“Human predators populate our society.”   Stefan Verstappen, Defense Against the Psychopath Psychopaths are human predators. They coerce, manipulate, lie, steal, defraud, abuse, and take life, without feeling guilt or remorse. A leading expert on psychopathy, Robert Hare, estimates that 1% of people are psychopaths; while the clinical psychologist Martha Stout suggests this figure is […] The post The Psychology of Psychopaths – Predators who Walk Among Us first appeared on Academy of Ideas.

“We also live in our dreams, we do not live only by day. Sometimes we accomplish our greatest deeds in dreams.” Carl Jung, The Red Book Are dreams the product of random brain activity, or a side effect of the mind consolidating its memories? Are they, as Sigmund Freud suggested, the expression of repressed wishes […] The post Carl Jung and the Psychology of Dreams – Messages from the Unconscious first appeared on Academy of Ideas.

“Most people can never, even for a moment, disentangle themselves from the restraints imposed by those around them, nor can they disregard their approval. From the moment they begin to understand their parents’ smiles and frowns they have needed the moment to moment approval of everyone, even strangers…These people measure their entire worth by what […] The post How to Stop Being a Slave to the Opinions of Other People first appeared on Academy of Ideas.

“Like plants, so men also grow, some in the light, others in the shadows. There are many who need the shadows and not the light.” Carl Jung, The Red Book None of us are as good as we like to think. We possess animalistic drives for sex and power. We have a cruel and aggressive […] The post Face Your Dark Side – Carl Jung and the Shadow first appeared on Academy of Ideas.

“…the world would be most happily governed if it consisted not of a few aggregations…with their accompaniments of despotism and tyrannic rule, but of a society of small States.”   Saint Augustine, The Political Aspects of Saint Augustine’s City of God Should the states and provinces of nations separate and become politically autonomous? Should counties, cities, […] The post Can Decentralization Save Humanity? – Why Smaller is Better in Politics first appeared on Academy of Ideas.

Central banks have spent decades flooding the global economy with newly created money. We are told this policy, or what is called a monetary inflation, is needed to stimulate economic growth and to keep unemployment low, but like so many of the justifications that politicians and bureaucrats offer for their actions, this one is a […] The post The Uncensored Truth about Inflation – How Inflation Enriches Politicians and the 1% first appeared on Academy of Ideas.

“There are just as many people who become neurotic because they are merely normal, as there are people who are neurotic because they cannot become normal. That it should enter anyone’s head to educate them to normality is a nightmare for the former, because their deepest need is really to be able to lead “abnormal” […] The post Why are so Many People Neurotic? – Carl Jung as Therapist first appeared on Academy of Ideas.

“…not increase of consciousness is the goal, but enhancement of power.”   Nietzsche, The Will to Power In the quest to live a good life, each of us, consciously or implicitly, chooses an ultimate value around which to orient our life. For many this value is wealth, for others it may be status, social-acceptance, happiness, […] The post Why You Should Seek Power, Not Happiness – Nietzsche’s Guide to Greatness first appeared on Academy of Ideas.

In 1888, the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote:  “What I relate is the history of the next two centuries. I describe what is coming, what can no longer come differently: the advent of nihilism.”  Nietzsche, The Will to Power Nihilism is the conviction that there is no meaning to life, that the world is inhospitable to […] The post Nietzsche and Nihilism – A Warning to the West first appeared on Academy of Ideas.

“Either we have no dreams or our dreams are interesting. We should learn to arrange our waking life the same way: nothing or interesting.” Nietzsche, The Gay Science The chance of living a good life is increased by attaining success in two main areas. Firstly, we need to make money, as poverty is limiting and […] The post How to Quit Your Boring Job – Turn a Passion into a Career first appeared on Academy of Ideas.