little white truths

I didn't feel like writing a review post this morning so instead I've decided to let you know what I've been watching on YouTube lately - and note that this isn't a beauty-driven list. Quite the reverse.

Indeed, this year I've found myself falling into various YouTube holes that are wholly unrelated to beauty, and it's a trend that will likely continue. I think it's got a lot to do with the fact that the kids are a little older now so they're sleeping better at night, meaning I have the head to watch more than just makeup reviews. Let's call that progress ; )

Jordan Peterson

Peterson is a Canadian professor of psychology and he's been putting his lectures on YouTube for years now, but he became more visible to the general public when he spoke out about some Canadian legislation that sought to compel speech (it required the use of specific pronouns for transgender people and introduced fines and/or punitive action for those who didn't abide by it).

While the free speech issue is an important one that warrants discussion, I've been more interested in his lectures about human nature and also about encouraging people whose lives aren't going well to find their way out of too much suffering. He's also a huge proponent of telling the truth - something I'm really big on - and I like the importance he places on honesty because I believe that more people need to be more honest, more often.

He's worth watching. He has this way of telling you everything that you already know to be true, just more elegantly than you might have done.

Douglas Murray

Murray has had a lot to say about mass immigration and what it's doing to Europe, and he's also had a lot to say about Islam and its darker elements. He's sick of politicians lying to us or refusing to consider important questions regarding both issues, and he makes many valid points.

Whether you agree with him or not, he's asking the kinds of questions that many people are thinking about but are too afraid to mention. He's also trying to push for more honesty in the conversation, and even if you don't agree with what he has to say, I hope we can all agree that more honesty and openness on these issues has to be a good thing.

I like listening to him because he's very well-educated, well-researched and well-spoken, so there's a lot of learning involved when I watch him. He's also a brave man - many of his views aren't popular and he's received a lot of flack for them - and I think this should be celebrated. He's a very respectful, considerate and human person too.

Christopher Hitchens

Hitchens sadly passed away a few years ago but his voice is still very much a presence on YouTube. He's a well-known atheist and he's had plenty to say about religion and what it's done to people over the years. What it's still doing.

As with Murray, whether or not you agree with him isn't quite the point (or at least, I don't think it is). The point is that both sides of the argument need to be heard - and his is a strong, witty, respectful, considerate and educated voice. It's a voice that deserves to be heard.

Worth noting is that he was a huge advocate for women's rights because he believed that the man-made religious texts favour men (true), and he wanted society to shake those old norms. In his words, the only cure for poverty is the empowerment of women. Geez, he might be right.

Gray Area

You may remember that I fell into a YouTube hole at the beginning of the year and started to watch countless Game of Thrones theory videos. While I've now fallen out of that hole, there are still two YouTuber's GOT videos that I always watch as soon as I see them in my feed. Gray Area is one of them.

She has one of the coolest voices on the internet - and if you're going to watch a lot of content from someone, if they have a voice you love then that's a huge plus - and she's also intelligent and well-read. You can see how much time and thought she puts into her content, and I really respect people who make that amount of effort.

So if you're a GOT watcher and you're hanging out for the final season, I recommend looking at Gray Area. You'll find a lot of fun discussions and ideas in her playlist, and if you don't mind the thought of someone getting the GOT finale right (so it may be less surprising to you), then binge away.

In Deep Geek

You've gotta love someone who calls themselves 'In Deep Geek'. Nerds of the universe unite, I say. Wear that geek badge with pride.

Robert does a lot of GOT videos too (as well as eg Westworld) and he has to have one of the most soothing voices on the internet. I repeat my comments for Gray Area: if you find someone with a voice you love listening to, that's a huge plus.

He's the only other GOT YouTuber that I've continued to watch now that I've deviated from my GOT hole, and he has so much great content that you could get lost in it for weeks.

In Deep Geek is a thoughtful and considered channel, and if you like watching someone dissect the shows you love in an intelligent and easy-to-understand way, then I don't think you can go past this one. He's a pleasure to listen to.

In sum

That's all from me. As you can see, I've completely ditched the beauty videos for the time being - and while I may yet go back to watching at least some of my favourite channels in future, for now I'm happy to spread my wings a bit.

When you have young kids it's very easy to ignore what's happening in the world and instead focus on what's happening under your own roof, but I'm glad to say that I'm at a place now where I can open my eyes and ears a bit because I have the energy for it.

Do let me know in the comments who you've been watching on YouTube lately: I'd love to hear.

Hope all's well with you, and speak soon x

* All images courtesy of unsplash.com