It may seem strange to some man that has not well weighed these things that nature should thus dissociate and render men apt to invade and destroy one another; and he may therefore, not trusting to this inference, made from… Read More ›
social
What beliefs are ‘for’. Aaron C.T. Smith
In his book, Cognitive Mechanisms of Belief Change, Aaron CT Smith, a cognitive scientist from Melbourne, Australia, gives a brilliant account of what beliefs do for us. Flock Theory, “In my estimation…beliefs follow the same kinds of rules governing flocks… Read More ›
What we stand to lose. Final, Series 5.5
In the final instalment of this series, I lay a few bones on the table for your consideration. I hope you value them as I do. ————————————————————————————— “If the human race is under threat in some way that we don’t… Read More ›
Building a model of the world is a community project. Series. 5.4.
Recall my project here. In this series, I lay out some “bones” for thinking about the way — the why and the how — the people we depend on for our survival, delectation, and companionship (our peeps) help us navigate… Read More ›
Survival. Series 5.3.
Often times we pick up facts that appear useful or interesting and bring them back to our peeps for inspection. Invariably, when we shake a fact out of a gunny-sack and lay it on the table, they’ll gather ‘round and… Read More ›
Mattering to each other. Series 5.2.
In this series, I lay out some “bones” for thinking about the way — the why and the how — the people we depend on for our survival, delectation, and companionship (our peeps) help us navigate the world. And we… Read More ›
What’s in a name? A face, a voice, laughter, habits….Series 5.1.
The names of the people we love are like beads on a Rosary, well-worn worry stones oft-fondled for comfort and reassurance. 5.2 Mattering to Each Other 5.3 Survival 5.4 Building a Model of the World is a Community Project 5.5… Read More ›
Thoughtlets .xxii. (worth repeating)
Look below a grand narrative, e.g. left vs right, dark vs light, and you will discover people doing the best they can with the circumstances in which they find themselves.
Bread and Circuses
Somewhere around the second century CE, the Roman satirist Juvenal coined the phrase ‘bread and circuses’ which has come to mean placating one’s populace with cheap bribes to distract them from their political grievances. Here’s the logic. Thomas Hobbes observed… Read More ›
