Navneet Shukla
Navneet Shukla writes about how people think and how modern life shapes that thinking. The Present Minds is where he explores it.
Published writing
113 results
What I learnt from a teenage boat skipper in MontenegroWhat I learnt from a Teenager with a boat in Montenegro is something that might come as a huge shock to a lot of people. It is…
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Bhishma did not die when the arrows hit him. He chose when.Bhishma fell on the tenth day of the war. He did not die. The arrows had entered him from every direction. He lost consciousness briefly when he…
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Arjuna put down his bow at Kurukshetra. Krishna told him to pick it up.Arjuna looked across the battlefield to understand his Svadharma meaning as he saw his grandfather on the other side of the field. Then his uncles. His teachers.…
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What the Mahabharata knew about being right and being ignoredVidura was the wisest man in the Mahabharata. He was also the most ignored. Not in a dramatic way. He held a significant position. Prime minister of…
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The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant: the last line that changes everythingThe Necklace by Guy de Maupassant was published in 1884. It takes about fifteen minutes to read. The last line takes considerably longer to recover from. You…
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What I learnt from a bus driver in ScotlandWhat I learnt from a bus driver in Scotland was not something I had packed for, and I had packed for almost everything. Four large bottles of…
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Why Fathers Struggle Most at One YearMost parenting advice focuses on the adrenaline-fueled "fourth trimester," but recent data has finally pinpointed why new fathers struggle most at one year. The sleepless nights, the…
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Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen: tv show of the weekSomething Very Bad Is Going to Happen Netflix review: eight episodes of a feeling that has no name. It dropped on Netflix on March 26th. It is…
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What the Mahabharatha knew about wealth that nobody told youWhat is the meaning of Artha? Often reduced to mere wealth, it was understood by our ancestors as the vital ground that sustains a full human life.…
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What I learnt from a cab driver in londonWhat I learnt from a cab driver in London is probably something not many people have even if they are frequent passengers in London. This encounter revealed…
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The Tiger in the Tunnel by Ruskin Bond: the story about what fathers leave behindThe Tiger in the Tunnel by Ruskin Bond is not really about a tiger. You suspected this the first time you read it. You probably could not…
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The night you reached for itDoes cannabis help anxiety or make it worse? For the millions using medical cannabis for mental health, a landmark 2026 study just delivered an uncomfortable answer. You…
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Does your partner change your personality? the research says more than you thinkDoes your partner change your personality? Most people would say yes, in a vague, intuitive way. You pick up their phrases. You start watching the shows they…
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What I learnt from my kurdish barber in londonWhat I learnt from my barber in London is something I realised only after the haircut was done and when I was already outside. That is the…
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What is dharma? what the mahabharata knew about losing everythingWhat is Dharma? It is the question the Mahabharata spends eighteen books answering and never quite resolves. That is not a failure of the text. That is…
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Why dont men ask follow-up questions? the answer is more interesting than you thinkWhy dont men ask follow-up questions is one of those complaints that surfaces constantly. In dating conversations. In friendships. In marriages that have been running for twenty…
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They were always going to leave. that was the point.Letting go of your children is not a single moment. It is a thousand quiet losses that begin long before they leave, and long before you are…
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What Kama Actually Means: the ancient secret nobody told you about pleasureThere is a word you already know. You know it the way most people know it. As something charged. Something that requires a lowered voice or a…
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