Pogue Colonel: You write “Born to Kill” on your helmet and you wear a peace button. What’s that supposed to be, some kind of sick joke?
Sergeant Joker: I think I was trying to suggest something about the duality of man, sir.
We all struggle with duality. When I watch or read the news, sometimes I think I am a Nihilist. But later, I’m on a mountain peering over the edge, and I realize how close death really is at any given moment. In these situations, I confess to myself, I am not a Nihilist.
Another duality that strikes me is the concept of sexual dimorphism among primates – particularly humans. We seem to want to emphasize it more than ever, yet neutralize it at the same time. Men wear big, masculine watches and tight shirts to show off biceps, while woman wear makeup and show off cleavage. At the same time, there is a trend toward deemphasizing sexual dimorphism. Some even let their children choose their own gender, yet children don’t have much sexual dimorphism until they hit puberty, which is based on biology, not culture. It seems absurd.
Lastly, there is a trend toward eating natural foods, Paleo and Primal Blueprint claim you should steer clear of “processed” foods. Yet, almost everyone which is into these diets eats processed MCT oil from Coconuts and supplements with protein shakes made from processed powders.
The point is, duality is all around us and it’s interesting what causes our brains to emphasize one or the other. Just remember, nobody ever blames the gun when a cop shoots an innocent person, and nobody ever blames the shooter in a school shooting (they always blame the gun). Anyway, that’s what I’ve been brooding about.