Ask Jo

Ask Jo is an advice column of a different stripe. The word advice comes from the old French avis, which is, more or less, an opinion, and there are many advice columns out there that offer just one more person’s perspective. A later meaning of the verb to advise has morphed into the more specific meaning ‘to give guidance worthy of being followed’, which sounds somewhat more dependable. But both come from the Latin verb to see, and thus the full meaning is, more specifically, to see with, or to be made to see. And this is what I offer here: a reflection of the question that broadens the view, that helps the asker see the problem both more clearly and more deeply,  bringing into view new and sometimes unexpected ways forward. Sometimes I do offer a particular suggestion – as a kind of “what would Nietzsche/Aristotle/Zhuangzi do” model - but the goal is always to light the way to more thoughtful and open-minded ways of being in the world and addressing human problems.

Send questions to: askjo@philosophicaltherapy.com

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