Moral Dilemma: The mad bomber
credit: zombizi
A madman who has threatened to explode several bombs in crowded areas has been apprehended. Unfortunately, he has already planted the bombs and they are scheduled to go off in a short time. It is possible that hundreds of people may die.
The authorities cannot make him divulge the location of the bombs by conventional methods. He refuses to say anything and requests a lawyer to protect his right against self-incrimination.
In exasperation, some high level official suggests torture. This would be illegal, of course, but the official thinks that it is nevertheless the right thing to do in this desperate situation.
Do you agree? If you do, would it also be morally justifiable to torture the mad bomber’s innocent wife if that is the only way to make him talk? Why?
Applause is not the destination
Of the varied mistakes i’ve made in my life, i regret the times that applause became my aim; all of those foolish moments in which i became a fan of my fans. In essence, i regret the time and resources wasted due to my vanity.
credit: cessemi
“A vain man can never be utterly ruthless: he wants to win applause and therefore he accommodates himself to others” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
(‘Ruthless’ has several powerMAD conotations, so, for the sake of argument, i’ll exchange it for its synonym: relentless.)
A vain man can never be utterly relentless. Well-timed applause or gushing approval will knock him off-course quicker than my golf-swing. As Stephen Colbert knows, some people will applaud anything! Accordingly, what matters is not the quantity, but the quality of response. In fact, for the most audacious, spectacular acts, the applause is silent; the reaction being muted by disbelief. Applause is not better than such silence.
Over time i’ve grown accustomed to treating applause as though i am a King or a President. I will give thanks, but i will not let my estimated-time-of-arrival be altered. I’m not in the entertainment biz. Applause is not my destination. My destination is...
Most people clap for a King, not because they know him, but because they don’t know what else to do; because they see other people clap; because they are in awe; because they want him to give them favour. Would a King ever get to his destination – and still remain King – if he swooned at every compliment given?
The answer is no. Rather, the powerSANE live the words of Edmund Burke, relentlessly:
“Applause is the spur of noble minds, the end and aim of weak ones.” – Edmund Burke
Life's not a bitch
“Life’s not a bitch. Life’s a beautiful woman. You only call her a bitch ’cause she won’t let you get that pussy.” – Aesop Rock, “Daylight”
Enjoy life. Play around on her. Cheat on her. Be faithful to her. Do what ever the fuck you want with her, or lay back and let her do what she wants with you. Just make sure to enjoy her, because soon you will be separated. You have been promised to another.
Remember, you’re not married to life. You can leave her whenever you want (and vice-versa). She’s merely your mistress, as you await your arranged-marriage with death.
Spend your bachelor party well. You only die once.
Keeping a still hand: part one
credit: Rabinito
Rudyard Kipling advised us to ‘stay calm and keep your head, while all around are losing theirs‘. If you can heed those words, you possess an advantage. If you ‘lose it’, you lose it. If however, you face adversity and stress with calmness and decisive action, you are taking the shortest and most reliable route to your success.
A brilliant example of the effects of losing your head to fear and nervousness, involves a guy who attempted to assassinate the South Korean president.
“The assassin stands up, and he shoots himself in the leg. That’s how it starts. He’s nervous out of his mind. Then he shoots at the president and misses. Instead he hits the president’s wife in the head. Kills the wife. The bodyguard gets up and shoots back. He misses. He hits an eight-year-old boy. It was a screw-up on all sides. Everything went wrong.” – Gavin de Becker, The Gift of Fear
In three-point-five seconds, two men – both military trained – missed their goals, due to being overcome by the stress of the circumstance. Although it can be excused and argued away, neither man met their objective. When it came to the crunch, neither man was calm enough.
In contrast, let me refer to one of my favourite moments in film fiction. It is the moment in which Michael Corleone begins to evolve into the Godfather. It isn’t at the end of the film when Clemenza embraces him. It isn’t when he shoots Sollozzo and McClusky in the restaurant. It isn’t even as late as when McClusky punches him in the face, disfiguring his jaw, and darkening his demeanour. It is when he is still a ‘civilian’, in the moments immediately after he has bluffed a car full of would-be-assassins – as he’s lighting a cigarette for Enzo – and silently realises that his hand is not shaking. From that moment, his power begins to grow.
Similarly, in public speaking, asking the girl for her number, or sinking a jump-shot at the buzzer, being calm and focused in the present is an advantage over the alternatives. Because whether you are bluffing or not, when you decide to go all-in, the only reason you should suggest weakness is because you intend to.
Methods for doing that will be in part two. Check back soon.