Author: JJ Sylvia IV

J.J. Sylvia IV attended Mississippi State University where he received B.A. degrees in philosophy and communications. He later received a philosophy M.A. from the University of Southern Mississippi.

6 Healthy Holiday Comforts and Traditions

Rather unintentionally, there has been a lot of talk about holiday traditions and comforts here at Philosophy Matters. It began with a discussion of Black Friday shopping, and was recently followed by discussions on comfort food and comfort TV. Talking to LKAwesome, we realized that these comforts, while comforting and certainly interesting to think about, all focused… Continue reading 6 Healthy Holiday Comforts and Traditions

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Categorized as Happiness

Guest Post: Does Religion Influence Our Decisions?

This post is the first in a series that was written by students in my introduction to philosophy course as an extra credit assignment. Today’s guest author is James Purvis.  Everyday millions and millions of people interact with each other, socially, physically, and mentally. To some extent, the choices and decisions we make on a day-to-day basis… Continue reading Guest Post: Does Religion Influence Our Decisions?

The Emotional Impact of Simplifying: Hitting the Wall

Moving Motivation Philosophy Matters recently made a big move – shifting its home base from Mississippi to Raleigh, NC! This move has been a large part of the motivation to continue simplifying things – as part of the process is moving from two separate houses totaling somewhere just under 4,000 sq. feet, to an apartment of about… Continue reading The Emotional Impact of Simplifying: Hitting the Wall

The Epicurean Problem with YOLO: Short Term vs. Long Term Happiness

You’re 16 years old, your hormones are raging, and you’re finally making out with that hot girl from 4th period, hoping to push things to the next level. The last thing on your mind is the possible long-term consequences of that next level. Instead of pausing to think about sexually transmitted infections or the responsibilities… Continue reading The Epicurean Problem with YOLO: Short Term vs. Long Term Happiness

Unreal Candy – Health, Sustainability, and Fair Trade

I had heard of [amazon_link id=”B009HX6ZC8″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Unreal candy[/amazon_link] a couple of months back, but assumed it wasn’t going to be available anywhere near where I live, however, I was pleasantly surprised to see them on the shelf at my local CVS! I happily picked up a package to try them out. The claim… Continue reading Unreal Candy – Health, Sustainability, and Fair Trade