Unpuzzling Life’s Complexities Newsletter
Exploring the Puzzle of Your Personal Self, Social Relations, and the Madness of Our Political Societies
The stories in this newsletter are about life and human nature - its bright lights and dark corners.
The posts focus on questions such as these:
- Why do we behave as we do?
- Who do some people cling to beliefs that have no factual basis?
- Why do groups and social media have such a strong influence on our beliefs?
- Why do so many people prefer self-serving strongmen to lead their governments?
Humans are complex, and there are no simple answers to these questions. However, learning about the principles of adaptive living can help us better understand the dynamics that drive our achievements and challenges.
This collection of postings is organized into a newsletter and five topics.
The newsletter Dispatches from America, Inc., examines the day's political headlines as strategies from my Playbook for Autocrats.
The newsletter tells you what is happening as democracies are lost and autocracies are created. Beyond the "what" analysis is the question: "Why?"
Topics 2 through 6 examine the "why" of news headlines. I'll show you how human nature and adaptive living principles help us understand the deeper dynamics of life's complexities. Have you ever wondered: Why do conservatives and liberals have radically different values? Why are some attracted to strongman politicians, while others cringe?
The graph to the left shows how these principles affect us as individuals who live in groups and societies.
The nested circles demonstrate that your self-identity is embedded in a world of social relations, further embedded in the complexities of your communities and cultures.
My posts explore real-world problems you might see as headlines in your newsfeeds. They aim to help you understand, from the perspective of fact-based science, the day's events as they relate to you, your social life, and your communities.
These posts can be read in any order, depending on your interests. I appreciate your comments and feedback.
