Fasci Nation

The word fascination is neither good nor bad, neither just nor criminal.
It’s simply a stirring of mind and heart when looking at something—or someone.
And as the split in the word already suggests, fascination can sweep across a whole nation, or even nations.

From Latin Roots to Living Wonder

No surprise there: the seedbed of fascination was already fertile in Latin.
The term fascinatio meant “to bewitch” or “to enchant.”
Lesson from the Great Latinum: in ancient Rome, fascination carried a rather dark meaning.
That’s changed—thankfully.
Sorry, Caesar.

The Energy of Curiosity

Curiosity works overtime, and the urge to explore the unknown runs at full speed.
It’s the perfect emotional state for getting to the bottom of things.

Those who surrender to fascination tend to stay close to its source, exploring it with patience and passion.
Curiosity is a powerful force—and its reward isn’t just insight, but a kind of joy of the mind.

I sometimes wish I had been as fascinated by learning in my youth as I am today, as an older man.
Ah well.

Boundless Art – and Restless Science

The nature of fascination is broad and open.
The world of art and culture offers an endless range of it, since artists are known to be either limitless—or at least wonderfully boundary-crossing—in their creations.
Fascinating, really.

The same goes for science: it thrives on curiosity and burns with fascination.
Without these two driving forces, the engine of discovery would stall in no time.

Between Glamour and Grace

If you can’t be moved by a deeply kitschy sunset, fascination might not be your thing.
And if you can’t surrender to the charm of a George Clooney or a Taylor Swift, well—same story.
I mean fascination.

It’s the ability to captivate—or to be captivated—and it’s an essential part of being human.
Fascination makes life richer, more vivid, and infinitely more alive.

When Fascination Turns Dark

Yet one of the darker, more mysterious objects of fascination is death.

When a life suddenly ends—when someone’s future stops without warning—we are stunned.
Even though we know the life cycle, death remains one of the hardest realities to comprehend.

The devastating fire in Crans-Montana has taken the lives of many young people and left others gravely injured.
Many are still fighting for their lives.

While scrolling through the news from Switzerland and beyond, I stumbled upon the comment sections—yes, those comments.
The ones in the increasingly antisocial social media spheres.
The gawkers of the internet, who can’t resist polluting every tragedy with their opinions and projections.

I imagined how the mothers, fathers, and siblings in Crans-Montana must feel after losing a child in this catastrophe—or waiting endlessly to have them identified.

And then, to stumble across such comments...
How must it feel to read cold, accusatory words in the middle of unbearable loss?

Right now, humanity demands a very different instinct from Homo sapiens:
Compassion and empathy. Period.

And definitely not fascination with tragedy, catastrophe, or death.

2026—a year of love, empathy, and community—now that would be a truly fascinating project.

"Let’s go, people!"