Uffizi - The Birth of Venus - Stendhal Syndrome

Overwhelmed by Beauty? Blame Stendhal Syndrome

Imagine witnessing an object of art so beautiful that it leaves you in a trance, completely spellbound and in a state of ecstasy. If you have ever felt this, chances are you experiencing Stendhal syndrome, a psychosomatic condition that afflicts some people when in the presence of remarkably beautiful works of art. Named after Stendhal, a 19th-century French author who first experienced it during a … Continue reading Overwhelmed by Beauty? Blame Stendhal Syndrome

Rene-Descartes-Cogito-Ergo-Sum

What René Descartes really meant when he said Cogito Ergo Sum

Cogito Ergo Sum. I think, therefore I am. You may have heard this quote too many times to count, but what does it really mean? The simplicity of the phrase conceals the deeper philosophical truth that René Descartes was trying to convey in his Discourse on the Method, where the phrase first appeared in French as je pense, donc je suis. The Latin version, cogito … Continue reading What René Descartes really meant when he said Cogito Ergo Sum