In his recent book (“DisConnection”, 2023), Dr. Steve Taylor (Leeds Beckett University, UK), puts forward the deceptively simple thought, that a lack of empathy and connection between peoples, nations, governments and individuals, is what is facilitating abusive tyrants at every level. Nigel Pocock This is driven by a […]
Needle’s Eye
Fundamentalism y fanaticism
What unites all fundamentalists is an over-riding commitment to a sacred text, through which all of truth must be interpreted. The sacred text cannot be questioned; only obeyed. Nigel Pocock In the past the word ‘fanatick’ (sic) meant an ‘enthusiast’ and it usually seems to have had an […]
Violence and cruelty, a means to preserve self-esteem
People who say that their over-riding priority is their self-esteem, are the opposite. They are insecure, sometimes to the extent that they will use any methods, even illegal ones, to enhance what they believe is necessary to wipe out their poor self-image. Nigel Pocock Do people really love […]
True community is a ‘safe place’
But character changes, as action informs attitudes (and vice-versa) and a prosocial culture and consequent character is emergent. Nigel Pocock . In a western world premised on a culture of denial of differences, is a concept of ‘national character’ meaningful? Or a basis for harmful stereotyping? Can we learn […]
Tyranny perpetuates disasters and poverty
Democracy weakens tyranny, and tyranny perpetuates disasters, by choking the cries of the poor and oppressed. All disasters are essentially man-made. The poor are always hit by far the worst. Nigel Pocock It might seem surprising to my readers to make the assertion that earthquakes and other ‘chance’ […]