Wrapping up the year with gratitude and wisdom

Dear Wiser Every Day Readers,

As the year ends, I want to thank each of you for your support and engagement throughout the year. Writing for Wiser Every Day has been an incredible journey, and your readership makes it all worthwhile. 

We’ve explored philosophy, education, religion, and politics, reflecting on the deeper questions of life and society. Your comments, shares, and feedback have helped shape the readership we have built—one rooted in curiosity, dialogue, and, of course, the pursuit of wisdom.

A Look Back: The Nine Most-Read Posts
In case you missed them, here are the most-read, downloaded, republished and quoted posts from Wiser Every Day. They resonated deeply with many readers, and I hope you’ll find them equally thought-provoking:

1. Science without humanity, knowledge without character – The highest reward for university education should not be what money graduates get for it but what kind of people they become by it.

2. Western civilisation and its discontents - "The past is never dead. It's not even past," wrote William Faulkner. Every generation must preserve and build on its cultural heritage. If universities refuse to take on this task, then who will?

3. Memento mori – It may sound peculiar, but a reminder of death may be the best way to make people cherish life.

4. A 21st-century enlightenment – All great discoveries begin as blasphemies, which are resisted by those with something to lose.

5. The real value of the humanities - We all owe a debt to the humanities. The debt has been accumulating for thousands of years. It is not calculated in dollars and cents but in ideas.

6. Do university rankings add up? - University rankings provide useless answers to the wrong question. The question students should be asking is not which university is "best" but which one is best for them.

7. Cancelling the F-word: no more failure - The Australian government wants to obliterate failure from education. Universities could even be fined if students fail. Will this lead to a more successful nation, or ensure just the opposite?

8. Microcosmographia Academica 2.0: A Guide for the Ambitious Academic - Master the art of superficial profundity and prosper in the knowledge that, in the end, it's better to be superficially profound than profoundly superficial.

9. Why I am (or at least try to be) a libertarian - In a world driven by fear, division, and creeping authoritarianism, libertarianism offers a belief in the dignity of the individual, voluntary cooperation and the power of accountability.

If you’re new here, these pieces might offer a glimpse into what Wiser Every Day is all about. And for those who’ve been along for the ride, perhaps you’ll enjoy revisiting a favourite or two.

Looking Ahead
As I plan for the year ahead, I’m eager to continue bringing thoughtful content to your inbox. If there are topics you’d love to see covered or ideas you think deserve exploration, don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments section.

Wishing you all a joyful end to the year and a fulfilling start to the next.

Warm regards,
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Steven Schwartz