







Last week, after falling too deep into the rabbit hole (my mind), the only motivation I had to pull me out of it was to share my insight on certain matters, which I felt needed to be written. What I explain in this essay is nothing new. It is a collection of wisdom that I have adapted for the often-distracted modern mind who may need it the most.





But first, here is a poem I wrote in 2012 about the rise in the self-made problems we are facing today, it gives summary to the essay. In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman on earth, she was given a box by the Gods as a gift. In opening that box, Pandora unleashed many of the complicated problems we see today. (Feel free to skip if not into poetry, you'll see the relevance for it later on)





21st Century Pandora’s Box

Walking through the fiery mist of devastation,

Observing both evident and concealed corruption

Of humankind, provoked by her intrusion.

Who knew Pandora’s Box could change the face of this creation?





Once made to be harmonious, now it’s understanding we devoid.

Angels fell from grace, they are unemployed.

If there is a mighty hand above us all – he is annoyed,

Because curiosity killed the cat, and we cats have self-destroyed.





We now listen with an open ear and a deaf mind,

Our eyes are focused, but we remain blind,

Adamant in convincing ourselves – it is the other who is unkind.

Yes – faith in the human race is in decline.





Of all the evil Pandora’s Box contained,

Enclosed dwelled Hope, the antidote, who had remained.

It would have been wise to keep Hope sustained

But with Hope in charge of her own destiny

Hope wins the game.





“the excessive increase of anything often causes a reaction in the opposite direction; and this is the case not only in [individuals], but above all in forms of government.” – Plato “the excessive increase of anything often causes a reaction in the opposite direction; and this is the case not only in [individuals], but above all in forms of government.” – Plato





very small summary in comparison and should be treated as a summary only. It is agnostic to the religious and scientific points. It is also impartial to both left and right ideas in politics as it extends beyond the usual given indoctrinated ideals. This is an incredibly enormous and deep topic, which involved much thinking, personal experience, examination and a love for wisdom to get to my conclusion. The essay I present here is ain comparison and should be treated as a. It is agnostic to the religious and scientific points. It is also impartial to both left and right ideas in politics as it extends beyond the usual given indoctrinated ideals.





The unconscious rise against intellectuals and philosophy





If you were to type the two words “philosophers are” into your Google search engine, would you be surprised by Google’s search predictions which followed? I did just this and the recommended search results I got were, philosophers are useless; annoying; bad writers; pretentious; crazy and weird.





I was not surprised. These were only the most popular searches which followed “philosophers are” and I would be lying if I said I had not entered one or two of these into Google myself in recent years.





The word philosophy itself is said to have been coined by Pythagoras using the Greek words Philo (love) and Sophia (wisdom) to give it the meaning – lover of wisdom. Hence, anyone to have called themselves a philosopher, would not be calling themselves wise, but to say they were simply a lover of wisdom, having a hunger for understanding and good judgement.





to be a philosopher , you no longer need to have a sincere love for wisdom, you only need to have studied and written about it, then you can be called a philosopher. Today the meaning has somewhat changed to – the study of the fundamental knowledge, reality and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline. What we can notice here is that the two crucial components of the word is not at all in the modern definition. Therefore,, you no longer need to have a sincere love for wisdom, you only need to have studied and written about it, then you can be called a philosopher.





Therefore, when I refer to the term philosopher, I speak of it in the classical meaning of the word, as it is more to do with the nature of someone rather than a prestigious occupation.





After googling “philosophers are…”, I was curious to see what the response would be for “intellectuals are…”, the recommended search results were: annoying; parasites; useless; lonely and overrated. Again, I was not surprised.









So there we have it, both philosophers and intellectuals are useless and annoying. But why?





From my own limited observation, many of the modern popular thinkers today are either pretentious, appear conceited or have an agenda not obvious to many unless you research, so I understand the current suspicion. But true philosophy and intellect both aim to be objective in its critical thinking, offering more than one perspective.





Through objectivity and multiple understanding, the truth is revealed. Truth hurts, and that’s not just a pop song. But we do not like the truth. It is painful to many of us, because it’s not just about having received factual information. If it was that, we would accept it and love philosophy even more. But the reality is, it often times show us a side of ourselves we do not want to see, because we are not ready to face ourselves as our eyes will be opened to how we have been living. Many cannot accept this, and we become defensive and suspicious by it, perceiving the truth as an offence.

On the other hand, many others simply do not care, as they would prefer to live in ignorance, believing it is more blissful to do so. At times I do not blame them. So this is why wisdom is passed on through different mediums to reach us all. I’ll explore some of these further on.





The weakness in us





I had never understood the need for leaders and followers in a society. Perhaps because I’ve never studied anthropology or human ethology, or maybe it’s because I am one of those odd people who do not like to lead or follow, much preferring to see everyone as equals. However, my view does not change the fact that choosing a leader is one of the most natural phenomena in the human race. For example, if a large group was assigned to work together for a project, naturally a leader will be selected among the group. This leader will be the one most trusted in getting the job done after displaying ability and confidence to lead successfully. Support for the leader is dependent on how well they perform in their position.





The weakness in us is revealed in both the leader and their supporters. The leader can become corrupt and place restrictions to remain in power, even when they are no longer fit to rule. The corrupt leader remains the role model and therefore sets the tone for the rest of us to behave. Thankfully, this is why we have democracy. We have the power to remove corrupt leaders, or so we think.





What happens if we too become corrupt? Will a corrupt mind choose a leader who is just and fair, or will it choose one which is corrupt like he/she is?





Before answering this question, I will try to explain using intuition and psychology on how we become corrupt.





Take the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in the picture below. Many of us are familiar with these from work or school so I won’t bore you with the details. But notice that the greatest of our needs, physiological needs and security needs are closer to the base of the triangle, representing the greater need. In today’s climate, especially in the western world, we would expect these needs to be much easier to obtain than in an earlier time in history, because we are richer. Therefore, if anything, we should naturally get to the psychological stage (Love and Belonging, Self-esteem and Self-actualisation) much sooner than in earlier times. We should be able to reach the top much sooner, making us all feel very fulfilled with our lives and knowing exactly who we are, while opening up ourselves to wisdom. Yet when we take one look around us, we notice that this is not the case at all.









Where do we go wrong?





To answer this, I’ll have to bring Sigmund Freud into the equation to give me some credibility – “the ego is not master in his own house”.





is our primitive and impulsive instinct, it operates through pleasure and instant gratification. It represents our primary process thinking and is often times illogical, selfish and idealistic. Freud explained that the human psyche is made up of three components, the id, the ego and the super ego. The id (I bet this is code for idiot)is our primitive and impulsive instinct, it operates through pleasure and instant gratification. It represents our primary process thinking and is often times illogical, selfish and idealistic.





The ego on the other hand is described by Freud as, “the other part of the id which has been modified by the direct influence in the external world.” In contrast, the superego is our morals which we have acquired through our upbringing. With a fully functioning and developed superego, we can suppress the ego into behaving morally by silencing the id, or even better, controlling the id. (For those into hard science, these are now evidenced with neuroscience: unconscious-conscious-meta-cognition)





Using my own judgement and by connecting Maslow’s hierarchy of needs with Freud’s theory on the ego, I would highlight that the superego (intellect/wisdom) is a need and is reached by getting to the self-actualisation stage.





Returning to the corrupt leader mentioned earlier, which would be the best way for them to corrupt their supporters in order to stay in control? To strengthen the power of their supporters’ ids over the ego or to suppress the need for the superego by artificially fulfilling that need? Whichever way, it has the potential to give a corrupt leader control over their supporters.





The need for religion and how it is exploited





Today, religion and science rarely go together. The entire belief system for religion is based on having faith without the need for much physical evidence; while science is trusting in evidence and facts. Aside from these obvious differences between the two, if I were to use religious examples in an essay to make a point, I believe it would most likely be disregarded. But by using science or a credible source, it gives credibility. Hence why I would use Freud’s id, ego and superego, over the biblical version of it; the angel and devil on the shoulder, or the artistic metaphor for it – the heart and the head. Truth is, they are all the same thing and what I write here are just ideas, and ideas requiring credibility before it is explored is a barrier in itself to progression, but that’s another essay.





There is a deep-rooted wisdom in religion, with much of it ignored in a secular society. Take for example the Buddha, he spoke of the Eight-fold Path and detaching oneself from cravings and attachment in order to overcome the ego. Another example is the seven deadly sins in Catholicism: greed; lust; envy; pride; wrath; gluttony and sloth.









The sins represent the characteristics of our natural instincts, our Achilles heel. Now I will do the forbidden and combine neuroscience and psychology with religion, all because it appears that the seven deadly sins are the manifestation of the “id/unconscious”. Think about it for a second. It would mean that our ids would all have the characteristics of at least one “deadly sin”. And if you can’t see it, you’re either perfect, proud, closed-minded or I am wrong.





By giving in to the id/the unconscious/the sins excessively, without trying to sound religious, it appears that you may be on the pathway to self-destruction and perhaps much less likely to reach the top stage in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, therefore living an unfulfilled life and finding yourself stuck or reversing down the hierarchy of needs. I’ll repeat Plato’s quote at the beginning of this essay for this point because “the excessive increase of anything often causes a reaction in the opposite direction.” The philosopher knew his stuff before science, psychology, religion and capitalism did. Not too bad for philosophers being “useless and annoying”.





Could it really be that the more we are controlled by our unconscious ids, the more likely we drift away from self-actualisation and are therefore more likely to desire escapism? An escapism which locks us into a cycle, where the longer we stay in it, the less likely we can accept facing the reality and discovering our unexplored selves.





I would think that these are the perfect conditions for followers of a religion to become corrupt. Because if the leader of a religious establishment recognises these weaknesses in us, if they are corrupt themselves and is no longer in touch with their virtues/superego/meta-cognition, then they have likely given in to their own id and could therefore abuse their power over his/her followers. For example; a leader with greed will find ways to extract more money from them; a lustful leader may seduce their supporters, albeit in secret; and a proud leader may enjoy playing the role of an idol or God.





Religion has provided rules to help us learn control over our unconscious, it helps us achieve our potential. However, with corrupt leaders, we become corrupt ourselves.





The need for the arts and how it is exploited





I remember sitting in my year six after school club for creative writing. My teacher would echo the words to us “make sure to have a moral first, then write”. It turned me off writing, I just wanted to play with words my way. But then I also remember falling in love with classic novels later on in life; the way the literary geniuses used their skills to show us a mirror of ourselves. The sole purpose of their stories were to provide understanding through their multidimensional characters, poetry and prose, as Shakespeare did. They were eye openers, and like that, we experienced wisdom through the arts.

Pandora - By Walter Crane

An artist uses their talent to teach, to tell a story, to enlighten and to make you feel. Whether it is through writing, singing, music or painting; there is something beautiful to share from it. The artist is the giver and we are the receiver. Or is that true? Perhaps the world’s most famous artists ought to explain:





“Good painting is nothing else but a copy of the perfections of God and a reminder of His painting. Finally, good painting is a music and a melody which intellect only can appreciate, and with great difficulty.” – Michelangelo





“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen” – Leonardo Da Vinci





“Art is to console those who are broken by life” – Vincent Van Gogh





“ when one wishes to be touched by the truth and to be able to interpret that truth so that one may use what one is feeling and experiencing, be it despair or joy, in a way that will add meaning to one’s life and will hopefully touch others as well. This is art in its highest form. Those moments of enlightenment are what I continue to live for.” – Michael Jackson





“When I sit down to write a book, I do not say to myself, ‘I am going to produce a work of art.’ I write it because there is some lie that I want to expose, some fact to which I want to draw attention, and my initial concern is to get a hearing.” – George Orwell





The shared message in these statements show that each artist would agree that art is deep and is a very useful tool in conveying an important message. The artist is the leader in this case, but what happens when the leader is corrupt?





I believe that the same rule which applied for religious followers, would also apply to the followers of the arts. Because if they are susceptible to corruption, meaning, they use art as a form of escapism or a distraction from facing themselves, then the leader/artist has gained a power advantage over their supporters.





It is no surprise that George Orwell would write in his essay, All art is Propaganda, that “if there really is such a thing as turning in one's grave, Shakespeare must get a lot of exercise.”





Art today is a money-making business. It’s Hollywood’s cliché formula movies, it’s the propaganda in newspapers and magazines, it’s the pop music we enjoy, it’s even in academia. And the corrupt leaders: they are the businessmen unknown to us, hiding behind our idols: the pop star, the actor, the famous journalist or writer. Many, not all, who are corrupt just like us. And the rewards for being an artist are great. It awakens the envy and greed in us, as we want exactly what they have. Another popular religious reference comes to mind as I see it as the willingness to “sell one’s soul”, therefore giving over complete control of your id.





The need for science, empirical evidence and innovation and how it is exploited





“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stand in the cradle of true art and true science.” – Albert Einstein “The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stand in the cradle of true art and true science.” – Albert Einstein





There is a reason why Albert Einstein would use the word true before the words, art and science in his essay, The World as I See It. I already showed the difference between a true artist and a corrupt one. But what exactly does he mean by true science?





Galileo believed that “the language of God was Mathematics”, which is the study of patterns, and that the universe was best understood through mathematics. His discoveries and beliefs are what would lead him to be called the “father of science” by Einstein.





I have yet to hear a famous scientist today speak of the mysterious or mention God or the unknown. I believe they would surely lose credibility for it. The popular scientific culture we have in modern times is strongly based on empirical evidence and scientific theory, where deductive reasoning (reasoning using verified concepts) often times trump inductive reasoning (reasoning using intuition, observation and pattern to form a theory).





I do wonder if there is any room for the inquisitive observers and intuitive minds in this field anymore. After-all, many of us have heard the stories of the scientists with original observations and insights being ignored or ridiculed. See: Alfred Wegener (discovered the continents were shifting); Ignaz Semmelweis (discovered that washing hands saves lives); Gregor Mendel (discovered genetic inheritance); and Barry Marshall and Robin Warren (discovered the cause for peptic ulcers were bacteria).





There are so many more examples to the above, and while it is important to be sceptical to new discoveries, to completely disregard it due to our obsession for empirical evidence is a concern. This problem has even made its way into many academic disciplines. And with the academic disciplines becoming more divided and less interconnected, the more we have created a trap for ourselves into ignorance by choosing to master our own craft, searching for credibility. Hence, disregarding the wisdom to be found in any other discipline, dismissing the unknown, and stifling creativity and innovation for it.





“Albert Einstein called the intuitive or metaphoric mind a sacred gift. He added that the rational mind was a faithful servant. It is paradoxical that in the context of modern life we have begun to worship the servant and defile the divine.” – Bob Samples (The Metaphoric Mind: A Celebration of Creative Consciousness).





So – just how can the need for science, empirical evidence and innovation be exploited?





Like the many artists of today, we also idolise those who have brought us great discoveries, truths or their ideas. We assign them a leader in their fields, believing they are deserving of it, like Einstein and Steve Jobs for example. However, as our academic disciplines become less connected, and we become narrower in our thinking through a flawed education system, we have closed ourselves from external knowledge and understanding. Yes to specialising, but no to closing off our minds to other fields.





In this case – like art – science and innovation attempts to give us the answers we need to live a fulfilling life. When it comes to new innovations, it is often the ideas which are exploited rather than the innovator. For example, the inventor of the plastic bag invented it to “save the planet” but it’s now a great problem.





On the other hand, if the innovator is involved in business, then they can easily become corrupt. This is either through patents, the monopoly-maker of the pharmaceutical industry, or through excess competition and the need to stay ahead in fear of losing. Just look at the behaviours of the most innovative tech companies; Facebook, Google and Amazon for example.





Now I believe the greatest of all exploitation discussed is when innovation is used to control the minds of those stuck in that cycle of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs; the need for love and belonging and the need for self-esteem.









st century has to offer us, we feel low, anxious and empty. But that’s ok, because science is our saviour, it has provided us many amazing innovations, but along with it, drugs, excess alcohol and more tools for instant gratification. All of which we can use as our antidote for feeling empty, even though it can take us to a permanent lack of fulfilment. And of those who speak of intellectual and moral pursuits, the real antidote, is more likely to be viewed as corrupt, which explains why we view them as useless and annoying. To the corrupt mind, they are therefore deserving of harsh judgement and criticism. The most successful strategy of keeping our minds trapped in that cycle is advertising. The use of an art form to persuade us into spending on what we do not need. Advertisers find ways to get past our conscious/egos and use our own ids/unconscious against us. If you’re prone to envy, they say, “be the envy of all your friends with this new…”; if you’re prone to gluttony, “try this new, succulent, scrumptious, luscious, mouth-watering…”; if you’re prone to greed, “sale, sale, sale” in bright red letters. And when we feel unfulfilled with all these amazing “gifts” the 21century has to offer us, we feel low, anxious and empty. But that’s ok, because science is our saviour, it has provided us many amazing innovations, but along with it, drugs, excess alcohol and more tools for instant gratification. All of which we can use as our antidote for feeling empty, even though it can take us to a permanent lack of fulfilment. And of those who speak of intellectual and moral pursuits, the real antidote, is more likely to be viewed as corrupt, which explains why we view them as useless and annoying. To the corrupt mind, they are therefore deserving of harsh judgement and criticism.





Moving Forward





Firstly, I will state that the entire economic system is flawed. Where I thought the study of economics would educate me in learning the mathematics of how to make better use of scarce resources, I was wrong. It teaches the tools, yes, but it hardly teaches the morals which makes it a social science. The very purpose of economics today is to maximise profit and to grow GDP to stay ahead. It attracts those wishing to use the economic tools to fulfil selfish needs also.





However, I understand the system of needing to maximise profit and to grow GDP. Because anyone with the power sets the rules and those with the least power has little influence and would therefore have to take what is given. Excessive competition in business and between countries forces these ambitions to the extreme. With a constant desire for power, which is embedded in our instinctive nature, fuelled by a fear of loss of control, we will need to have a very important conversation about the state of a broken and corrupt world, which is trapped more than ever before through the excess noise and the excessive exploitation of our very own weaknesses and innovations.





We need real leaders more than anything, and through having complete control over our own weaknesses and a focus on finding a balance for our conscious minds, then we can break the cycle which allows us to be manipulated by temptations and the cravings for power. From that I believe more true leaders will emerge.





On the other hand, to recognise a real leader, we must protect ourselves from becoming corrupt, because, “a people that elect corrupt politicians, impostors, thieves and traitors are not victims, but accomplices” – George Orwell





The power is in your hands, regain control.





In all our getting, let’s get wisdom.









N.B - Thank you for getting this far. References are not included to make a point (also lazy). But feel free to fact check. As mentioned before, this is only a summary and I don't mind answering questions as to how I got to these conclusion for clarity. It is also limited to my perspective and research. Also, don't hesitate to share if you think it deserves to be. I would appreciate it. Also, don't hesitate to share if you think it deserves to be. I would appreciate it.



