Merry Christmas from Northfield, MN!

Good evening from Northfield, MN, United States!

It’s me, Jeremias Thiel. I have the privilege to write you from the seventh floor of my college dorm! I finally come to the point to write you all! But first of all, I wish you a thoughtful fourth Advent Sunday. I decided to get back to all of you before we hold our attention inwards and reflect upon the many downs and ups of this unspeakably challenging year. Some of you are journalists who worked with me together. Some of you are remarkable professors. Some of you helped me to think about my long-term goals both professionally and personally. Some of you are great friends whom I was able to meet over the years. Some of you are remarkable entrepreneurs. Some of you are so substantial and meaningful in societies and have jobs in the social field. Some of you work in publisher’s houses. Some of you offered me a couch when I did not have a shelter. Some of you helped me financially. Some of you wished me the best and reached out to me. This small reflection of this year is dedicated to you all. I sincerely believe that my life is an assemblance of your input, and I ask you to read this small piece of writing.   

This year was turbulent. I think that almost every end-of-year letter that reached you started out in this way or similarly. It has been a challenging year both personally and for the entire international society. Unlike any year, this year felt like as if it does not want to end. Yet, it is about to end in its own terms.

In many countries, people celebrate Christmas with consideration to current rulings that were put in place. Some celebrate it with their closest circle. Some of us do so alone, and, yet, with their wider circle in their hearts. Thinking about this part of this year and the absence of normality we normally want to associate with Christmas, it made me especially think about a recent article I read on Aeon, a source with deeply thought-provoking articles around philosophy of both historical and contemporary kind. It was related to Arthur Schopenhauer’s take on happiness. The article concludes: “In order to be happy, we must aim to eliminate pain and suffering from our lives, and in order to feel happy, we must also take the time to reflect on their absence“. I believe that this current challenging presence that eliminated the customs and traditions and the associated memories have evolved into a force of growth both individually and societally.

Furthermore, it was a year of loss. The loss of respectable lives of so many people. The loss of jobs and thus livelihoods of many people across all job sectors. The loss of structure which is for many people of utmost essentialness. In short, it can be said that the formerly omnipresent customs have been completely eradicated within weeks. We had to reestablish new customs and habits that replaced the old. We slowed down and decreased the emerging hastiness we associate with a contemporary, often called “busy” life. In my particular case, I had to travel back to Germany within a decision-making period of three days, finished my last semester with a time difference of seven hours and had a deeply troubled mind, considering that a home does not exist in my particular case per se, which meant to organize that aspect as well. What did I do? I was couch-hopping from place to place while this pandemic also forced me to stop and to settle. Yet, it helped me to take a look into myself. It helped me to take a substantial look onto my past with respective focus on how that influences me in my future. I published a bestselling book with more than 25,000 sells ever since while the book was published at the peak fo the pandemic. I co-founded a company with two of my colleagues while simultaneously wining the St. Olaf granted Ole Cup, called Scobium. As of now, we collected more than 17,000$ of seed-funding. Our company aims to eliminate conventional leather by means of leather based upon Kombucha culture. I am a passionate vegan and animal rights activist for two years. I did pretty well in my college and had some of the most remarkable professors I can think of, two of which I want to mention here: Doug Casson, a master mind in his field of political theory and Anthony Lott, a master mind in his field of international relations and international law. Thank you so much for your remarkable input in my ongoing development as a curious, yet, doubtful and aspiring student. What do these success points even mean if there is no substantial basis of human relationships? The answer is fairly simple: Nothing. I think that it is especially true in this prevailingly unusual time of all of our lives.

Other developments have made us hold still. The scope of racism that we closed our eyes from for way too long has become visible after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020. The cruel killing of a young innocent father has turned into powerful, change-provoking movement that brought awareness when it comes to the impact of White supremacy and other forms of racism. Thanks to their work, it made me think upon when I was racist and when I applied my stereotypes in my everyday life without realizing it. When I was silent and did not speak up. And, in essence, I asked myself one question: What does it mean to be white, male, straight, cis and thus to be way more advantaged in this society? What does it mean to be a privileged member in this society which suddenly shuts down when those privileges are pointed out? The reality is: Change only comes with pointing out. When the ones who aren’t heard raise their voice and point out the wrongdoings. It is that in its essence which makes me feel looking forward. I also think about how COVID-19 widened the gap between those in need and those who could help (more) those who are in need. I thought about the children who were suffering in their homes because of a lack of utensils necessary in remote-learning settings. I thought about women who were domestically abused and who could not have just simply asked for help in the midst of this pandemic. I think about how it changed our society, and, yet, how it impacted the most disadvantaged the most. In the end, I also thought about the 80 billion animals that got slaughtered for the sake of human consumption this year alone. A cold, brutal industry which has to find its end. Yet, I insist on saying that only by pointing out the aforementioned aspects, we can aspire change. We can become more genuine. More outgoing. We can attenuate racism, poverty and other aggressive attitudes. Only by raising the negatives of this society, we can become a better, truer version what we ought to be instead of what we currently are. I am not an idealist; yet, I think this pandemic year has thought me not to be daunted. 

I recall the words of Schopenhauer’s view on suffering and pain: We have to feel the pain and have to go through suffering in order to reflect upon the absence of those, and thus upon what makes us happy and more content ever after. If I can take this pandemic into a more positive light, then it is that we all suffered in some ways or another. Yet, we made it so far and will make it in the ongoing future. Then, we will reflect upon the absence of this pandemic once it is over and wonder how we made it through. And wonder more while we laugh with the loved ones around us. I wish you all a wonderful Christmas, a good and melancholic start into a new year with new ambitions and resolute plans! I hope we all remain in close contact in the future as well. Thank you so much for your kind support, you’re understanding and your platforms! It made a hell of a difference in my life and will last! And now: Enjoy Christmas cheerfully!

Best,

Jeremias J. Thiel