According to Émile Durkheim, one of the fathers of modern sociology, the main cohesive force of a society, or even of small communities, is the solidarity of the individuals who make them up.…
Your Struggle Blog
Countering Existential Opportunism with the Power of Collective Consciousness
By its very nature, existential opportunism favors the survival, success and prosperity of individuals and groups, while the interests of other individuals and groups are compromised or marginalized. While this is natural and acceptable in the animal kingdom, which is essentially driven by instinct, in a society of intelligent beings it is a fundamental obstacle to the civilized coexistence of people.…
How Opportunists Manipulate Us to Further Their Own Goals
As already discussed in the columns of this blog and in the title book, we are being influenced by others at every turn these days, and often not at all by fair means.…
How Opportunists Take (Living) Space Away From the Less Opportunistic
The fate of the masses in virtually every area of our lives since the dawn of human civilization has been determined primarily by the directions taken by opportunists – people who constitute a narrow minority of our communities and societies, yet who have the most influence on our relations, our systems and the public opinion that provide the framework conditions.…
Star Wars vs. Star Trek – An Opportunistic Galaxy vs. a Utopian Future
Both Star Wars and Star Trek are well-known and popular brands around the world, and the stories of both universes have appeared in many different forms in the decades since their creation.…
Communities vs. Opportunists and the ‘Glass Bridge’ – A Squid Game: The Challenge Example
Recently added to the Netflix streaming service is Squid Game: The Challenge, a reality show based on the popular (and often shocking) South Korean fictional series Squid Game. Although reality TV is usually a genre that leaves me cold, I found The Challenge rather interesting, because the games it presents, as well as the relationships between the participants in the given situations serve as typical examples of existential opportunism.…
Party Politics and the Crisis of Democracy
While constant warfare is raging between liberal, conservative and other political forces at national and international level, the willingness to join parties and the trust society has in them has been severely eroded worldwide.…
Liberals vs. Conservatives: A War of Extremes
One of today’s main trends and sources of conflict in the (so-called) more developed parts of the world is the confrontation and constant struggle between liberal and conservative forces. Depending on one’s place of birth and residence, family and upbringing, social environment, life experiences and identity (which is largely derived from them), you may yourself be a member of one camp or the other, or a sympathizer of one or the other, and therefore the discussion of this topic is likely to provoke no small emotional response.…
About the All-Important Issue of Identity: The Power of Influence
Just as our identity largely determines our values, the hierarchy of our identities has a crucial influence on the hierarchy of our values, i.e. our priorities between our different values and drivers.…
About the All-Important Issue of Identity: The Hierarchy of Identities
Nowadays, we hear the concept of identity being mentioned more and more often, which is no coincidence, as it plays a fundamental role in all our lives. Because we are intelligent beings with our own sense of self, we are constantly reflecting on ourselves in our thinking, and we all develop a kind of inner self-image.…