Podcast: On Shame

“Shame,” wrote psychologist Silvan Tomkins, “strikes deepest into the heart of man… it is felt as a sickness of the soul which leaves man naked, defeated, alienated, and lacking in dignity.”

Shame is the great barrier that keeps people from acting as individuals and from expanding beyond a minimum-energy state. The expectation of shame is paralyzing to the vast majority of humans at some points of their life, and to some more frequently than others. Many people have spent their lives seeking shame-avoidance positions.

All of this is a horrific waste, and in this podcast, we take it on.

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The Barbarians Have Taken The Institutions

(Originally published July 22, 2020.)

Let’s be honest about something: We in the West have been overrun by a tidal wave of racial hatred, and it erupted from institutions “of higher learning.” Whatever exceptions may exist, this central fact is clear. We are free to close our eyes, of course, but when we choose to see, this is what stands in front of us. Continue reading “The Barbarians Have Taken The Institutions”

To Be Young and Headed to the Stars

I would pay dearly for young people to feel what it was like to be a scientifically minded child in the 1960s. It was a special and beautiful moment. Each week there was a new step toward the stars. And this was not science fiction, this was real. There was an exhilaration to it that I don’t think can be found in any other venture. The door to infinite space was creaking open for us. Continue reading “To Be Young and Headed to the Stars”

Podcast: Why Dropping Out And Running Away Are Virtuous

The idea that running away is a virtue bothers a lot of people, but when you find that the greatest men and women of history have done precisely this, it’s time to re-evaluate, no matter how it makes you feel.

Compliance is how we shrivel and ultimately die to ourselves. Acting on your own decisions – with all the risk that implies – is the path of life and liberation.

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The Surge And Fall Of Monkey Masculinity

What I’m calling “monkey masculinity” is a deep and old problem, and one that I will shortly explain. And unfortunately it will not vanish in any short period of time.

The “surge” part of our title, however, refers to a recent phenomenon, and it will vanish. In fact, I think its process of decline is beginning right now. Continue reading “The Surge And Fall Of Monkey Masculinity”

How Cryptography Revolutionized Revolution

I am no fan of violent revolution, yet I have to admit that John Kennedy had a point when he said, “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” The forces that drive revolutions push themselves to the surface one way or another. If they can find a peaceful path, they have a chance to transform the world slowly and beneficially. If they are repressed, violence occurs sooner or later. Continue reading “How Cryptography Revolutionized Revolution”