Describes the process of a mass movement, which consists of the same/similar tactics and life-stages, irrespective of ideology. They start with an idea, usually coming from an intellectual, which is then picked up by a despot/fanatic/leader (preaching instant-gratification hope), and in a healthy state of events, eventually gets put into…

Impressions from 1998 (Middle School) and 2020 (Adulthood) Mom — thank you for saving absolutely everything I ever wrote… I think. 9/14/1998 Flowers for Algernon was a compelling story, up until the end. The author shows what it would really be like to be challenged. I enjoyed the way the…

The “perversity-breeding neediness” of humans These are some of my favorite passages and quotes from this overarching somewhat history of humanity and ideas about it, the crux of which is that humans do in fact have something called a nature and are not just pieces of Play-Dough which can be wrought from the ground up…

“Pretending that some middle-ground nirvana can be reached if only we listen to the other side is counterproductive and a source of endless frustration” Similar to Haidt’s Righteous Mind in acknowledging people have “predispositions,” which the authors (three political scientists including the prolific John Hibbing) say are very much rooted…

Accepting The Insoluble Paradox Of Life People often see other people as walking-need-fulfillers for them themselves — “What can that person do for me?”, on a subconscious level; “… these needs which are essentially deficits in the organism, empty holes, so to speak, which must be filled up for health’s sake, and furthermore must be filled…

[Man] has always and everywhere liked to act as he wants The underground man is a writer in mid 19th century Russia. He has a government job, but has not done well in life; he is insecure and constantly ruminates on everything. In his diaries, he points out the ridiculous…

The argument against internet censorship Much politically-minded discourse today argues in favor of censorship to combat “misinformation,” and ultimately, against the spirit of The First Amendment of The Constitution of the United States. Amongst mainstream outlets, there is a paltry defense mounted in favor of the First Amendment. …

Your brain is your “press secretary” Some excellent insights herein, despite some ramblings and repetitive material. As a layperson, the concept of modularity of the mind was both new to me and makes intuitive sense. Conclusion ties together nicely the dangers of inconsistent moral principles and hypocrisy (keeping in mind the author resigned from Penn for…

The Case For Critical Thinking Yale psychologist who argues that empathy is a human emotion that must be controlled for good, like anger is. Says that empathy is not the source of all that is good due to its nature as a “spotlight” on a certain thing, and our own inherent biases in how we…