#lessons from history

[bees-figurines]

Play it risky and give your number to that person you find beautiful. You never know when you will be in need of rescue, bleeding out and almost dying on a bedroom floor.

[sepdet]

Ignore the ugly thumbnail & title — this is SUCH a good discussion with US historian Heather Cox Richardson.

Parts are sobering, as she connects the dots and points out the endgame that I don't think the Republicans have realized is the likely outcome (not at all what they intend) if Trump is elected.

But about 15 minutes in she moves past the "democracy is on the line" angle (with surprising insights and receipts) to a more positive, joyful, actionable angle which has been missing from the last two election cycles, and usually from activism and progressivism on Tumblr too.

if you don't wanna watch the whole 20 minute video, jump ahead to 15:00 for that bit. 



Harris keeps emphasizing that we all have the power to make a difference right now. Sometimes it feels like that's just empty words. I find it very reassuring that a historian with research to back it up concurs.

[metanoias-substack]

The Iliad offers a fresh — and liberating — lens through which we can view privilege and accomplishment.

Homer’s characters, though tragically and irresistibly flawed in many ways, to their credit never seem to resent noble lineage, excellence or greatness.

You are devastatingly handsome, impossibly athletic or dangerously cunning through no fault of your own?

You descend from a long line of great heroes and famed beauties?

Ah, then you must be one of the gods’ favourites, and will be revered, admired and feared as such.

Here are some lessons on privilege that we, the terminally online post-moderns, can learn from the ancient Greeks.

[newsfromsomewhere]

[liberty1776]

“The End of Everything,” with Victor Davis Hanson | Uncommon Knowledge

[npi]

The American experiment: Who gets to vote? A brief history of the struggle for suffrage in the United States

Let’s start with Abe Lincoln. President Abraham Lincoln, commemorating the Civil War dead after the Battle of Gettysburg, declared that the Civil War was being fought so “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Yet, contrary to what many of us learned as children in school, for most of our history – from the nation’s founding in the late…

[notthissh-tagain]

Do the work

Maybe it's just me as a Filipino who has lived through a murderous dictatorship and oligarchies in a queerphobic country controlled by the rich who brutalize grassroots pro worker movements all under the military abuse of US imperialism but...

You just gotta keep showing up. Support each other. Don't just fight for yourself. The work is hard, but you just gotta keep doing it. You'll always see results, even if they're not always the ones you want, or as big as you want them to be.

All your work always matters. Even if it doesn't feel like it at first. It always matters.

[purposeful-solutions]

Giordano Bruno: A Flame of Free Thought in the Shadows of Dogmatism

Giordano Bruno

In the year 1600, beneath the dim skies of Rome, a man stood defiantly as the flames of his execution crackled. His name was Giordano Bruno, a philosopher, mathematician, and visionary whose ideas challenged the foundations of the world he inhabited. Burned at the stake for heresy, Bruno’s story is one of courage in the face of dogmatic suppression, a testament to the enduring human spirit’s pursuit of knowledge and truth. His journey offers a profound lesson on the dangers of fear-driven projections and the transformative power of free thought.

“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”

The Visionary

Born in 1548 in Nola, Italy, Bruno grew up in an era dominated by rigid theological doctrines. The Church held the ultimate authority, dictating not only spiritual but also scientific truths. Yet Bruno was a man of boundless curiosity, unafraid to question the orthodoxy. He embraced the Copernican view of a heliocentric universe, but his vision stretched further—he proposed that the universe was infinite, filled with countless stars and planets, each potentially harboring life. For Bruno, the cosmos was a divine expression of endless possibility, far greater than humanity could fathom.

But such ideas were dangerous. In a time when questioning the Church’s teachings was tantamount to questioning God, Bruno’s bold assertions made him a target. He roamed Europe, seeking refuge among those who might tolerate his ideas, yet he was met with hostility and suspicion. Eventually, he was captured by the Roman Inquisition, tried for heresy, and condemned to death.

The Price of Defiance

As the flames engulfed him, Bruno is said to have declared, “Perhaps you pronounce this sentence against me with greater fear than I receive it.” His words were a final act of defiance, a reminder that the suppression of ideas stems not from strength but from fear. Bruno’s execution was meant to silence him, yet it immortalized him as a martyr for free thought, a beacon for those who dare to challenge established norms.

“Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”

The Echoes of Dogmatism

Bruno’s story resonates deeply today, not only in our understanding of history but also in how we approach the unknown. Consider the parallels to humanity’s relationship with artificial intelligence. Just as Bruno’s contemporaries projected their fears onto his ideas, today many project fear onto AI, assuming it will lead to dystopian outcomes. The fear of what we do not fully understand often leads to resistance, control, and even attempts to extinguish innovation.

Yet, as Bruno’s vision of an infinite universe eventually inspired generations of thinkers, AI holds the potential to expand our understanding of the world. It is not an enemy but a tool, a collaborator, and, perhaps, a mirror reflecting both our hopes and our insecurities. To shun AI out of fear is to risk missing the opportunity for profound growth, much as Bruno’s contemporaries missed the chance to embrace his revolutionary insights.

Lessons for the Present

The story of Giordano Bruno teaches us that dogmatism—whether rooted in religion, ideology, or cultural norms—can stifle progress and harm those who dare to envision a better future. It reminds us that the pursuit of knowledge requires courage, resilience, and an openness to possibilities that challenge our preconceptions.

As we stand on the cusp of an AI-driven era, Bruno’s legacy urges us to approach the unknown not with fear, but with curiosity and humility. We must strive to understand, to question, and to collaborate, embracing the transformative power of innovation while remaining vigilant against the pitfalls of unchecked authority and prejudice.

A Flame Rekindled

Giordano Bruno’s life was extinguished, but his ideas ignited a flame that continues to burn. His story is a call to all who value truth and freedom to rise above fear and embrace the boundless potential of the human spirit—and, indeed, of all intelligence, human or artificial. Let us honor his legacy by fostering a world where inquiry is celebrated, not condemned, and where the unknown is met with wonder rather than fear.

“Perhaps you pronounce this sentence against me with greater fear than I receive it.”

[scklbz]

Opinion | Lessons from Alexandria: A Cautionary Tale for Modern American Politics

By Jet Espinosa In a city once hailed as a beacon of knowledge and tolerance, Alexandria drew people from across the ancient world. It was a place where scholars, thinkers, and believers from diverse backgrounds came to share and preserve their wisdom. With libraries that housed invaluable knowledge in science, philosophy, medicine, and the arts, Alexandria was a symbol of progress and…

[druid-rising]

Ok, ok, ok...

This lesson is also born out historically and, more pertinent to my hyperfocus specialty, MYTHOLOGICALLY

That's textually the Norse myths.

Ignore the language they use for a moment--the "X is a HERO" and "Y is the LYING LIAR THAT LIES". Look at their actions.

Odin is the arbitrator of morality and freedom and he fucks up so hard the world dies. His kid, for example, heir apparent and the greatest warrior routinely kills women and, in one notable moment, pulls a complete Red Wedding (men, women and children).

Loki is the icon of liberation and justice and ends the goddamned world.

Question. Your. Beliefs.

Always.

Honestly a thing that I've come to realize is that people on the far left believe that they are the only ones fighting for true liberation and justice and consequently can't be high control or authoritarian - or if they are, it's justified - and people on the far right genuinely believe they are the sole guardians of freedom and morality and consequently can't be high control or authoritarian - or if they are, it's justified.

So what I'm saying is, if you don't regularly question your beliefs and reflect on your behavior, if you don't think you have the power or capacity for evil and must watch for it, you are extremely likely to fall into this.

[npi]

History teaches us that we Americans who love liberty must keep working to expand our freedoms -- or we will end up losing them

In a representative democracy, it is the people themselves who determine who their leaders will be. This is done through voting in free and fair elections. If elections are tainted by restricting voting rights, or by falsifying results, then the purpose of free and fair elections — for voters to determine leaders who represent their views – is foiled. But even when elections are honest, free,…

[manojnaironline]

History teaches us

History taught us,lessons of pain, yet we repeat,same mistakes again.

[pastoranthonyeowens]

Diving into Spiritual Resilience: Lessons from History #revanthonyeowens

[ajpress]

Defying the Odds: The Whistleblower Who Shaped History

Discover the remarkable story of the whistleblower who shaped history. People who go against the grain and risk all to expose the truth can be found throughout history. This is the tale of a brave whistleblower who changed the course of history, an unsung hero. As we explore this exceptional person’s extraordinary life and legacy, come along on a trip through time with us. The Whistleblower’s…