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Civilization Is Fragile

The Pull Toward Barbarism

Civilization is fragile.

We like to think it is permanent, but there is something inside us that resists it.

Fear, cruelty, and tribalism pull like gravity, always trying to drag us back to barbarism.

History shows progress.

But it also shows collapse.

And collapse does not come from nowhere. It comes from people choosing selfishness even when cooperation would make life better for everyone.

If we want civilization to survive, we have to fight not just external enemies, but the darker currents inside ourselves.

Next in the series:
The Psychology of Fear

Series index:
The Pull Toward Barbarism -- Table of Contents

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