The Fourth Monkey; the true wise man

There is an ancient adage and image that depicts the thinking and being of people through a series of archetypal monkeys; Hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil. Commonly known as The Wise Monkeys or The Three Wise Monkeys they are typically depicted sitting next to each other in a row. One covers its eyes, …

Idiots, Zealots, Elitists and Patriots: The 4 Monkeys of Modern Society

Characterized by how they respond to information, modern societies are made up of four archetypes of people — idiots, zealots, elitists and patriots. Idiots refuse information, zealots refute information, elitists misuse information and patriots seek and distribute information. These archetypes are true of patriarchal societies around the world, and has probably been the case since Homo habilis was a …

Escaping an abusive relationship

Abusive relationships where the abuser is a transparently horrible monster don’t tend to last long, because it becomes obvious to the victim very quickly that they need to head for the door. The ones that last are the ones where the abuser is an adept manipulator, who is able to elicit sympathy and attachment in …

How to End Police Violence Now; Five Solutions You Won’t Hear

Since the George Floyd protests began last week, they have since morphed into a much broader movement which is now exposing a problem this country has suffered from for a long time. The system of law enforcement in this country has morphed into a militarized standing army, preying on the poor, and rife with corruption. …

I can’t breathe; can you?

It’s not the rulers. It’s the worship, fear of, and adherence to rulers and the loss of true selfhood that this all stems from. You get what you pay for. Everybody knows that. We just don’t like stuff when it applies to ourselves. It’s always the other guy or something external. That may sound morose, fatalist or …

Social distancing with friends: the quarantine bubbles are here.

How will you decide who gets to be in your bubble? First, Corona Virus gave us the fear that we, or a vulnerable loved one, might contract a horrifically contagious disease and die a painful death in an overcrowded, underequipped hospital. Then there was the stress of quarantine. Marriages have been strained, the bonds of …

To Have or To Be? That is the question

‘Because we have freed ourselves of the older overt forms of authority, we do not see that we have become the prey of a new kind of authority. We have become automatons who live under the illusion of being self-willing individuals. The German-born humanistic philosopher and social psychologist Erich Fromm spent most of his working …