all.
— Søren Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death
On Relationships.
A manifesto for human connection grounded in presence, not performance — where relationships are chosen, not consumed.
Depth
Seek depth, not access. People are not platforms.
Mutuality
Relationships must be mutual or they will become manipulative.
Being Present
Offer presence, not performance. Expect the same in return.
Being Human
Do not remain in spaces where your humanity must be explained.
Care
Care is not a currency. Give it freely, but not foolishly.
Your Worth
The right people won’t require you to shrink or explain your worth.
You cannot live a half-hearted spiritual life in a world that is given over to lies.
— Fr. Thomas Hopko, 55 Maxims for Christian Living
On the World.
A principled stance against systems of dehumanisation, choosing to act, build, and imagine from a place of justice and rootedness.
Another World
The system is not broken. It was built this way. Build something else.
Justice
A just world begins with the refusal to dehumanise.
Stillness
Do not mistake speed for progress. Revolutions often begin in stillness.
Intention
Your consumption is not neutral. Ask who pays the price.
Rootedness
The future must be rooted — or it will collapse.
Become Fire
If the world grows colder, become fire.
Work is not only a means of livelihood. It is a means of self-expression, of service, of solidarity.
— Fr. José María Arizmendiarrieta, from his speeches to Mondragón cooperators
On Work.
A defiant reorientation of labour toward meaning, dignity, and collective restoration over personal performance.
In Service of Life
Work must serve life — not consume it.
Build to Restore
Do not build to impress. Build to restore.
Your Worth
If your work alienates you from yourself, it is not worthy of you.
Depth
Reject the cult of visibility. Depth is often hidden.
Craft
Let craft be your protest against disposability.
You are a Being
You are not a brand. You are a being.
Modern man thinks he loses something—time—when he does not do things quickly; yet he does not know what to do with the time he gains—except kill it.
— Eric Fromm, The Art of Loving
On Money.
reflecting…
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Wealth, as such, is not a curse. Nor is it a blessing. It is a thing indifferent — its value determined by how it is used … Therefore, wealth is not to be cast away, but used rightly — not for luxurious living, but for the benefit of others.
— St. Clement of Alexandria, Who is the Rich Man That Shall Be Saved?
On Ethics.
reflecting…
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Our problems stem from our acceptance of this filthy, rotten system.
— Dorothy Day, archives