Conor Matthews
Bio
Writer. Opinions are my own. https://ko-fi.com/conormatthews
Stories (126/0)
Where Conspiracy Clichés Come From
I must have passively come across this quote a hundred times since the start of the Pandemic. Maybe even just as much before, but quieter, like pre-2020 seems to be in our nostalgia. Along with "NWO", "Global Reset", and Globalism, as well as a whole hotchpotch of other zaney sound bites, one quote keeps emerging;
By Conor Matthews3 years ago in FYI
What Writing Judges Think
I was fortunate to have to a runner-up in this year’s Hubert Butler Essay Prize. During the award ceremony, I got a chance to talk to the judges, made up of academics, bestselling authors, and even the family of the late Mr. Butler, where the topic of the fellow applicants who hadn’t been as lucky came up.
By Conor Matthews3 years ago in Journal
How I Benefited From Covid
[The following was submitted for the 2021 Hubert Butler Essay Prize, where it was awarded a runner-up prize. The context is the essay was to be titled “ “During the plague I came into my own” (Anthony Hecht). Who or what benefited from Covid-19?” As such, the essay begins in reference to that title.]
By Conor Matthews3 years ago in Confessions
How To Not Hate People.
I was on the bus yesterday, ready to murder the man standing next to me with his mask down by his chin. You’ve found yourself in something similar; consumed by anger at how stupid someone can be. You’ve followed rules your whole life and just can’t help but feel vitriol when you see someone breaking them, as though they are somehow above these rules.
By Conor Matthews3 years ago in Psyche
You’re Not Allowed To Read This.
Hey! You better not be reading this. If you’re reading this, you better stop. This isn’t for you. It’s a piece expressing the feeling of existential futility people feel when making anything, too consumed by the self-awareness that statistically voicing anything is ultimately meaningless. So if you’re reading this, stop it! You’re giving it meaning and that’s just rude.
By Conor Matthews3 years ago in Journal
11 Lies About Millionaires
Photo by Giorgio Trovato on UnsplashThis may surprise you, but I love watching Fox News. I love hearing from people I disagree with. I'm enthralled by things I'm opposed to. This is for many reasons; diversify opinions I'm exposed to, strengthen my defences, nurture empathy. There's many reason but one comes to mind in particular, a reason I wish more people would consider.
By Conor Matthews3 years ago in The Swamp
Dead People Have It Easy; You Can’t Compare.
It’s natural to compare yourself to others as a way of gauging how you’re getting on in life and how closely you’re matching their achievements. Some of the best and brightest in many fields were in rivalries with one another, even if they never bother to tell anyone else. Often people will compare themselves to idols they want to immulate. Many fans of Stephen King, Billie Eilish, Tiger Woods and many others ironically wish to one day overthrow them and sublimate. And then there are those whose idols aren’t even alive anymore.
By Conor Matthews3 years ago in Motivation