What stood out to me is the reminder that memory is far less objective than we assume. We don’t simply remember the past, we continually reconstruct it through the lens of who we are today, which means our stories about ourselves are always evolving.
Yessss to number 3. Ive been saying this forever! And I include religion too. Ive read books from a very wide range of beliefs & the core functions are always the same just in different vocab or logical leaps.
Just came across this article, have to say, had to read it twice. Part that impacted me the most, was the guy killing himself. Have you ever found yourself having these thoughts? or have you found people to see these truths with as well? Where have you found people that operate at the same level of awareness you mention? Great article. Will share it.
A very useful and enjoyable article... Thank you, my friend.
The first point reminded me of this quote:
"And the past is not static. It can be relived only in memory, and memory is a device for forgetting as well as remembering. It, too, is not immutable. It rediscovers, reinvents, reorganizes."
__ Margaret Drabble
---
Regarding the killing of the Mongol trade delegation and the Khwarazmian Empire’s refusal to hand over the perpetrator, it is not accurate to reduce the fall of the Khwarazmian state to Mongol military strength alone. While Mongol power was undoubtedly the decisive execution factor, it was not a sufficient cause by itself. In reality, the Khwarazmian Empire suffered from clear internal weaknesses: political fragmentation, a lack of centralized decision-making, and ongoing power struggles among the ruling elite. In addition, the mismanagement of the crisis with the Mongols turned what could have been a contained diplomatic incident into a total war of annihilation. The vastness of the empire further compounded these problems, making rapid coordination and unified defense extremely difficult. Therefore, the Mongols did not simply defeat a strong and stable state; rather, they exploited a fragile political structure that made collapse rapid and, to a large extent, inevitable.
This interpretation is based on historical readings of this period, which is widely regarded as one of the darkest chapters in that region’s history.
Also, The Mongol expansion was not limited to the Khwarazmian Empire; it continued until they reached the center of the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad. Hulagu Khan led his campaign toward Iraq, also taking advantage of internal weaknesses similar to those that had preceded the fall of the Khwarazmian state. At that time, the Abbasid Caliphate was suffering from severe political decline, with the caliphate reduced to a largely symbolic authority with limited influence, while real power was fragmented among local rulers and competing elites.
In addition, the absence of unified decision-making and weak military preparedness, combined with reliance on delayed and ineffective diplomatic responses, left Baghdad unable to organize any meaningful defense. With internal division and a misjudgment of the scale of the Mongol threat, Hulagu was able to besiege the city, leading to its fall in 1258, thereby ending the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad.
Here, we have an event that contains a great deal of both pain and irony.
As historians have reported it: Hulagu toured the areas of the caliphate and expressed his astonishment. Then he ordered the caliph to be brought before him. The caliph was brought surrounded by Mongol soldiers, in a state of humiliation and submission. The captive caliph began to bring out the treasures of the House of the Caliphate—its wealth, jewels, ornaments, embroidered garments, vessels of gold and silver, and precious valuables that had accumulated over centuries.
Hulagu then placed a golden plate in front of the caliph and said: “Eat it!”
The caliph replied: “It cannot be eaten.”
Hulagu said: “Then why did you hoard it? Why did you not give it to your soldiers? Why did you not turn these iron gates into spears? Why did you not come to the banks of the Jihun River to prevent me from crossing?”
The caliph said: “It is the will of God.”
Hulagu replied: “And what is happening to you is also the will of God.”
I know, right? It was plausible up until that point then suddenly I got the supplements vibe and couldn't tell if it was Alex Jones or his successor, The Onion.
Reading philosophical texts and making connections among and between them in a historical way is one thing; suddenly pivoting to behavioral biology is quite another. You jumped the shark, dude. What combination of academic training, research experience, and a deep interest in the biological underpinnings of behavior do you have to support such a leap?
Yes. The "You are being controlled by suggestion" bit gets my mind on edge. Then the last 2 beats are. You need more testosterone. To continue learning how cross this pay wall.
There’s nothing in this analysis that says testosterone promotes actual critical analysis rather than pursuit of fragmented, hare-brained conspiracy theories.
What stood out to me is the reminder that memory is far less objective than we assume. We don’t simply remember the past, we continually reconstruct it through the lens of who we are today, which means our stories about ourselves are always evolving.
That's a very level analysis.
Thanks for the post man
This is really mind-blowing, and also how you connected all these ideas together is amazing.
Yessss to number 3. Ive been saying this forever! And I include religion too. Ive read books from a very wide range of beliefs & the core functions are always the same just in different vocab or logical leaps.
An article that deserves meditation pauses in between to enable the reader grasp it intimately.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Thank you Oscar
Good stuff as always!
Just came across this article, have to say, had to read it twice. Part that impacted me the most, was the guy killing himself. Have you ever found yourself having these thoughts? or have you found people to see these truths with as well? Where have you found people that operate at the same level of awareness you mention? Great article. Will share it.
Impressive
A very useful and enjoyable article... Thank you, my friend.
The first point reminded me of this quote:
"And the past is not static. It can be relived only in memory, and memory is a device for forgetting as well as remembering. It, too, is not immutable. It rediscovers, reinvents, reorganizes."
__ Margaret Drabble
---
Regarding the killing of the Mongol trade delegation and the Khwarazmian Empire’s refusal to hand over the perpetrator, it is not accurate to reduce the fall of the Khwarazmian state to Mongol military strength alone. While Mongol power was undoubtedly the decisive execution factor, it was not a sufficient cause by itself. In reality, the Khwarazmian Empire suffered from clear internal weaknesses: political fragmentation, a lack of centralized decision-making, and ongoing power struggles among the ruling elite. In addition, the mismanagement of the crisis with the Mongols turned what could have been a contained diplomatic incident into a total war of annihilation. The vastness of the empire further compounded these problems, making rapid coordination and unified defense extremely difficult. Therefore, the Mongols did not simply defeat a strong and stable state; rather, they exploited a fragile political structure that made collapse rapid and, to a large extent, inevitable.
This interpretation is based on historical readings of this period, which is widely regarded as one of the darkest chapters in that region’s history.
Also, The Mongol expansion was not limited to the Khwarazmian Empire; it continued until they reached the center of the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad. Hulagu Khan led his campaign toward Iraq, also taking advantage of internal weaknesses similar to those that had preceded the fall of the Khwarazmian state. At that time, the Abbasid Caliphate was suffering from severe political decline, with the caliphate reduced to a largely symbolic authority with limited influence, while real power was fragmented among local rulers and competing elites.
In addition, the absence of unified decision-making and weak military preparedness, combined with reliance on delayed and ineffective diplomatic responses, left Baghdad unable to organize any meaningful defense. With internal division and a misjudgment of the scale of the Mongol threat, Hulagu was able to besiege the city, leading to its fall in 1258, thereby ending the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad.
Here, we have an event that contains a great deal of both pain and irony.
As historians have reported it: Hulagu toured the areas of the caliphate and expressed his astonishment. Then he ordered the caliph to be brought before him. The caliph was brought surrounded by Mongol soldiers, in a state of humiliation and submission. The captive caliph began to bring out the treasures of the House of the Caliphate—its wealth, jewels, ornaments, embroidered garments, vessels of gold and silver, and precious valuables that had accumulated over centuries.
Hulagu then placed a golden plate in front of the caliph and said: “Eat it!”
The caliph replied: “It cannot be eaten.”
Hulagu said: “Then why did you hoard it? Why did you not give it to your soldiers? Why did you not turn these iron gates into spears? Why did you not come to the banks of the Jihun River to prevent me from crossing?”
The caliph said: “It is the will of God.”
Hulagu replied: “And what is happening to you is also the will of God.”
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/HulaguInBagdad.JPG): Mongol ruler Hulagu Khan imprisoning the last Abbasid Caliph, Al-Musta'sim, amidst his own treasures following the Siege of Baghdad in 1258
It's just completely changed my perspective about certain things.
A good read.
Thanks man👊
Sorry. You lost me at testosterone.
I know, right? It was plausible up until that point then suddenly I got the supplements vibe and couldn't tell if it was Alex Jones or his successor, The Onion.
What is so controversial here? I've linked the study. It also makes sense evolutionarily.
Reading philosophical texts and making connections among and between them in a historical way is one thing; suddenly pivoting to behavioral biology is quite another. You jumped the shark, dude. What combination of academic training, research experience, and a deep interest in the biological underpinnings of behavior do you have to support such a leap?
Yes. The "You are being controlled by suggestion" bit gets my mind on edge. Then the last 2 beats are. You need more testosterone. To continue learning how cross this pay wall.
“Yeah? Well, you know, that's just like uh, your opinion, man.”. The Dude
There’s nothing in this analysis that says testosterone promotes actual critical analysis rather than pursuit of fragmented, hare-brained conspiracy theories.