Right Now
January 24, 2025.
Somewhere, a gunshot rings out. Somewhere, a missile is launched. Somewhere, a child is crying.
Even now, as you read these words.
The War in the Comments
An article goes up online. 437 comments.
First comment: “This is clearly wrong” Second: “What do you even know” Third: “Typical [insert tribe here] supporter” Fourth: “Reported”
Out of 437 comments, how many count as conversation?
The Dinner Table
Father speaks. “Kids these days…”
Daughter fires back. “You don’t get it, Dad.”
Mother cuts in. “Both of you, stop.”
Son puts in his earbuds.
Four people at one table. Where did the conversation go?
Summer of 1914: Six Weeks That Changed Everything
The Austrian Archduke was assassinated in Sarajevo.
One month later, the dominoes fell:
- Austria → declared war on Serbia
- Russia → declared war on Austria
- Germany → declared war on Russia
- France → declared war on Germany
- Britain → declared war on Germany
In six weeks, all of Europe was at war. A war nobody wanted.
What broke down in between?
The Conference Room
Ten people in a room. The agenda: new product launch timeline.
Team A: “We need three months” Team B: “One month is enough” Team A: “We can’t guarantee quality” Team B: “We’ll miss the market”
CEO: “Let’s go with two months”
Meeting over. Team A and Team B don’t even make eye contact in the hallway.
Was there ever a real agreement?
October 1962: Thirteen Days That Saved the World
Soviet missiles were deployed in Cuba.
The options laid before President Kennedy:
- Airstrike
- Invasion
- Blockade
- Negotiation
For thirteen days the world held its breath:
- Probability of war: 90%
- Estimated casualties in a nuclear exchange: 200 million
- Every day the military brass pushed for attack
- Every day Kennedy refused
On the thirteenth night, he sent a secret letter to Khrushchev.
“Let us find a way for both of us to survive.”
The next day, the Soviets withdrew their missiles.
What saved the world?
Your Social Media Timeline
A friend posts something political. You disagree.
Your options:
- Write a rebuttal
- Ignore it
- Unfriend
- Block
You chose number 3. A ten-year friendship ended with a single click.
Did you even try talking?
The Contest 300,000 Years Ago
Homo sapiens met the Neanderthals.
Neanderthals:
- Greater physical strength
- Larger brains
- Perfectly adapted to cold climates
- Result: extinction
Homo sapiens:
- Weaker bodies
- Smaller brains
- Result: survival
What was the difference?
Here is what archaeologists found:
Homo sapiens traded with other tribes. Neanderthals did not.
Homo sapiens formed groups of seventy or more. Neanderthals never exceeded thirty.
The stronger species lost. Why?
The Married Couple
Fifteen years of marriage.
Husband: “You always…” Wife: “Well, you do the same…” Husband: “When did I ever…” Wife: “You do it all the time…”
The same argument has been repeating for fifteen years.
Both are certain the other is wrong. Both are sure the other isn’t listening.
Who’s right?
The Lines We Call Borders
Unfold a map. Thousands of lines drawn across it.
Cross one of those lines and you encounter:
- Different laws, different languages, different currencies
- Sometimes, gunfire
And yet the people on both sides:
- Breathe the same air
- See the same sun
- Sleep under the same stars
Still, they fight. Why?
Chimpanzees vs. Bonobos
Chimpanzees: Violent, rigid hierarchy, male dominance, territorial warfare
Bonobos: Peaceful, flexible social structure, female mediation, conflict resolved through intimacy
DNA difference: a mere 0.4%
Same ancestor. Different choices.
What made the difference?
The Office Hallway
Two colleagues pass each other. No eye contact.
Three months ago they were close. After a promotion rivalry, they stopped talking.
One of them is already updating their resume.
The company knows. The company does nothing.
Who loses?
The Cold War Paradox
1947–1991, forty-four years:
- The US and the Soviet Union never fought directly
- But dozens of proxy wars
- Tens of thousands of nuclear warheads built
- Humanity came close to extinction more than once
Direct communication was almost nonexistent.
The hotline was installed after the Cuban Missile Crisis. Twenty-one years into a forty-four-year standoff.
Why did it take so long?
The Truth in the Sandbox
A kindergarten sandbox.
Child A is playing with a shovel. Child B wants the shovel. Child B grabs it. Child A shoves back, crying. Child B hits.
The teacher arrives. “Why were you fighting?”
Child A: “He started it…” Child B: “She wouldn’t share…”
Teacher: “You could have used it together”
The children: “……”
Are adults any different?
The Paradox of the Internet
1969, the design principles: No censorship, no central control, anyone can connect, free exchange of information
2025, the reality: Echo chambers, algorithmic segregation, filter bubbles, tribal warfare
Same internet. Different world.
What changed?
The Family Group Chat
Ten messages. Nobody reads them.
Coordinating holiday dates. Three days, no replies.
Finally Mom sends an announcement. “We’re doing it that day.”
Who’s unhappy? Everyone. Who speaks up? No one.
Questions
A soldier on a battlefield and you in a comment section. What’s the difference?
Chimpanzees fight, bonobos reconcile. A 0.4% difference. Which side are we on?
Homo sapiens survived 300,000 years ago. Not because they were stronger — then why?
Kennedy stopped a war. Against his own generals’ demands. How?
Your friends, your family, your colleagues. What are the fights really about?
Why We Fight
There is no answer to this question. Or perhaps the answer is something each of us must build, day by day.
Today, somewhere, a gunshot rings out. In a comment section, a fight breaks out. At a dinner table, silence fills the room.
But we have a choice.
To speak, or to stay silent. To try to understand, or to pass judgment. To reach out a hand, or to turn our backs.
A 0.4% difference separated chimpanzees from bonobos. Thirteen days of dialogue prevented nuclear war. Cooperation kept Homo sapiens alive.
What will we choose?