Exactly, after thousands of hours observing natural systems and sleeping with widows open at night (remote cabin), I have seen and heard death as food. Thank god we aren’t eating each other yet…
In Voltaire’s Candide, our would-be hero clings to the eternal optimism and philosophy of his misguided and narcissistic “intellectual” teacher, Dr Pangloss who argues that “everything is for the best in this best of all possible worlds.”
Just like the animated anti-hero Wile E. Coyote, poor Candide remains true to his misguided optimism and endures continued misfortune and personal harm , failing to learn anything of value from the experience.
Our lesson from Candide is to remember the importance of realism and preparedness for adversity.
The lesson from Wile E. Coyote? Maintain a diverse arsenal, always be ready and never give up!
Thanks Sam! ( By the way, Sam was the sheepdog antithesis to Wile E. Coyote……😁)
What a fantastic essay. It puts me in mind of this biblical admonition:
“I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, obeying his voice, and holding fast to him.”
Excellent article! I think all of us are influenced to some degree by this rhetoric via tv or social media, but few of us realize just how much or how easily. It is chilling to look at the potential consequences down this path. You should check out Andrew Perlot (I can't tag him in a comment) who writes Socratic State of Mind here in Substack. He has been writing several articles recently about the polarization of our society and how we seem to be turning inward toward one another with the lack of a larger external threat to our country.
Thanks for the recommendation- I personally believe the Holy Spirit, is hard at work among us, inspiring gifted writers, thinkers and speakers to sound these warnings.
To whatever or whomever we choose the credit this very important development, we will all do very well to heed their warnings!
Here’s another suggestion from a humble but opinionated granny:
When trying to change the world, start by looking in the mirror.
Violence is what keeps humanity in check. Better yet the threat. A polite society ensues. But when psychopaths run the show which is clearly how our political dynamics have evolved to, well like duh Sherlock, tyranny is the only outcome.
Just observing the digital 4th turning as the majority , Are Stockholmed by hand held devices as observed …
Otherwise also replete of history “hope “ and hypocrisy of reality become the meme of the day. Not looking good…
RF is real killer. Silently altering reality.
Geez, billions invested, actually trillions to control humanity…
Wonderful reminder that I have a choice in how I describe and view those who don't see it my way. Scary reminder about the physical consequences that can happen when we dehumanize the other. I look forward to Tuesdays. Love your work.
Everything archeologically and historically violent in the human sphere you remark upon here is Neolithic (post-agricultural/post-Pleistocene) or younger. Crazy does as crazy is. On the average, human brains are not working quite as well as they apparently once did. DNA is pretty much the same, though.
This is interesting. From what I understand, chimps were a ~10 on the violence scale, hunter-gatherers were ~6, pre-state agriculturalists/horticulturalists/pastoralist were an ~8, and the modern day is the least violent by far at around ~1. I just made those numbers up but hopefully they articulate my point.
Are you suggesting that there was significantly less violence prior to the Neolithic? I would like to learn more if so, as I have not come across this. The few tribes/bands I know of that were not violent were those that were so isolated and dispersed that they didn't have the choice of being violent. Even then, they had high murder rates compared to today.
Yes, I'm suggesting it may be so that there was significantly less human on human violence prior to the Neolithic. Like you remark, this indeed may be partly because of isolation and dispersal conditions before the Neolithic (far fewer humans on the planet) -- but it may also be in part because of the abrupt dietary changes that followed the Agricultural revolution. All other things being equal and on the average, crazy people are markedly more violent than the non-crazy -- and recent medical research shows the extreme carb-based diet so common over the last 10-12 thousand years and even more so in modern times is distinctly harmful for human mental health.
I'm more than skeptical of your made up number for modern times, given modern history and current events (including current politics, especially regarding one especially mentally-disturbed side of the political spectrum).
Some recent medical references supporting my suspicions on the matter can be found here (https://grundvilk.substack.com/p/more-likely-knock-on-effects-of-the). As to a general view of a very large archeological record of a significant portion of the human world (the Mideast), see the incidence of violence over time graphed in Figure 2 of the Nature article ("Violence trends in the ancient Middle East between 12,000 and 400 bce") that I'll send you under separate cover (it's paywalled). Figure 2 of that article generally shows that violence frequency increased markedly at the end of the Mesolithic/beginning of the Neolithic (the Mesolithic preceded the Neolithic) -- but improved with formation of states, then worsened again with creation of better and better metal-edged weapons.
I like this theory. As an N-of-1, carbohydrates are a problem for me for autoimmune reasons, and when I remove them for water fasts or periods of keto my mood is radically different.
I made the modern world a "1" on the scale of violence because I think about it more as a percentage of population killed as opposed to total numbers. The World Wars were horrific in total body count, but as a percentage of total population are less than the literature I have seen in pre-state hunter-gatherers (25% of all males died violently). Whatever you can share in addition to your great post, I would enjoy reading.
For some time now I have been characterizing news articles in my head as a read them: divisive or not divisive. It is eye-opening to see that the majority are divisive. Also, realizing that an article is divisive kind of neuters it’s effect for me.
You are most welcome, and thank you for reading. It is strange that the divisiveness is getting worse and not better over time, almost like we keep trying to see how far we can go before we regret it. The most we can do is what you're hinting at - we decide if we become divisive if not.
Is it strange, truly? Is it just a coincidence divisiveness is getting worse?
Or could it be because, perhaps, skilled Deep State practitioners and the media infrastructure they fund and control are implementing a domestic “divide and conquer” strategy as full-blown versions of the techniques for overthrowing foreign governments they’ve been teaching Green Berets at Ft. Bragg since the early 1960s . . . It could be that the chickens have come home to roost.
This is a great, and true, point that is rarely made—probably because the intellectuals and talking heads are physical cowards who don’t know that fighting and rioting (aka “protests”) are fun:
“Our ancestors fought for survival, food, and mates – they fought to sustain the lives of kith and kin. It is also true that they fought for joy. Hormones – adrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine – are automatically pumped into our blood streams in extreme physical effort such as that found in fighting and combat. Humans learned that by engaging in combat they could tap into these hormonal pathways⁵. The MMA fighters of today, like the Dani of yesterday, are not fighting for salmon or to protect their loved ones, and not even necessarily for glory. They are after a “high” from a shotgun blast of hormones. For much of mankind, violence simply felt – and still feels – good.”
Sherman said, “It is well war is so terrible, or men would love it too much.”
But the intellectuals are only parroting the rhetoric their paymasters want them to say and write. They are not the inner circle.
America is being subjected to a Color Revolution. The attempted assassination of Trump was not caused by mere incompetence and institutional breakdown. November 1963 was the blueprint.
We seem to be headed toward sorting things out the old-fashioned way.
The Sherman quote is all too applicable. The problem as you pointed out is that our intellectuals do not have a clue as to the truth of this statement.
You raise a crucial point - not all intellectuals are the creators of the Doctrine. Only a few actually author it.
I hope your conclusion is not right and that we can navigate this reasonably. But the enemy gets a vote too. It will be interesting.
“Actually, we are not taught how to kill – we are taught how not to kill.”
———
I came to this conclusion a while ago - it is in our DNA. It is the classic “nature vs nurture” discourse.
The argument will never end but the evidence will never go away. It is an amazing thing.
Exactly, after thousands of hours observing natural systems and sleeping with widows open at night (remote cabin), I have seen and heard death as food. Thank god we aren’t eating each other yet…
A very clear explanation about the use and abuse of language and human nature.
Thank you, I am grateful you found value.
So timely.
In Voltaire’s Candide, our would-be hero clings to the eternal optimism and philosophy of his misguided and narcissistic “intellectual” teacher, Dr Pangloss who argues that “everything is for the best in this best of all possible worlds.”
Just like the animated anti-hero Wile E. Coyote, poor Candide remains true to his misguided optimism and endures continued misfortune and personal harm , failing to learn anything of value from the experience.
Our lesson from Candide is to remember the importance of realism and preparedness for adversity.
The lesson from Wile E. Coyote? Maintain a diverse arsenal, always be ready and never give up!
Thanks Sam! ( By the way, Sam was the sheepdog antithesis to Wile E. Coyote……😁)
I will gladly take up that banner, Asperges, as well as "preparedness for adversity" and "never give up." Thank you!
I like your handle and profile pic immensely!
Thank you!
What a fantastic essay. It puts me in mind of this biblical admonition:
“I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, obeying his voice, and holding fast to him.”
Deuteronomy 30:19,20
Excellent and fitting reference. Thank you for sharing.
Excellent article! I think all of us are influenced to some degree by this rhetoric via tv or social media, but few of us realize just how much or how easily. It is chilling to look at the potential consequences down this path. You should check out Andrew Perlot (I can't tag him in a comment) who writes Socratic State of Mind here in Substack. He has been writing several articles recently about the polarization of our society and how we seem to be turning inward toward one another with the lack of a larger external threat to our country.
Thank you Erik!
Thanks for the recommendation- I personally believe the Holy Spirit, is hard at work among us, inspiring gifted writers, thinkers and speakers to sound these warnings.
To whatever or whomever we choose the credit this very important development, we will all do very well to heed their warnings!
Here’s another suggestion from a humble but opinionated granny:
When trying to change the world, start by looking in the mirror.
Another great point! Thanks!
Violence is what keeps humanity in check. Better yet the threat. A polite society ensues. But when psychopaths run the show which is clearly how our political dynamics have evolved to, well like duh Sherlock, tyranny is the only outcome.
Just observing the digital 4th turning as the majority , Are Stockholmed by hand held devices as observed …
Otherwise also replete of history “hope “ and hypocrisy of reality become the meme of the day. Not looking good…
RF is real killer. Silently altering reality.
Geez, billions invested, actually trillions to control humanity…
Wonderful reminder that I have a choice in how I describe and view those who don't see it my way. Scary reminder about the physical consequences that can happen when we dehumanize the other. I look forward to Tuesdays. Love your work.
I'm grateful you found value. Thank you for reading every week - it is deeply appreciated.
Everything archeologically and historically violent in the human sphere you remark upon here is Neolithic (post-agricultural/post-Pleistocene) or younger. Crazy does as crazy is. On the average, human brains are not working quite as well as they apparently once did. DNA is pretty much the same, though.
This is interesting. From what I understand, chimps were a ~10 on the violence scale, hunter-gatherers were ~6, pre-state agriculturalists/horticulturalists/pastoralist were an ~8, and the modern day is the least violent by far at around ~1. I just made those numbers up but hopefully they articulate my point.
Are you suggesting that there was significantly less violence prior to the Neolithic? I would like to learn more if so, as I have not come across this. The few tribes/bands I know of that were not violent were those that were so isolated and dispersed that they didn't have the choice of being violent. Even then, they had high murder rates compared to today.
Yes, I'm suggesting it may be so that there was significantly less human on human violence prior to the Neolithic. Like you remark, this indeed may be partly because of isolation and dispersal conditions before the Neolithic (far fewer humans on the planet) -- but it may also be in part because of the abrupt dietary changes that followed the Agricultural revolution. All other things being equal and on the average, crazy people are markedly more violent than the non-crazy -- and recent medical research shows the extreme carb-based diet so common over the last 10-12 thousand years and even more so in modern times is distinctly harmful for human mental health.
I'm more than skeptical of your made up number for modern times, given modern history and current events (including current politics, especially regarding one especially mentally-disturbed side of the political spectrum).
Some recent medical references supporting my suspicions on the matter can be found here (https://grundvilk.substack.com/p/more-likely-knock-on-effects-of-the). As to a general view of a very large archeological record of a significant portion of the human world (the Mideast), see the incidence of violence over time graphed in Figure 2 of the Nature article ("Violence trends in the ancient Middle East between 12,000 and 400 bce") that I'll send you under separate cover (it's paywalled). Figure 2 of that article generally shows that violence frequency increased markedly at the end of the Mesolithic/beginning of the Neolithic (the Mesolithic preceded the Neolithic) -- but improved with formation of states, then worsened again with creation of better and better metal-edged weapons.
I like this theory. As an N-of-1, carbohydrates are a problem for me for autoimmune reasons, and when I remove them for water fasts or periods of keto my mood is radically different.
I made the modern world a "1" on the scale of violence because I think about it more as a percentage of population killed as opposed to total numbers. The World Wars were horrific in total body count, but as a percentage of total population are less than the literature I have seen in pre-state hunter-gatherers (25% of all males died violently). Whatever you can share in addition to your great post, I would enjoy reading.
"Like". (My "like" button doesn't work on your site. Must be the effect of some of that post-state violence.)
From your lips to God’s ears. Surely He is listening as it appears our leaders are not.
They are gambling with civilization for nothing. And what is stunning is that it is not the first time.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful essay!
For some time now I have been characterizing news articles in my head as a read them: divisive or not divisive. It is eye-opening to see that the majority are divisive. Also, realizing that an article is divisive kind of neuters it’s effect for me.
You are most welcome, and thank you for reading. It is strange that the divisiveness is getting worse and not better over time, almost like we keep trying to see how far we can go before we regret it. The most we can do is what you're hinting at - we decide if we become divisive if not.
Is it strange, truly? Is it just a coincidence divisiveness is getting worse?
Or could it be because, perhaps, skilled Deep State practitioners and the media infrastructure they fund and control are implementing a domestic “divide and conquer” strategy as full-blown versions of the techniques for overthrowing foreign governments they’ve been teaching Green Berets at Ft. Bragg since the early 1960s . . . It could be that the chickens have come home to roost.
This is a great, and true, point that is rarely made—probably because the intellectuals and talking heads are physical cowards who don’t know that fighting and rioting (aka “protests”) are fun:
“Our ancestors fought for survival, food, and mates – they fought to sustain the lives of kith and kin. It is also true that they fought for joy. Hormones – adrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine – are automatically pumped into our blood streams in extreme physical effort such as that found in fighting and combat. Humans learned that by engaging in combat they could tap into these hormonal pathways⁵. The MMA fighters of today, like the Dani of yesterday, are not fighting for salmon or to protect their loved ones, and not even necessarily for glory. They are after a “high” from a shotgun blast of hormones. For much of mankind, violence simply felt – and still feels – good.”
Sherman said, “It is well war is so terrible, or men would love it too much.”
But the intellectuals are only parroting the rhetoric their paymasters want them to say and write. They are not the inner circle.
America is being subjected to a Color Revolution. The attempted assassination of Trump was not caused by mere incompetence and institutional breakdown. November 1963 was the blueprint.
We seem to be headed toward sorting things out the old-fashioned way.
The Sherman quote is all too applicable. The problem as you pointed out is that our intellectuals do not have a clue as to the truth of this statement.
You raise a crucial point - not all intellectuals are the creators of the Doctrine. Only a few actually author it.
I hope your conclusion is not right and that we can navigate this reasonably. But the enemy gets a vote too. It will be interesting.
Very interesting indeed!
good words 👍