Thoughts – © Dominic Wightman Personal Bio Site 2026

The Algebra of Empty Chairs

We love the story of the prodigy. The violin in the toddler’s hands. The calculus solved before breakfast. But real genius almost never works that way. It does not strike the eager, the groomed, the child who has been force fed Mozart since the womb. Instead, genius hides in the most distant corner of theContinue reading “The Algebra of Empty Chairs”

Frequency

The idea that all men are created equal is a necessary fiction, a polite lie told to maintain order. In truth, humanity hums along at different frequencies, some so low they drag the rest into the static, others sharp enough to cut through the noise. You have felt it—the way certain people seem to drainContinue reading “Frequency”

The Quiet in Noise

The world is loud. A clamour of voices, machines, and endless movement. It never stops. Silence, real silence, is a rare thing. It isn’t just the absence of sound. It’s the ground beneath it all. Think of the quiet before dawn, when the earth holds its breath. In that moment, you can see things clearer.Continue reading “The Quiet in Noise”

Participation Envy

Too often these days, VAR and football officials become the headline. The same across rugby, cricket and other sports. One wonders if from time to time there is a participation envy behind the headline-grabbing, as officials cannot themselves score tries or goals nor hit sixes out of the ground. Or they are that incompetent. IContinue reading “Participation Envy”

Belleza

All the people who I have had the misfortune of running up against have been hideously ugly. More than that, they have lacked beauty in their lives. From the bug-eyed, lifts-sporting presenter to the wretched stalker born with an eye on his nose, from the creepy Australian scoutmaster troll to the wide-arsed Marxist propagandist. TheseContinue reading “Belleza”

Righteous Incivility

Rudeness is normally viewed as a moral failing, but there are times when it is excusable or even justified. John Henry Newman wrote, “A gentleman is someone who never causes another person pain” (to which Oscar Wilde added the word unintentionally). On this I’m with Wilde. For at times, we may justifiably risk offending orContinue reading “Righteous Incivility”