Why do we have rituals?
Because we are creatures of habit.
R De Braganza, Kilifi, Kenya
• To achieve some semblance of order in at least a small portion of our lives in this chaotic modern world.
Philip Stigger, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
• Ritual is what keeps us going, when there’s little else to go on.
R M Fransson, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, US
• To reinforce our belief in the unbelievable.
Ian Juniper, Sydney, Australia
• Sometimes, it just feels rite.
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills, Victoria, Australia
It’s always safe to do dishes
What would the role of Renaissance man entail nowadays?
Today’s Renaissance man would be a superb cook and homemaker, expert in IT, devoted to protecting the environment and knowledgeable in arts and sciences.
Ursula Nixon, Bodalla, NSW, Australia
• A gargantuan grasp of Google.
Charlie Bamforth, Davis, California, US
• Much the same as it did then: sifting the available data to extract information, analysing that information in the pursuit of knowledge, applying that knowledge to acquire wisdom, using that wisdom to benefit mankind. Oh, yes – and checking how many Facebook friends he has gained in the process.
Noel Bird, Boreen Point, Queensland, Australia
• The ability to recite poetry while twerking.
Spence Blakely, Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US
• Extending the definition to include women.
Joan Dawson, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
• To defer to Renaissance woman, of course.
John Benseman, Auckland, New Zealand
• Sharing household chores and replying to emails.
Richard Orlando, Westmount, Quebec, Canada
• Contributing more to the sharing of domestic chores alongside his Renaissance woman. Remember: no man has been shot while doing the dishes.
Margaret Wilkes, Perth, Western Australia
Time to restuff that cushion
Why do the rich need so much money?
Because you can’t have enough of what you don’t need. Greed is usually caused by insecurity. Those who didn’t get enough love as children feel insecure for the rest of their lives. Some try to fix this with drugs or alcohol and some with money and power. Of course, these do nothing to increase their sense of security, but instead of searching for what will, they amass more money.
Penny Hanley, Downer, ACT, Australia
• Money is the ego’s cushion, and just like an old futon that goes flat over time, the cushion needs frequent restuffing.
John Geffroy, Las Vegas, New Mexico, US
• Because of the competition! If you sail in the rich areas of the Mediterranean, you’ll pass a lot of yachts. Some are really big but the owner is likely to pass a still bigger one, and that’s unnerving.
Marc Jachym, Les Ulis, France
• To fatten themselves up so we can eventually eat them, obviously.
Jesse Gutman, Toronto, Canada
Any answers?
At what point does madness become brilliance?
R De Braganza, Kilifi, Kenya
If you won the lottery, what would you do with your millions?
Richard Orlando Westmount, Quebec, Canada
Send answers and more questions to weekly.nandq@theguardian.com
