Welcome to the Wisdom Dojo!

In the modern world, there is a void…

For all the benefits of science, the scientific worldview cannot offer us guidance on how to live a Good Life? On what to value? Who we should be? And how we should live and find meaning in our lives?

John Vervaeke has called this void: ‘The Meaning Crisis’.

My work taps into ancient philosophy, ethics, mythology, literature and the modern science of the mind to offer insights into how we can, as individuals in the digital world, migrate to a new emerging worldview that will afford us more meaning, wisdom and self-transcendence.

This newsletter aims to offer clarity and exploration around these timeless questions in a digital and meaning crisis context:

1. What type of agents are we? (Self-knowledge)

2. How do we act optimally? (Ethics)

3. How do we transform our thoughts and behaviours to live the good life? (Practises, stories & Spiritual Exercises)

Topics explored include virtue ethics and virtue traditions, religion, attention, ancient myths and stories, human nature, psychology, technology and artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and particularly the work of Jordan Peterson and John Vervaeke (who came up with the Wisdom Dojo name).

Generally, my work is to help modern individuals to seek wisdom and generate meaning in life. If this sounds like something you want, then subscribe below and receive the welcome email with more information 👇

What do you get with a subscription?

One podcast and one essay on the second Thursday of every month.

• Essays filled with actionable insights (over 10k readers in the first year)

• Podcast interviews with world-leading experts (top-ten Self-improvement and Education in Ireland)

• And, oh yeah, it’s free? So there’s that.

Who am I?

My name is Mahon. I am an Irish Philosophy doctoral researcher, Award-winning Playwright, Martial arts coach, Black belt, and Podcast host. As my Da would say, I have followed the martial and literary arts with balanced determination, pursuing mastery in writing, fighting and philosophy, and talking with some of the modern leaders of the practice on my podcasts, like John Vervaeke, Iain McGilchrist, and Donald Robertson.

My BA is in Philosophy and Economics, and my Master’s is in Creative Writing from Queen’s University Belfast. My plays have been performed in the Lyric Theatre, Rua Red Gallery, The New Theatre Temple Bar and selected for the Dublin Fringe Festival 2020. My debut collection of short stories, ‘The Man with a Mirror Face,’ debuted in the top one hundred on Amazon short stories category, and my writing has been published in numerous magazines and journals, including RTE, The Honest Ulsterman, The Cold Coffee Stand, Shady Grove Literature LA and Goblin Skateboard Magazine. I have studied martial arts for over 20 years. I have a black belt in Bujinkan Ninjitsu and have been a fighter and coach in both traditional Muay Thai and Western Boxing.

Day to day, I am a Philosophy Doctoral Researcher in Ethics and New Technologies, winning DCU’s School of Theology and Philosophy Scholarship 2022 to study the ethical issues of Social Media Companies commodifying users' attention. I am currently completing my PhD thesis but regularly share philosophical insights through my essays and podcasts, which have featured top-ten self-improvement and education in Ireland and top one hundred in Sweden, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Turkey, Pakistan and Kenya.

The core of my work is Socratic, in that I believe philosophy should help people become wiser and live better lives. In the modern world, the philosopher should be a ‘physician of the soul’, attempting to alleviate existential suffering through the cultivation of wisdom, virtue, and meaning in life.

If you want to enter the Digital Wisdom Dojo and get your philosophical black belt then join up now 👇

Testimonials:

“Mahon McCann is a remarkable individual.  He is an original thinker, full of passion for his subjects and determination to contribute to our culture.”- Jimmy McAleavey, Award-winning Belfast playwright and Abbey Theatre Resident artist.

“Think of Roddy Doyle, with the somber outlook of a millennial whose experiences have been shaped by previous generations. Add a smattering of Hunter S. Thompson and you have Mahon McCann.” - Paddy H, English Teacher.

“There’s a new Irish writer of perception, intelligence, and wit in town”

- Randall S, Reader of TMWM

Check out my other channels here.