When Fighting Evil, The Most Valuable Skill To Master, And A Small Gift

Here are 10 findings that I thought might trigger your curiosity this month;

I.

A wonderful quote I’ve come across this month from Friedrich Nietzsche, about the danger of focusing too much on defeating ‘evil’:

“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”

Source: Nietzsche

II.

What Readers Are Saying: one of the latest reviews I received from a reader for my book recommendation What happened to you?:

‘I must admit, I was a bit skeptical at first. I normally don’t gravitate towards books in the self-help genre, but this piece is one of a kind. I liked their approach to promoting empathy. They insightfully highlighted the existence of emotional wounds in people, no matter who we are. It’s a powerful reminder to step back and resist the temptation to pass quick, hasty judgments based on mere fragments of behavior alone. Instead, they encourage a holistic view, urging readers to look beyond the surface. There is also a profound message of hope that resonates, at least with me, to foster and nurture our relationships. The book serves as a exquisite blend of scientific research and practical wisdom, offered in a conversational and accessible manner. The easily understandable insights make it a valuable guide for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of human nature. Highly recommended!’

III.

Q&A: In the Q&A of this month, I answered a reader’s question on the most valuable skill to master at work.

IV.

Learning Spanish: The idea behind this list of the 100 most used spanish words is simple. Find out what’s useful and used most often so you can focus on that first to improve your Spanish faster. It’s classic 80/20. Dive into my curated list of the 100 most used words in Spanish.

V.

A small gift: When I think of the holidays, two things always come to mind: drinking ice cold rosé with friends at an outdoor café —and, of course, summer music. I’ve listed a summer Spotify playlist for you to listen to. I have now another one out. My Spotify playlist with the best movie soundtracks

VI.

It’s been 78 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall—a day etched in memory for those who lived through it, and for those who feel its impact through stories. Archives are time machines, and video footage shows what words can’t. Tragedies are often silenced, hidden wounds that rarely surface in conversation. Every culture has areas of vast silence and hidden wounds—things who don’t talk about. If forgotten, they remain unspoken, but archives ensure we remember—even when we’d rather not.

VII.

A thought I’ve had this month: Kintsugi. We get to wear our cracks with a new kind of pride and beauty. Kintsugi is beautiful because it celebrates imperfection. Instead of hiding cracks, it highlights them with gold, turning damage into something that tells a story and makes it uniquely valuable. It reminds me that our flaws can actually make us more interesting. Life is like a river—constantly moving, sometimes calm, sometimes rough, but always shaping us as we go.

VIII.

Share your favorite book with me. Send an email to team [@] lisanneswart.com, and it might be on my list next month.

IX.

This Month’s Fun Fact: A single strand of spaghetti is called a ‘spaghetto.’

X.

In the spotlight this month:

Anneke Brassinga ‘winter’, 2016, acrylic on linen 30 x 40 cm,
by Neel Korteweg

Thanks for reading. The Tiny Bits newsletter is a handwritten, algorithm-free, reader-supported publication. To fuel your curiosity, seek out more valuable ideas worth sharing. Sign up to receive my email newsletter every month.

Lisanne