Have you ever been struck by a simple moment, like a stranger’s smile, a line of music, or a sudden insight, and wondered about the depth behind it?
What is this feeling of connection? Why is there more to a smile than a simple contraction of facial muscles? Why can the smallest moments feel so large, while the grandest events can feel so small? If you are the kind of person who asks these questions and sees the profound in the simple, then you are in the right place.
Here at Ars Vitae, we explore these questions to uncover the art of living. We dive deep, connecting our curiosities to science, philosophy, psychology, history, and theology. We examine them through the lens of our daily lives, beautiful artworks, great books, films, music, and even video games. But this isn’t a place for endless pondering; we believe questions are meant to be lived. Ideas are meant to shape reality. That’s the core of Ars Vitae: moving from thinking to living.
You don’t need a specific background or a formal education to explore these questions. This journey is for everyone: the student, the soldier, the single mom who didn’t even finish high school, the artist, the cynic. It’s for anyone feeling stuck, and for the person who seems to have it all but knows something is missing.
The art of life isn’t an abstract academic theory; it’s the constant, practical raw reality we all navigate every single day. It’s found in the real choices we face: how to be patient in traffic, how to find meaning in the daily grind, how to respond to a difficult coworker, or how to have an honest conversation with someone you love.
To guide our exploration, we follow a wise piece of advice from Saint Paul:
Test everything; hold fast what is good.
(1 Thessalonians 5:21)
To “test everything” is to remain intellectually open and honest. It means approaching the world with wonder, but also with a critical mind. We must be willing to question ideas, both new and old, especially our own, and refuse the limits of conventional thinking. It is the active process of engaging with the world, not just passively accepting it.
To “hold fast what is good” is to be decisive. After we test and discern, we must commit to the truths that build a better life. In a world of infinite questions, our time is finite. To live and grow requires conviction.
Let’s climb to the top of the mountain, stare into the unknown, and begin our journey!
Where to Begin?
This blog is a map of that exploration. Here are a few starting points:
- The Philosophical Heart: If you want to understand the blog’s core philosophy, start with the [Everyday Pilgrim Journal (EPJ) series]. This journal explores a central idea from the Philokalia: Christ as the ultimate, antithetical beauty—a poor, 1st-century carpenter who became arguably the most influential person in history. My perspective is grounded in the wisdom of the Church Fathers (from both Eastern and Western church traditions), but I use this lens to engage with secular sources, books, and ideas. The goal is to tackle universal human questions, from the challenges of daily life to grand philosophical reckonings, in a way that offers clarity for everyone. So whether you’re a person of deep faith like a Muslim or Buddhist, an atheist guided by reason, an agnostic wrestling with uncertainty, a nerd, an athlete, or just someone profoundly curious about life—you are seen, and you are welcome here.
- For Other Curiosities: If you’d rather explore a different path first, these posts still connect to our central theme by exploring the art of living through other avenues. You can check out my [Beginner’s Guide to Feeling Classical Music] or find book reviews, learning techniques, and discussions about movies and video games.