A Pragmatic Approach to Ideas
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Spontaneous Culture. Emotional Intelligence.


We encounter countless institutions throughout our lives—educational, familial, governmental, religious, artistic—many of which fail to sufficiently foster individual character, vital community, or an abounding appreciation for truth. These fixtures of society imprint worldviews upon us, nurture habits of mind and encourage the development of various skills. 

Unfortunately, too often, they espouse ideas which distract from human flourishing (or run counter to it). Or, we settle for that which is merely interesting. When an article strikes us as just a fascinating read or a film is simply entertaining, we have missed an opportunity; concepts stay in an abstract or utopian realm rather than entering into our lived experiences as embodied truths.  

Of course, value exists in the life of the mind—finding pleasure in cultural or intellectual stimulation—but if an idea can’t be manifest in its most impactful form, instructing the ways in which we live, then we have little interest in it. We sympathize with William James’ orientation that viewpoints should be “judged by their fruits…not by their roots,” encouraging individuals to experiment firsthand with theories—rather than remaining mired in axioms or metaphysics. As John Dewey asserted, truth is the “resolution of a problematic situation.” 

Ideas matter, not in and of themselves, but the degree to which they change how we navigate relationships, overcome challenges, relate to Nature, understand our psychology, contextualize our personal place in society, organize communities, and ultimately, create meaning and purpose. 

At Erraticus, we write to challenge dogma, hubris, fundamentalism, and ideological conceit, aspiring to transcend our moral tribes. We are a town square inviting our many communities to practice a philosophy of neighborliness.  

We write in hopes that thriving individuals, in turn, sustain vibrant communities, local and regional. This is what is meant by spontaneous culture—solutions to living well are born internally, extending outward to our communities. 

At Erraticus we believe that art, culture, technology, and ideas matter as much as they develop emotional intelligence and empower individuals to live well.

Haste Makes Waste
By Finn Janning


Hate becomes waste is intimately tied to the fact that many people have forgotten to inhabit their body, too eager to get somewhere else.
Wanderlust Is A Vice, Not A Virtue
By Christopher Porzenheim

Critiques of wanderlust by Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Stoics have far-reaching consequences for our ability to lead meaningful lives. 
What Earthquakes Teach Us About Embracing Uncertainty
By Nicole Carloni
For natural disasters large enough to shape society, Dr. Lucy Jones explains, "The best fit to the data is that it's random. And we hate it. Random makes people very upset." 

Submissions


Erraticus is always interested in thoughtful submissions. We accept well-considered and well-written pieces focused on human flourishing, ranging from arts and entertainment to tech, science, religion, and culture. We believe that art, culture, technology, and ideas matter as much as they develop emotional intelligence and empower individuals to live well.

What Do I Submit?

 

We publish non-fiction submissions which take an abstract idea, cultural phenomenon, or new technology, and enlighten readers about the subject while delivering a germ of practical wisdom. Ideas shouldn’t merely be interesting.

For example, somebody could write an essay about a breakthrough in sustainable energy and it could be fascinating and well-researched; however, for Erraticus, that essay would also need to distill down to one question: how does this breakthrough in sustainable energy help individuals to develop emotional intelligence and live more flourishing lives?

We care about ideas that work.

Erraticus will not publish substantive changes to your draft without your approval. However, consistent with publishing convention, we assume primary responsibility for the packaging and presentation of your piece, including title and image. We reserve the right to edit all submissions for clarity.

We also publish poetry and short stories.

 

How Do I Submit?

Submit articles to submissions@erraticus.co in MS Word format or Google docs, with the “Title of Article, Author Name” as the subject line. Please include a sentence or two explaining the main idea of the submission, and a brief bio we can use to identify you to our readers.

Please don’t take things personally if we decline your submission. There are various reasons articles may not be a good fit for us at a certain time.