Welcome.
Writing from France, Germany, and Thailand, I use two lenses to examine dignity, legitimacy, risk—and the hidden costs we normalize.
I write from the overlap of two realities.
My legal domicile is France—shaped by Western law, institutions, and rational explanation. My daily life is in Isaan—shaped by rural community life, where Buddhism and animist intuition still function as practical ways of relating to land, memory, and each other.
I don’t switch between these worlds. I hold them simultaneously. I call this the Methodology of Two Lenses.
My Substack is a laboratory for essays about the trade-offs we normalize: what societies and organizations reward, what they tolerate as “acceptable,” and who quietly pays the price. Recurring themes include dignity, legitimacy, risk, resilience, and the way technology amplifies values rather than replacing judgment. Under many topics—geopolitics, ethics, AI—runs one question: who steers, by what authority, and at what human cost?
Many posts are written in dialogue with an AI partner I call Miles. Over time a “third voice” emerged—my lived experience meeting structured reflection. I remain responsible for what is published; the collaboration is a tool for clarity and depth.
My publications grow in several languages — sometimes in English, sometimes in Dutch or German or in French or Thai, and often in the one that feels closest to a particular story or audience.
Not every text appears in every language. Some stand alone. Others travel across borders. This is part of the nature of this space.
You’ll encounter writings in:
- EN|English — broader reflections, meditations, governance, personal stories
- NL|Dutch — pieces rooted in memory, family, or cultural nuance
- DE|German — analyses, board-related essays, ethical reflections
- FR|French — philosophical notes, letters, meditations, cross-cultural insights
- TH|Thai (occasionally) — language sketches and learning notes, stories between East and West
When a piece exists in multiple languages, the versions are linked directly inside the post. When it exists in only one language, it stands as it is.
Don’t follow every thread — only the ones that speak to you.
Warmly,
Robert
© 2025 Robert F. Tjón | Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
The website:
rftjon.substack.com | roberttjon.wordpress.com
