How far removed are we from segregation in this country? On the day I was born in Atlanta, it was not possible for blacks and whites to eat in the same restaurant. That changed a few months later, so segregation was a reality within my lifetime. People of different races could not marry in most … Continue reading Break the Chains
Category: Human Nature
Voices in Our Heads
Somewhere, out on the plains in Africa, just shortly after humans had learned to talk, a tribe got into some sort of trouble and all seemed bleak. Suddenly a man in the tribe heard the voice of his father, who had died years before, instructing him on what to do. He got everyone's attention and … Continue reading Voices in Our Heads
Shadow Selves
Can you see the real me? --The Who, Quadrophenia We all have secret sides to our personalities that we keep hidden from those around us — thoughts we never share, opinions we never state, fantasies we never reveal. Each individual carries around multiple perspectives inside his or her mind, a unique vision that no one … Continue reading Shadow Selves
Thought Crime
Beware the savage jaw of 1984. --David Bowie In his novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell presents readers with a society so repressive that even the mere thought of dissent is outlawed. Every citizen has a 24-hour monitoring device, the telescreen, installed in his or her home, and even the English vernacular has been altered to … Continue reading Thought Crime
Cosmic Hubris
There's a hedge that believers frequently cite when discussing the existence of a supreme being. It's better to believe in God regardless of whether or not God exists, because the consequences of believing in a God that doesn't exist are less than for not believing in a God that does. The same argument can be … Continue reading Cosmic Hubris
What Nature Intended
To someone trying to reason out why people behave the way they do, homosexuality may seem like an anomaly. Two men together or two women together cannot produce a child, and since the biological imperative for all creatures on earth seems to be to survive and procreate, homosexuality doesn't appear to play a role … Continue reading What Nature Intended
Ecological Meltdown
We satisfy our endless needs and justify our bloody deeds in the name of yesterday and in the name of God - The Eagles The earth's ecosystem didn't pop up overnight. It has developed over billions of years, and humans have only been a part of it for a few hundred thousand at most. This … Continue reading Ecological Meltdown
Existential Void
In his book, Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl tells the story that on his first day in a Nazi concentration camp, an older and more experienced prisoner pointed to him and, based on the older prisoner's experience, said Frankl was the type who wouldn't survive. Frankl did survive and one way he managed … Continue reading Existential Void
Biological Imperative
In Genesis, the first humans are instructed to be fruitful and multiply. Given that the human population now exceeds seven billion individuals, one could assume humans took that instruction to heart. Along the way, the transition from hunter gathers, where the population was constantly on the move, to an agrarian society where everyone stays … Continue reading Biological Imperative
War of Words
For centuries, those attempting to manipulate the public conscience have understood that appealing to emotions or instincts is far more effective than appealing to intellect. The advertising industry makes a fortune each year manipulating the audience's emotions to sell everything from coffee and toothpaste, to candidates for all levels of public office. In his review … Continue reading War of Words