John StoszkowskiPhilosophy & other ground
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Sheet 287 · Philosophy and other ground

John
Stoszkowski

One question runs through everything I do: what makes life more alive? Come for a walk through where it’s taken me. It ends in a clearing.

John Stoszkowski
Start walking Write to me
Not to scale. Reality is always richer than our descriptions of it.

1Academia (dismantled)

Fifteen years on this line

I spent fifteen years in universities, researching how people learn, think and develop judgement. I left in 2021, because I’d lost faith in how education was being treated.

Still on the map: PhD in Social Learning, MPhil, PGCert, BSc in Sports Science, and a Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.

2Syntropise

The practice I co-founded

With my friend Dr David Priestley. Applied philosophy for people whose decisions carry public consequences and private weight.

There are two ways in: membership for individuals, and partnership for organisations. The name comes from syntropy: life becoming richer, more energetic and more coherent.

Visit Syntropise

3The Library

Two books out, two coming

Being Well and The Syntropist are out now, with royalties going to the MND Association and Hospice at Home. The Clearing and A Short Book of Syntropology arrive in 2027.

5Syntropology

Where I write

Readable philosophy on how things come together, why they fall apart, and what to do about it.

More essays on Substack

6Viewpoint

Things I believe, so far

  1. Reality is always richer than our descriptions of it.What might you miss once you’ve put a label on something?
  2. Perception comes before prescription.Have you understood what’s going on before you try to fix it?
  3. Wisdom matters more than knowledge.You can know plenty, but how do you decide what matters?
  4. Education should make you your own authority.How much of what you think have you actually thought through?
  5. Freedom comes with responsibility.Are you willing to own the choices you make?
  6. Life should still feel like an adventure.When did you last do something just to see what would happen?
  7. Coherence matters more than certainty.Can you live in a way that makes sense to you without having it all figured out?
  8. The good life is participatory.What could you help bring to life?

The world is still open. Read the essay.

7The Allotment

My favourite place

Where syntropy’s easiest to see. I battle the elements here in pursuit of perfect fruit and veg, supervised by Dudley. From bare soil to harvest, one photograph at a time.

The plot before cultivation, with neighbouring sheds and houses beyond.

The plot before cultivation, with neighbouring sheds and houses beyond.

8The record shop

Same thinking, different tempo

A mix asks the same question as everything else on this walk: what comes next, and what does it make possible? Press play and the mixes spin right here if you want to kick the vibe up a notch.

  • Deep Peat Mix
  • Where’s My Arc Mix
  • Psychedelic Worm Mix

More on SoundCloud

9The café

Notes on the board

Every good café on a walk has a board by the counter. These were left by people who’ve walked with me, for whoever comes next. Tap a photo to read their note.

  • Kurt Lindley

    John guides you in making sense of your present and exploring possible futures. I’m always enlightened by our time together. If you’re seeking a peek into the real world beneath the noise, he’s the go-to person.

    Kurt Lindley Business owner

  • Yatra Forudi

    John is a brilliant leadership coach, tailoring his insights to my needs and creating an engaging space for growth.

    Yatra Forudi Head of Enterprise Planning

  • John Szymik

    Blown away by John’s depth of knowledge and the positive, lasting impact this will have on my work and personal life.

    John Szymik Founder and CEO

  • Alex Fox

    John took me on a road of self-discovery to better understand my own and others’ motivations for the best outcomes. What a journey!

    Alex Fox Founder and COO

  • Nick Davey

    John has transformed my perspective on both my profession and the world. Through his guidance, I now find greater joy every day.

    Nick Davey Director

  • Conor Class

    John has been an integral part of my learning and development and has had such a positive impact on my life. I couldn’t recommend him more.

    Conor Class Global Talent Lead

  • Sarah Nickless

    Throughout my time with John, I realised the nuance and shades of grey in life. I’m grateful for his role in changing how I perceive the world.

    Sarah Nickless Partnerships Lead

  • Nick Matthew

    John is excellent in his research and delivery and a fascinating storyteller. He never forces his opinion on you, but gives you what you need to make up your own mind.

    Nick Matthew OBE Three-time World Squash Champion

10Lichtung

A note on the clearing

Lichtung: German, for a clearing in a forest.

Heidegger borrowed the word for the open space where things can show up as they are. Human existence is this clearing: the place where Being is disclosed.

It’s also the best description I know of a good conversation.

The map is not the territory

Most of us end up living by an old map: a settled idea of who we are and what’s possible. It works, until one day it doesn’t.

So come and walk with me. Not to live the way I do, but because seeing a life without compartments tends to loosen your own. We’ll read, talk and think together, shaped around whatever you’re curious about.

You don’t need to have studied philosophy before. Wanting to look again is enough.

Write to me Take Thinking Fit

Send a postcard

Wherever you are on the walk. I read every one.

ToJohn Stoszkowski
The Clearing
At the end of the walk

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