Category Archives: Human Nature

Can People Out-Think Human Nature?

Posted on Tuesday 4 August 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Yes, we’ve been doing it for some time. Two items today via Steven Pinker on Facebook. Facebook, today, Steven Pinker’s post Pinker writes: In The Blank Slate, I suggested another cause: the denial of human nature, including appreciation of beauty. … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Human Nature, Music, Politics | Leave a comment

All Stories Change

Posted on Monday 3 August 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Before it was called the Civil War, it was called the Slaveholders’ Rebellion, until apologists got the name changed; Trump and rewriting American history; Perhaps knowing less makes you happier; Religious folks who see data centers as signs of the … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Human Nature, Narrative, Religion | Leave a comment

Zeus’ Law

Posted on Sunday 2 August 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

The Odyssey and Zeus’ Law; Trump doubles down on reflecting pool vandals; Christian sky evangelist kicked off plane; Headlines from JMG about AI slop, Burgum also doubles down, bullying, executing women who get abortions, criminally charging librarians, permitting ex-gay torture, … Continue reading →

Posted in conservatives, Human Nature, Morality, Movies | Leave a comment

An SF/F/H Venn Diagram

Posted on Sunday 2 August 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Further thoughts on the topic of Friday’s post. (Busy weekend.) The first thing to understand about the very broad generalizations I made there is that there is no one type of “science fiction,” no one “fantasy” genre, no one idea … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Nature, science fiction | Leave a comment

Reality is a Communist Plot, says MAGA

Posted on Thursday 30 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Robert Reich lists items in MAGA’s totalitarian mindset; Short items on religious discrimination, Trumponomics, and new 60 Minutes correspondents, no experience required. – – – Robert Reich, today: Reality is a Communist Plot, subtitled “Of MAGA and the totalitarian mindset” … Continue reading →

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Thinking for yourself; Suicidal empathy

Posted on Wednesday 29 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Conditions for stupidity: outsourcing your thinking to an authority, willful ignorance, and conformity; No, ‘suicidal empathy’ is not destroying the West; Short items on Bari Weiss, windmills, blaming Canada, how Trump pled the fifth too, how Christians preach to captive … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Human Nature, Philosophy, Religion | Leave a comment

Nothing Is Evenly Distributed, Ever

Posted on Monday 27 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

The great science fiction writer William Gibson famously said: “The future is already here – it’s just not evenly distributed.” Thought for today: The same could be said of the Enlightenment, and the Scientific Revolution. Not only do many people … Continue reading →

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Uni-context and Flattening

Posted on Tuesday 21 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Derek Thompson on philospher Agnes Callard’s idea of “uni-context,” which matches my notion that human thinking “flattens” different levels of understanding into a single, human-centric context; How conservatives hate “The Odyssey,” quoting Al Franken; Briefly noted: To get a Trump … Continue reading →

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Conservative Opportunism, and Being Careful About What We Want to Believe

Posted on Tuesday 14 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

The death of Lindsey Graham, conservative opportunist, and perhaps closet gay; The only damage in the reflecting pool is from Trump’s limousine entourage; Item from Facebook about America and Finland; Another item about how America is opting out of the … Continue reading →

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Falling Birthrates as Tribal Panic

Posted on Tuesday 7 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Another examination of the roots of falling birthrates, a global reality; I see the concern about it as tribal panic; Briefly noted: make gun violence great again!; more about the latest GOP scare tactic; more about those who spread false … Continue reading →

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