I say there is most likely a human nature, but we have no idea what it is because so many of us have been trapped in these crappy states and empires for so long.
Well done, and perfectly said. The justifications to keep pillaging the only home humanity has, with this outdated idea that it’s “the only way”, by people who are either unable to imagine it, or simply don’t want to lose their position at the top of the pile, just get so tiresome. Thanks for saying it so eloquently.
Thanks for being so kind. I do feel very passionately about this, but it is easy to get bogged down in the details, and I sometimes worry whether the message gets through, so I’m glad this time it did.
Love this. I've been trying to re-find a study done (I think in the U.S. near Chicago) where they tracked people who relocated environment and that definitively shaped their success (or failure).
For example, want to get fit? Start hanging out with people who are fit and go to the gym a lot. You will end up adapting to their behaviour patterns. Atomic Habits also talks about this in terms of drug addiction and recovery.
I’d be really interested in seeing that Chicago study - Decades ago there was a UK TV news story about how they took a child from the most academically underperforming areas of England and put him in a private school known for its high exam results, and of course he quickly caught up. Although when I later looked up what happened to him I discovered they ended up expelling him over some hijinks his fellow students got him into (although such a fate didn’t befall his schoolmates).
With my expanding waistline I definitely need to hang out with some more fit people!
Sparta did not end well for the Spartans. The Aztecs fell when their neighbors joined the Conquistadors in destroying them. The US should study the parallels with those two examples. It's a pity most Americans think history is unimportant.
It is possible. It may not be probable. The minority are the ones doing the emotional evolution steps. The majority is not. Unfortunately, the majority may arrest that collective movement, and indeed, it does appear they've been doing exactly that since the industrial revolution.
I'm not sure the majority have had much of an opportunity- at least not a fair one - they are constantly barraged with propaganda, leaving them feeling insecure and fearful, when they aren't just focused on survival.
Great article. I’m going to slightly pushback on the Hudderite community just from my experiences growing up near one… Religiously it was quite oppressive, and extremely patriarchal. They are also some of the biggest for profit land owners in the community I grew up in as well. They practiced heavy industrial farming, even though they were supposedly against technology. They also would drive some of the fanciest automobiles in town, but would have the radio taken out of it, as if that was the technological problem. Anyway, Just some of my experiences.
I don’t disagree. Thanks for the insight. I saw them from a child’s point of view, playing with Hutterite children through hay bail mazes and enjoying their baked goods. Like other patriarchal religions they have inherited their biblical prejudices, and I wouldn’t want to excuse them, or any other ways in which they are not being a good example, such as their misuse of the land. But as an example of the resilience of a co-operative community over a long period of time they have done remarkably well, and show that at least that is possible, despite their other faults.
I'm not sure I see the correlation between social welfare and racism. Although I wouldn't want to make a sweeping assumption about whole countries, I do imagine that more homogenous areas are more resistant to people who don't look like them, although I am sure there are many exceptions. Xenophobia has been on the rise lately as it is a convenient wedge that politicians and wealthy media owners can use to get people to blame their problems on 'foreigners' rather than politicians and the wealthy. But the openly hatefully racist are still usually a minority, and among the young - especially young women - they are bucking this trend and this gives me hope.
Its a shame - I’ve heard similar things from people in Japan - as you say hate is taught, but those places are far overdue to be teaching better things.
Excellent post! I couldn't have said it better myself. I know because I've tried. Restacking
Thanks! I've been rewriting these ideas over and over trying to find the best way to convey them. I've appreciate your articles (chapters) too.
Thanks man. That means a lot.
This is a fantastic continuation on my own thoughts regarding human nature.
The more one learns about other countries, the more America appears to be a thugocracy no matter who wins elections.
I say there is most likely a human nature, but we have no idea what it is because so many of us have been trapped in these crappy states and empires for so long.
Well done, and perfectly said. The justifications to keep pillaging the only home humanity has, with this outdated idea that it’s “the only way”, by people who are either unable to imagine it, or simply don’t want to lose their position at the top of the pile, just get so tiresome. Thanks for saying it so eloquently.
Thanks for being so kind. I do feel very passionately about this, but it is easy to get bogged down in the details, and I sometimes worry whether the message gets through, so I’m glad this time it did.
Love this. I've been trying to re-find a study done (I think in the U.S. near Chicago) where they tracked people who relocated environment and that definitively shaped their success (or failure).
For example, want to get fit? Start hanging out with people who are fit and go to the gym a lot. You will end up adapting to their behaviour patterns. Atomic Habits also talks about this in terms of drug addiction and recovery.
Repetition rewires the brain!
I’d be really interested in seeing that Chicago study - Decades ago there was a UK TV news story about how they took a child from the most academically underperforming areas of England and put him in a private school known for its high exam results, and of course he quickly caught up. Although when I later looked up what happened to him I discovered they ended up expelling him over some hijinks his fellow students got him into (although such a fate didn’t befall his schoolmates).
With my expanding waistline I definitely need to hang out with some more fit people!
New recent subscriber and very much enjoy your essays, thank you.
Inspiring and practical. Thanks. I hadn't heard anyone else give numbers for the Soviet gulag vs. our own gulag
I’m glad you liked it! I make dozens more footnotes than I end up fitting in due to article size limits, so I’m happy I kept that one in now. Thanks.
Sparta did not end well for the Spartans. The Aztecs fell when their neighbors joined the Conquistadors in destroying them. The US should study the parallels with those two examples. It's a pity most Americans think history is unimportant.
It is possible. It may not be probable. The minority are the ones doing the emotional evolution steps. The majority is not. Unfortunately, the majority may arrest that collective movement, and indeed, it does appear they've been doing exactly that since the industrial revolution.
I'm not sure the majority have had much of an opportunity- at least not a fair one - they are constantly barraged with propaganda, leaving them feeling insecure and fearful, when they aren't just focused on survival.
True that survival trumps being informed, but the latter ensures more of the former.
Even though my course of action is a tad unusual, i plan on adopting both the Nordic and East Asian models for North America.
I wish you well. I like the Iroquois Confederacy model, but maybe that’s because they had such cool headdresses.
Great article. I’m going to slightly pushback on the Hudderite community just from my experiences growing up near one… Religiously it was quite oppressive, and extremely patriarchal. They are also some of the biggest for profit land owners in the community I grew up in as well. They practiced heavy industrial farming, even though they were supposedly against technology. They also would drive some of the fanciest automobiles in town, but would have the radio taken out of it, as if that was the technological problem. Anyway, Just some of my experiences.
I don’t disagree. Thanks for the insight. I saw them from a child’s point of view, playing with Hutterite children through hay bail mazes and enjoying their baked goods. Like other patriarchal religions they have inherited their biblical prejudices, and I wouldn’t want to excuse them, or any other ways in which they are not being a good example, such as their misuse of the land. But as an example of the resilience of a co-operative community over a long period of time they have done remarkably well, and show that at least that is possible, despite their other faults.
The Nordic countries are racist as fuck.
I'm not sure I see the correlation between social welfare and racism. Although I wouldn't want to make a sweeping assumption about whole countries, I do imagine that more homogenous areas are more resistant to people who don't look like them, although I am sure there are many exceptions. Xenophobia has been on the rise lately as it is a convenient wedge that politicians and wealthy media owners can use to get people to blame their problems on 'foreigners' rather than politicians and the wealthy. But the openly hatefully racist are still usually a minority, and among the young - especially young women - they are bucking this trend and this gives me hope.
I read articles by Black people who live in the Nordic countries and they're racist as fuck there.
Its a shame - I’ve heard similar things from people in Japan - as you say hate is taught, but those places are far overdue to be teaching better things.
Agreed!