What catches us by surprise hurts us double.
– Seneca
Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. This very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be “cured” against one’s will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals.
– C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock: Essays on Theology (Making of Modern Theology)
I remember once in college we had a class discussion on how ancient Rome expanded primarily out of fear of being conquered. In other words, the Romans believed their best defense was a strong offense: they engaged in the hostile takeovers of their enemies to avoid being conquered themselves.
This calls to mind the interaction between the emotion of fear and how it relates to the survival instinct. Undeniably, these will often supersede the loftier considerations of ethics and law; and they apply equally to individuals, gangs, groups, corporations, cults, and governments.
The desire for control is rooted in fear and perhaps greed. In many cases, these may even be rooted in pride.
Continue reading “On Viral Attacks by Benevolent Benefactors”
