“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.”
— Salvor Hardin, Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Life.
What is it?
Is it a mode of existence or a form? Difficult to answer…
It is easier to answer the question of what death is. Because death is an identifiable fact: the end of life.
But the mental construct of death is far more complex.
What is the difference between life and death?
Life is always complex. Because we have to think, plan, search, act, refrain from acting, and perform a vast number of cognitive and mechanical operations.
Death is simple! Or so it seems…
Why only seemingly? Because death walks beside us throughout our lives.
We always see its flash or darkness, always feel its cold or burning breath, always hear its cry or whisper…
We are always afraid of it!
Fear! That is where the main power of death lies: it knows how to awaken fear in a human being!
Fear always governs people and their actions. The stronger the fear, the stronger its influence. And the fear of death is the strongest of all. Because there is life… And in a single moment, it can end.
Why did I begin this conversation?
What am I getting at?
The point is that, through a peculiar set of circumstances, I found myself at the center of my own coordinate system in the space-time continuum, from which I observe events firsthand. Here, I independently record, identify, and interpret the events taking place around me.
I will deliberately refrain from naming the subject of this confined space. You will know whom I mean. And so, let us begin.
Lately, I have found myself within the sphere of influence of a predatory system of governance that seeks to extend its power over the territory of a certain state entity. This system is trying to subjugate the society that exists within this territory.
The process of establishing power is far from simple. It is much more complex than a single human life. There are too many degrees of freedom in this system. Even more unknown variables in this equation.
And yet, when solving any problem, we try to simplify it or reduce it to the most generalized form possible.
So it is in this case. The subject of power in question has reduced its task to an axiom: “Fear is the most powerful method of influence.”
Why?
I do not know. But I can see it happening.
This subject constantly attacks from the air using means capable of taking human life. The message is very clear: “Fear me, for I am the one who can bring you death.”
On the one hand, he is right: people are afraid. And so he tries to convince the inhabitants of the coveted territory that they are governed by ignoramuses incapable of protecting them from death.
But overall, he is badly mistaken in assuming that frightened people are easier to control. Because people are not idiots. They know that it is harder to kill them from a distance than at close range. They know that hard times await them. And they know one more thing: the living can be afraid. The dead cannot.
Nature always makes adjustments of its own. Whatever else a human being may be, they remain a member of planet Earth’s animal kingdom.
I seem to have rather too many of these “subjects.” I apologize if the word annoys you, but it is universal.
Yes, a human being is a highly developed animal capable of cognitive activity. What is more, a human being is a predator! But an intelligent predator. This predator has learned to breed and cultivate instead of hunting and gathering!
What makes a predator different? Do you think it is the fact that it feels no fear?
You are mistaken. Any predator can become prey. Predators feel fear too.
And yet, a predator knows how to fight fear. Why? Because it has means of defense.
Every human being has a means of defense too! Not missiles or guns.
The mind.
Missiles and guns can be taken away, teeth can be pulled, claws can be cut off, but the mind can be removed only together with the head. And that is death.
And that is frightening.
Therefore, a person will always resist whatever brings death.
Yes. Human beings are mortal, and they know it. Therefore, they accept death as a possibility. And yet, people usually assess the probability of their own unnatural death as very low. Every predator instinctively feels: it is the predator!
Within the sphere of power, there is always a subject and an object. In our case, the subject is the donor of fear, while the object is its recipient. But we have already said that any predator can become prey. Therefore, the subject can also become the object. After all, the donor of fear can itself become the recipient of fear generated by another donor.
Every slave dreams of plunging a dagger into his master’s back and, ideally, taking his place and making his master’s family his own slaves.
That is why every subject of power is infinitely afraid. There are enemies all around him!
At the same time, the recipient of fear intended to enforce submission always hates the donor of that fear.
And the donor of fear always risks underestimating the power of its influence.
Now you understand that the fear of death drives a person not to submit, but to resist.
And this gives us another indication of the primitive nature of governance through fear: fear of punishment for disobedience also breeds hatred.
Let me make a note here so that no one confuses the two: fear of punishment for a crime can prevent negative consequences because it leaves a person with a choice—not to commit the crime. Fear of punishment for refusing to submit to another person’s will, by contrast, deprives a person of choice, forcing them to relinquish their own agency and become a victim. Therefore, the first kind of fear does not in itself breed hatred. The second inevitably causes hatred to accumulate.
I will speak for myself. I am always afraid.
I am afraid even to write this essay and submit it to your judgment.
But nature demands action. If you want to achieve what you set out to do, overcome your fear!
I was afraid to learn how to use artificial intelligence, but I was never afraid of dying because of it.
Only because the fingerprints of certain members of human society are always visible behind everything AI does.
It is frightening to live in a world of predators.
But life is a complex problem that must be solved every moment.