Best of The Ruffian 2025

And an AMA

“One of 18 wildcats that were released in the Scottish Highlands in October. This is the third year that wildcats have been released into the Cairngorms national park after being declared functionally extinct in Britain in 2019.” Via The Guardian’s selection of 2025 wildlife pictures.

Out of the temporal fog in which we find ourselves this time of year, The Ruffian shines like a lighthouse. Yes, it’s Saturday!

I won’t do a full review of 2025 (not today anyway, I’m still too full of cooked meats) but from my point of view it’s been golden. The launch of John & Paul could not have gone better. The Ruffian has gone from strength to strength. My children are marvellous. I feel very lucky. But let’s be honest, nobody wants to hear that, so let’s get down to business.

Today I present The Ruffian’s Top Ten most popular posts of 2025, based on some mysterious Substack algorithm. Bear in mind it’s not a precise science, and The Ruffian experience is about more than the sum of these individual posts, but putting this list together has been an interesting exercise for me at least. At the bottom I’ve added a few more that were also widely read or that I particularly like. If you have any favourites that aren’t listed, I’d be delighted to hear about them in the comments.

Oh and we’ve been podcasting too! I’ve loved doing The Ruffian’s pods. Thanks to everyone who participated. More coming in 2026.

I have three small requests for you, dear readers: firstly, if you feel like spreading the word about The Ruffian, this post is a good opportunity to do so. Hit the green button and share away:

Secondly, if you have any requests for 2026 - topics to cover, themes to address - please let me know in the comments. I can’t promise I’ll cover them, but the more suggestions and ideas the better.

Thirdly, and somewhat overlapping with Secondly, Ask Me Anything - if you have any questions at all about The Ruffian, about John & Paul, about the news, about life, post those in the comments too.

So here’s the top ten, in rough order of popularity. Click on the headlines to read:

27 Notes On Growing Old(er)A Universal Process That’s Also Mighty Strange

10 Ways To Buy HappinessThe Art of Spending Well

How To Love Classical MusicAnd Why You Should

Notes on The Greatest Night In PopA Study In Leadership, Teamwork, and Love

What ‘Adolescence’ Doesn’t Tell Us About BoysImpressive Entertainment, Not Sure About the Social Commentary

How - and Why - To Read......in a World That’s Giving Up On It

Suicide As a Bargaining TacticThe Evolutionary Roots of Misery Signalling

Rationalist Cults of Silicon ValleyInnovators and Cranks

The Diderot EffectWho Owns The Story of You?

Nine Principles For Success In The Age of AIAn Idiosyncratic Career Guide

That’s the top ten. Here’s a few more of my favourites from the year. What are yours?

5 Reasons There Won’t Be an AI Jobs Apocalypse
Cope & Glory
Seven Features Of Post-Literate Politics
Inspired By Walter Ong’s Classic Book, ‘Orality and Literacy’

A Studio 54 Immigration Policy
The Progressive Case For Border Control

Stop Making Sense
David Lynch, Bob Dylan, and the Beauty of the Inexplicable

Thanks for reading and subscribing! See you in the comments.