Unpuzzling Library

Unpuzzling the Forces of Democratic Backsliding (DALL-E Image) If you see a wild man yelling “I can save you!” and he’s running naked down New York City’s Fifth Avenue, worry for the man. If you see a crowd of people who have shed their clothes and are running after the man, shouting “Save me!”, worry for the followers. Across the globe, many decent people are chasing after ruthless leaders who have long since abandoned all ...

(by Timothy Synder, 2018) Unpuzzling Democracy in Retreat The Author, In Brief Timothy Snyder is the Richard C. Levin Professor of History and Global Affairs at Yale University and a permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. A prominent American author specializing in the history of Central and Eastern Europe, the Holocaust, and totalitarian regimes, Snyder’s several books have been translated into over forty languages. He has appeared in over fifty films ...

Image: DALL-E by author Unpuzzling Astrology as a Match Maker and Futurist "What's your sign?" It's a question you've probably heard at parties, on dates, or even during job interviews. Humans have looked to astrology for centuries to understand themselves and others. We've all had that moment of nodding along as someone describes how being a Scorpio explains their intensity or how Mercury being in retrograde affects their decision-making. By nature, humans are prediction machines. ...

On March 25, 1775, at a church in Richmond, Virginia, an American patriot gave an impassioned speech to his fellow townsmen, urging them to approve of a resolution for Virginian troops to join in the Revolutionary War against British colonialism. Toward the end of his brief speech, Patrick Henry implored the delegates: Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know ...

Who among us doesn’t ponder the future? How often do you think about your life unfolding over short and long timeframes? Do you wonder about your future health and lifespan, your children’s success, or the outcome of working hard at your job? These deeply personal questions reflect our innate curiosity about what lies ahead. Prediction is the cornerstone of human existence. A coherent life means anticipating what comes next. You cannot plan for the future ...

Around the world, our involvement with religion is changing. Participation in religious activities is declining in well-resourced countries where citizens feel relatively secure about a stable future. In countries that are less resourced and where citizens’ futures are more uncertain, participation in religious activities is increasing. What impact does declining participation in religious activities have on morality? Does distancing ourselves from religious congregations inevitably lead to a decline in our moral standards? The Christian Bible contains narratives that ...

The history of human civilization is the story of increasing exposure to information. Access has multiplied through evolving technologies: stone tablets, Gutenberg printing press, telegraph, radio/TV, internet, and, today, social media apps. Given the exponential increase in information available to everyone, you might think that electing representatives in modern democracies has become a rational process of gathering facts about candidates’ priorites and then matching these facts to voter’s policy preferences. If you think the politics ...

Have you ever had the experience of meeting a best friend after losing touch for several years? You get together over lunch or some activity, and the talk flows between you non-stop, as if you had never been separated. Or perhaps you’ve experienced the joy of joining a project team that clicks. After a brief period of getting to know one another, you “put your heads together” like a well-oiled machine, moving smoothly and quickly. ...

Afghanistan’s post-occupation political landscape is today characterized by an authoritarian regime with unique ideological features, including the most severe restrictions on the freedoms and human rights of any current dictatorship, particularly for women and girls. A few months after the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops in August 2021, Afghanistan’s ruling party, the Taliban, announced that girls were barred from studying beyond sixth grade — or age 13, about the time when young women can begin to ...

Unpuzzling the Nature and Nurture of Your Personality Your personality is the core of your self-identity. What do you know about the personality that make you the person you are?  Do you control it — or does it control you?  Can you change your personality traits if you don’t like them?  How did you end up with the personality you have?  Does your personality influence your political affiliations? The question is simple: who are you? Try answering ...