The hatred of Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, can be explained by the ego defense mechanism Reaction Formation. Let's get into it. Reaction Formation is simply the hatred of that which you fear you need, or want. It is a Freudian, psycho-analytic concept. It combines repression of unmet desire with projection. … Continue reading The Hatred of Donald Trump
Category: human nature
BOSCH: Season 3
I, last night, finished watching BOSCH season 3 for the third time. This show is gripping. But don't just take my word. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a viewer rating of 97%! Season 3 is based on Michael Connelly's novels The Black Echo and A Darkness More than Night. I had to make a visual character map … Continue reading BOSCH: Season 3
Silicon Snake Oil: The Road to Hell
This ain't no technological breakdown, oh no, this is the road to hell. This ain't no upwardly mobile freeway, oh no, this is the road to hell. Chris Rea (1999). So it is. As Astronomer Clifford Stoll foresaw in his 1995 book, Silicon Snake Oil: Second Thoughts on the Information Highway, about computers and civilization, … Continue reading Silicon Snake Oil: The Road to Hell
You Are What You Watch
or, what you watch depends on who you are? That's a kind of nature / nurture question. Or a "what came first?" trope. Isn't it? Were you born a sociopath, a psychopath, or did events beyond your control make you into one? Is there such a thing as "bad seed"? I came to this question … Continue reading You Are What You Watch
CHIMP EMPIRE: Who Are We?
is the way James Reed's Netflix documentary (April 2023) begins, and ends. Does the four-hour series answer the question? That depends on who and what you believe. For me it does a very good job. We are the The Naked Ape (1967); or as Jared Diamond wrote, The Third Chimpanzee (1992). Robert Wright called us The Moral … Continue reading CHIMP EMPIRE: Who Are We?
Marianne Williamson’s “Return to Love” Platform.
I'm re-reading Democrat POTUS candidate Marianne Williamson's 1992 bestseller A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A COURSE IN MIRACLES. Because, why not? It's on my bookshelf and I'm a believer in first principles, or rewarded behaviors being foundational for a person's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The Platform I'm surmising from declarations from the … Continue reading Marianne Williamson’s “Return to Love” Platform.
Men Without Work
is a book by Nicholas Eberstadt, an American political economist, written in 2016 and updated in 2022. I haven't read the books but have listened to him talk about them on YouTube podcasts. The premise is that the documented 7.2 million men, aged 21 to 54, that have quit the workforce is a problem. For … Continue reading Men Without Work
Ally McBeal: Smash or pass? Love it or leave it?
Ally McBeal was a serial TV show on Fox from 1998 to 2002. Do you love it or leave it? Is it a smash or pass? Each season was 20+, one-hour stories, with a regular cast of characters, mostly. Some characters would 'disappear' over the course of years, and be replaced by new ones. In … Continue reading Ally McBeal: Smash or pass? Love it or leave it?
Lucy’s Legacy: A review
Lucy's Legacy: Sex and Intelligence in Human Evolution (1999) is a book written by Alison Jolly (1937-2014) about that which the title indicates. Moreover, the book is one of the most intelligent, thoughtful, amusing, detailed analysis of who we are. Which begs the question: Why isn't it more widely read and cited? The answer is … Continue reading Lucy’s Legacy: A review
Why We Lie
is a proposition that is intriguing to me. I'm going to look closely at it and try to come up with some answers. [This post was inspired by my WordPress friend's post The Shape of Discord.] To begin, understand that I take an evolutionary and Freudian position on human nature and behavior. Benefits of lying … Continue reading Why We Lie