Plato’s cave

Heroes are as essential as food, water, and air. Societies without heroes—meaning societies without positive role models of courage, competence, selflessness, and a sense of higher purpose—are societies destined for ruin. Ancient Greek mythology was full of heroes, figures who stood somewhere between gods and humans, elevated by their worth. Christianity, too, had—and still has—heroes, despite its emphasis on humility. Saints are the heroes of Christianity. They possess immense courage, determination, and wage a selfless struggle for all of humanity. Yes, they are humble and shun the spotlight and shiny armor, but deep down, they know and feel they are champions in their spiritual battle. The quality of a society’s heroes reflects the quality of the society that produces them. For example, rappers, who are the heroes of our era, are often criminals—thus, they have boldness—but lack any other positive traits: they are self-centered, ostentatious, sexist, violent, destructive, and self-d...

  …What has become of the America we admired in our youth? …The magical land of freedom, joy, youthful spirit, music, fun, parties, glittering universities, seamless careers, meritocracy, inventiveness, and technological progress? The technology that provided answers and solved economic and social problems? And, above all, where has the land of optimism gone, the country where everyone believed their children would live better lives than they did, that society was always moving toward something better and more abundant? …Man, what the hell happened to change most of that? And most importantly, why has the psychology of people in America changed so much, and why aren’t they happy anymore? Why are so many people disappointed, unhappy, and addicted to drugs? Why do tens of millions of people need to take fentanyl and oxycodone just to stay upright and not be in pain? Why have so many homeless people flooded the streets, living in tents, cars, and RVs because they can’t afford...

  I knew a very respectable lady who also had a very respectable husband. The respectable lady eventually found an equally respectable lover and abandoned her respectable husband. I, as a third-party observer, assumed that the respectable lover must have been even more respectable than the respectable husband to have such a… profound impact on a respectable lady and wife. I was wrong: the lover was rather a shallow, superficial, and frivolous man. This fact caused me some confusion because I couldn’t explain the choice of the respectable lady. I concluded that the respectable lady wasn’t all that respectable, because if she were, she wouldn’t have made such a foolish mistake by choosing a shallow lover. From now on, therefore, if I want to judge a lady’s character, I won’t look at her husband but at her lover. Ήξερα μία πολύ αξιόλογη κυρία η οποία είχε επίσης ένα πολύ αξιόλογο σύζυγο.  Η    αξιόλογη κυρία τελικά βρήκε ένα επίσης αξιόλογο εραστή και εγκατέλειψε  ...

  Many Small, Naked Kings The more primitive a society, the more it covers up its problems and pretends they don’t exist. “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” the well-known fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, is timeless but varies in intensity and scope from country to country.  It tells the story of a king deceived by two swindler tailors who convinced him they were sewing a splendid garment, invisible to those who are incompetent or foolish.  The king, afraid to admit the truth, paraded naked through the streets, while all his subjects admired him, too scared to speak the truth—until a child shouted, “The king is naked.” In all Arab Middle East countries, social and political criticism is so restricted that stepping slightly beyond vague boundaries can get you swept away. For example, in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, and Iran, there are very few influencers, and they face imprisonment for the slightest misstep. And in Turkey too. …And in Europe and the USA, until recen...