Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

I secretly tracked my 18-year-old daughter’s phone after she left for college, despite my husband’s objections. Noticing she frequently went to a location far from campus, I followed her and was shocked to find her working as a makeup artist at a high-end beauty parlor—with my husband there, supporting her. They confessed she wasn’t attending…

A guy at my old job gave me a lottery ticket. I scratch it. It’s a 10k winner. Later, he stopped by and asked if I scratched it yet, and I said no. He left. My heart was beating like crazy. I decided to say it wasn’t a winner the next time he drops by.…

Alright, here’s the situation. Every year, I host a big Christmas dinner for the family. cook, decorate, plan everything down to the smallest detail. This year was no exception, and I was feeling proud of myself for how festive and perfect everything looked. My daughter-in-law, Emma, has always been… let’s just say, sensitive. She’s a…

My neighbor called at 3 a.m. He yelled, “Wake up! There’s a man in your backyard!” Terrified, I ran to the back but found no one. The next day, my dad’s Rolex had vanished. Worried, my neighbor and I installed security cams in our homes. Months later, the police visited me. My blood ran cold…

Our story begins with a patient walking into the dentist’s office, nervously clutching the arms of his chair. Like many others, he wasn’t too fond of dental work. But what really set him apart was his specific fear—needles and the thought of suffocation from wearing a mask. When the dentist suggested using nitrous oxide (laughing…

My husband and I hosted our families for Thanksgiving. With my mother’s help, I prepared three turkeys and an entire Thanksgiving feast. Meanwhile, my mother-in-law contributed only a tray of cookies. We had a lovely evening with good food and great company. Later in the evening, as the guests left, I noticed the food on…

Melania Trump has announced her first major appointment in preparation for her return as first lady, selecting a longtime Trump loyalist as her chief of staff. Hayley Harrison, who previously served in the East Wing during Donald Trump’s first term and joined the Trumps in Florida after they left the White House, has been named…

President-elect Donald Trump sounded off against House Speaker Mike Johnson’s spending bill. The government is set to shut down on December 21 without a continuing resolution to fund it, so Johnson and the Republican-controlled House are rushing to pass one. The bill would provide government funding through March 14 and is nearly 1,500 pages long.…

My ex showed up on my doorstep one day, after I’d kicked him out. He handed me a bag with a dozen eggs and a half-pound of bologna. Okay. I took it just to get him off my back. Imagine my surprise when I met a mutual friend the same day, and he said, “I…

My sister’s husband and 13-year-old son died in an accident 2 days before Christmas. She wanted me to cancel the big party I was hosting. I said, “Sorry, but you can’t ruin the holidays for others too. I know you’re hurting, but don’t try to stop the joy for everyone else as well.” She was…