The Gazelle
Feb 9, 2026
Manoj is a senior from Nepal, double majoring in Philosophy and Computer Science. Manoj loves writing, not just philosophical meanderings but also soulful fiction. Also, he loves the smell of books.
Manoj Dhakal
We hate pretentious people, for they are inauthentic and perform too much. But are we not all performing all the time ourselves?
Putting effort is the new cool. But is it? What about effortlessness? Does kindness lose value if one needs to put effort to be kind? Nonchalance? Humility?
Academia loves nuance. Is nuance an intellectual virtue or moral cowardice? Should we be nuanced? If yes, of what kind?
Is any “writing” about the author, or is it about the reader? Should the author be completely removed from what one writes? If so, is the writing by AI, completely devoid of an author, the pinnacle of actual good writing?
At a time when you can produce perfect text in seconds using LLMs, how should we see perfection? Why are we wary of too kind people, and too good apples? Is there more we desire?
From protein intake, to health wearables, to texts from our friends, are we quantifying too much?
Do social structures determine our status as knowers? As university students, are we the victims of epistemic injustice, or are we complicit in it?
What should we do with one of the most universal human experiences? Should we eradicate or embrace our suffering as an instrument for something bigger? Is suffering political in contemporary culture?
We often think that we love something or someone not for what they have but for what they are. But what does it mean to love something for its own sake? And how do we reconcile the philosophical notion of self-interest with the desire for such love?
LLMs have permeated our lives and culture— they mimic our intelligence, creativity, and originality. Should we be docile and accept this intrusion? Or should we be hostile against their advent?