Hi, my name is Hans van de Rakt
I travel through Europe, watch how people actually live and feel – and give it perspective.
Athens: a good life, before the fieldwork
On 3 July I fly to Athens. I’ll be there for three weeks, taking a proper look at what a good life looks like there – told by the people living it. I’m starting here for two reasons. Because Athens is where the good life…
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the engine, not the driver
A week ago I wrote about where AI is taking the economy. Short version: it will run it, better than we ever did. The AI agents will buy the shoes, match supply to demand, take over the small daily decisions – and remove the moment…
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what AI removes
I spent an afternoon talking with my AI system about where AI is taking us. Starting the conversation about the customer journey: decisions, purchases, supply chains. The whole picture. The basics of our economy. That sounds like a strange loop – asking the machine about…
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everything is a transaction now
Somewhere along the way, a conversation became networking. Helping someone became a way to build reputation. Kindness started arriving with a quiet little invoice attached. You know the feeling. A chat starts open and human, and then near the end the vibe changes – the…
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the return of ritual
Across Europe, ancient fires are burning again. Druid gatherings in Ireland. Seasonal festivals in forests. Pilgrimages returning. People dancing around bonfires instead of sitting through another productivity webinar. At first glance, it looks confusing. But underneath the folklore and fire ceremonies sits something much bigger.…
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Moving society beyond GDP
Moving society beyond GDP toward quality of life as the goal for real progress For decades, society has treated economic growth as the main proof of progress. GDP became the big number – the scoreboard governments, cities, institutions, and businesses point to when they want…
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When meaning became content
Why public life is still asking bigger questions than the content world answers. When I scroll through LinkedIn and other media channels, I often see the same pattern coming back again and again. People are promoting products, beliefs, methods, personal brands, lifestyle choices, growth hacks,…
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What is quality of life?
Quality of life is how well daily life actually works – across health, work, housing, relationships, meaning, and freedom. Here is a clear, practical definition and why it matters more than ever.
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Is quality of life really good if someone else pays the price?
We talk a lot about quality of life these days. Cities want it. Businesses promise it. People chase it. And fair enough. Who does not want a better life? But here is the uncomfortable question: Is quality of life really good when it comes at…
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quality time is not a time problem
It’s a Quality of Life problem. When people say they want more quality time, it sounds simple. More evenings without distraction.More weekends that actually feel like weekends.More space for what really matters. The reflex is almost always the same: we open the calendar. Too much…
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Living well, or just longer?
Longevity has quietly migrated from the medical lab into the lifestyle brand. Across the globe, the conversation around health has shifted; it is no longer about the absence of disease, but the presence of data. We track sleep cycles, curate supplement stacks, and obsess over…
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We search for proof, not truth
In most conversations I have – about life, work, the direction things are heading – people rarely ask “Does this feel right?” They ask “Is there evidence?” Research, numbers, case studies, stories of others who tried and succeeded. Proof feels safer than truth. More defensible.…
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