Ordinary men

On the thirteenth of July 1942, the German Reserve Battalion 101 in Lublin executed 1,500 Jewish women, children and the elderly. The battalion leader, Wilhelm Trapp, was a wise man. He offered the men who did not want to participate in the mission to step aside and promised not to punish them. He understood that some of them would not be able to shoot children without making a fool of themselves. Twelve men out of five hundred accepted the offer. What do you think was decisive when these twelve men made their decisions? And what were the motivations that influenced the other 488 men? Was the genes making the decisions, or was it their worldview?

Ordinary Men Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland By Christopher R. Browning

Actors

There have always been people who have lived outside of society: loners and fugitives, thugs, partisans, and spiritual seekers. In ancient times they hid in deep forests or in the mountains, but nowadays, it's hard to find a place where we can be in peace. That's why we stay here. Some perish, others blend in with the crowd and pretend to be ordinary citizens, much like homosexuals were forced to do in the old days.

Outside views

10-15% of all adults are social misfits. They have a personality disorder, severe substance abuse problems, or some mental illness. But some misfits have no serious mental problems; they simply don't want to be a part of society. We belong to a small group, but we exist. Is it possible, do you think, to find an evolutionary explanation for this strange behavior?

Labels

You label yourself as something. You are Sunni or Shiite, humanist or Pentecostal, liberal or conservative. You belong to an ethnic group or a clan, a tribe or a gang. You have an identity. You are Jewish or Greek, Arab or American. Why is it so hard, do you think, just to be human?

The map and the territory

It's better to have a map that doesn't agree with the territory than no map at all. You feel more secure, your health is better, and you have more friends. This is confirmed in many well-conducted studies.

Faith

Even though the United States has by far the world's most significant military power and even though they received help from several other countries, the Taliban became an overpowering opponent. The Taliban have pretty much nothing but their faith. Faith can move mountains. Doubt, on the other hand, makes us insecure and neurotic.

Belonging without believing or believing without belonging

Some people call themselves Christians, but they refuse to turn the other cheek, and they prefer to store up for themselves treasures on earth - in tax havens.