The Age of Experts Is Over If the past two decades—COVID-19, the 2008 financial crisis, and the net-zero charade—have taught us anything, it is this: the age of unquestioned experts is over. Authority issued by corrupt, bloated institutions no longer commands automatic respect. We are entering an era in which trust must be earned, not assumed. Credentials matter less than results. Expertise can become conformity wrapped in a credential; status is no substitute for trustworthiness. The future belongs to those with proven track records, not merely letters after their names. Friedrich Nietzsche warned of this more than a century ago. He distrusted experts who served the spirit of their age—those who mistook consensus for courage and conformity for principle. To Nietzsche, many authorities were functionaries of the status quo: too timid to challenge the sacred assumptions of their time. University professors, state philosophers, and moral enforcers wore obedience as a badge of honor. They did not think; they repeated. They did not challenge; they conformed. They made the ordinary seem profound through jargon, complexity, and ambiguity. Nietzsche saw these not as signs of insight, but as camouflage—cowardice in disguise. He also distinguished knowledge from wisdom. Knowledge can be taught, measured, and tested. Wisdom must be earned through suffering, struggle, and brutal self-examination. Nietzsche admired those who forged their own paths rather than simply climbing institutional ladders. Even in science, he saw a danger. He respected its methods but feared their sanctification. Science, he argued, still required justification; materialists confused method with meaning and data with truth. Experts who presented science as the only path to knowledge were, in Nietzsche’s eyes, dogmatists in lab coats. So the question is no longer, “What are your qualifications?” It is: What have you done? What have you risked? What have you proved? We must recover the courage to think for ourselves—and place our confidence only in those who have earned it through action, not appointment.
Empathy, Compassion, and the Limits of Emotional Moral Judgment Empathy is widely regarded as a foundation of morality, but psychological research suggests that it is not an unqualified virtue. Paul Bloom (2017) argues that affective empathy—the experience of sharing another person’s feelings—has important limitations when used as a guide for moral judgment. First, empathy is biased. We respond more strongly to suffering that is vivid, identifiable, and psychologically close. Research on the “identifiable victim effect” shows that people can be more willing to help a specific individual than anonymous victims, even when the latter represent a much larger number (Kogut & Ritov, 2005; Lee & Feeley, 2016). Emotional salience therefore does not necessarily correspond to moral significance. Second, empathy is innumerate. Human emotional responses do not naturally scale with the number of people suffering. A single identifiable victim can evoke a powerful response, while thousands or millions of anonymous victims may produce comparatively little emotional engagement. This creates a problem when moral decisions concern suffering on a large scale (Bloom, 2017). Third, empathy can be exhausting. Repeatedly sharing the distress of others may produce empathic distress and emotional fatigue. Research suggests an important distinction between empathic resonance and compassion: while empathic engagement can increase negative affect, compassion can promote positive affect, motivation, and prosocial behaviour (Klimecki et al., 2014; Weng et al., 2013). The implication is not that we should care less. Rather, caring and feeling are not the same thing. Compassion allows us to recognize suffering and remain motivated to alleviate it without necessarily absorbing the suffering ourselves. Empathy may therefore be valuable for human connection, but it is a poor stand-alone system for making large-scale moral decisions. When millions of lives, limited resources, and competing needs are involved, compassion must be combined with reason, evidence, and deliberate judgment. The goal should not be to feel everything others feel. It should be to care deeply enough to help, while remaining clear-headed enough to help effectively. References: Bloom (2017); Kogut & Ritov (2005); Klimecki et al. (2014); Lee & Feeley (2016); Weng et al. (2013). Empathy and Its Discontents https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27916513/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
The End of Blind Authority If the past two decades—through COVID-19, the 2008 financial crisis, and the net-zero charade—have taught us anything, it is this: the age of unquestioned experts is over. Authority granted by corrupt, bloated institutions no longer commands automatic respect. We are entering an era in which trust must be earned, not assumed. Credentials alone are not enough. Results matter more. Expertise can become conformity wrapped in a credential. The age of trusting people solely because of their status is fading. What matters now is trustworthiness, not titles. The future belongs to those with proven track records, not simply to those with letters after their names. Friedrich Nietzsche warned about this more than a century ago. He distrusted experts who blindly served the spirit of their age—those who mistook consensus for courage and conformity for principle. To Nietzsche, many authorities were not pioneers of truth but functionaries of the status quo: people too timid to challenge the assumptions of their time. He mocked the bureaucrats of knowledge: professors, state philosophers, and moral enforcers. They wore intellectual obedience like a badge of honor. They did not think; they repeated. They did not challenge; they conformed. To Nietzsche, jargon, complexity, and ambiguity were not always signs of insight. They could also be camouflage—cowardice in disguise. He distinguished between knowledge, which can be measured, taught, and tested, and wisdom, which must be earned. Wisdom comes through suffering, struggle, and honest self-examination. Nietzsche admired those willing to rise above institutional thinking. Even in science, he saw a danger. He respected its methods but feared their sanctification. He believed materialists could confuse method with meaning and data with truth. Experts who presented science as the only path to knowledge were dogmatists in lab coats. The question is no longer, “What are your qualifications?” It is: What have you done? What have you risked? What have you proved? We must rediscover the courage to think for ourselves and trust those who have earned authority through action—not appointment.
J’abonde dans le sens d’Alla Poedie, et je vais même plus loin : après « Masha et Michka », il faut absolument interdire « Petit ours brun ». Il faudrait être naïf en effet pour ne pas voir dans ce dessin animé présentant une famille ours décidée à bien élever son ourson, une tentative insidieuse de l’affreux Poutine de rentrer dans la tête de nos enfants et de leurs parents… @lci @AllaPoedie #DessinsAnimés #Éducation #LibertéDExpression
🚨 MOMENT SURRÉALISTE ! Un streamer américain a eu la peur de sa vie aujourd’hui en live après qu’un ours brun l’ait chargé pour attraper un poisson lors de leur voyage en Alaska 😱 OH MON DIEU. https://t.co/5ARxV4pX7g #Alaska #Streamer #Ours
On the day it celebrates 35 years of independence, Ukraine continues to fight courageously for its sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as for its own security and ours. Honouring the courage of its people and the determination of the entire country, I recall the deep #Ukraine #IndependenceDay #Sovereignty #UA
500+ new subscribers in the last 3 weeks quite ok for nerdy weirdo stuff like ours, i guess.... https://www.youtube.com/@lsbTV
Israeli scientists have generated novel remedies for cancer, Alzheimer’s and so many other diseases. Maybe we can cure this too, if we apply ourselves? #CancerResearch #Alzheimers #MedicalInnovation #IL
Sad Girls, the first sensitive feature film by Mexican director Fernanda Tovar, explores with modesty and depth the complexities of rape and consent through the friendship of two teenagers shaken by an assault, winning the Crystal Bear at the Berlinale 2026. (translated)
In the face of the increase in bear attacks in Japan, where more than 50,000 reports were recorded between April 2025 and March 2026, the authorities are calling for caution while seeking to establish a harmonious coexistence between humans and these wild animals. (translated)
As America celebrates 250 years of freedom, we should all be asking ourselves: who are the masked people handcuffing individuals on our streets without identifying themselves or being held accountable? A free society demands transparency, due process, and accountability—not #Freedom250 #Transparency #Accountability #US
Thoughts on Thinking * St. Wolfram: https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2025/05/what-if-we-had-bigger-brains-imagining-minds-beyond-ours/?fbclid=IwY2xjawTZRChleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETB3djhKQmw2WlM4aEprUnpac3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHjoQzoUUrLyKkwQkIuWng5mwL2S_zvD5eyRrjO46hQA8LRNDl6U6YcFcdPd0_aem_MBtRvqGn7qHa0eGdAO0SDA * Fr. Chollet: https://x.com/fchollet/status/2038069289643806957?fbclid=IwY2xjawTZQXFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEed2rG19MRplubo-4XARcGHptl8naU5bv9EtT-PCTmGpq5LkbDS2GQIbBSc50_aem_7S-ikIQghKMb8qf23kiE0A
Why can't we humans be allowed to enjoy ourselves in "safe" areas. Why do we always have to be on the verge of tears and look over our shoulders. My thoughts go out to all the citizens of Berlin.🇩🇪🏳️🌈🇩🇰 Next month it's Copenhagen's turn to hold PRIDE events from August 8th to August 16th. I'll keep my fingers crossed for the best for everyone participating in PRIDE. I hope for a "safe" and security is in order. I know that the police are in place.
Ik ben er doorheen en dat viel niet mee! De hele Slack-chat van de vier auteurs van het 'Proximal Origin' artikel. Ik ben eigenlijk wel een ontdaan. Dit is een staaltje groepsdenken zoals ik dat nog niet heel vaak heb gezien en waarbij toch niet heel onpartijdige mensen als @MarionKoopmans en @mkeulemans als genuanceerd en weloverwogen afsteken. De meest voorkomende woorden zijn zonder twijfel 'idiot', 'stupid' en 'dumb'. 'Bollocks' en 'bullshit' zijn ook ruimschoots vertegenwoordigd. Met daaropvolgend 'racist', 'xenofobic en 'conspiracy'. De benamingen voor de afzonderlijke wetenschappers die ze op de korrel nemen, laat ik voor de lezer zelf. Nu zijn mijn privéchats ook niet bijster vriendelijk en daar zouden sommige mensen ook rode oortjes van krijgen, dus ik kan dat tot op zekere hoogte wel begrijpen en er ook wel om lachen. Maar deze vier mensen uiten zich ook op de meest onbeschofte manier over mensen met wie ze wel contact hebben en waar ze zelfs mee samenwerken. En wat werkelijk beschamend is, is hoe ze met @Ayjchan omgaan in hun privé-chat. Dat is echt beneden alle peil. En als er al wetenschappers zijn waarvoor ze wel enig respect op kunnen brengen, is dat onmiddellijk verdwenen zodra zij iets zeggen dat niet in hun straatje te pas komt. Dan zijn ze opeens 'ontzettend dom', zijn het idioten, racisten, xenofoben en complotdenkers. Het strookt met de werkelijk verbluffend eigendunk die deze vier hebben. Alleen zij weten hoe het zit, alleen zij hebben verstand van zaken en andere wetenschappers zijn simpelweg niet slim genoeg om er iets van te begrijpen. Het maakt ze blind voor hun eigen tekortkomingen en doof voor elk tegengeluid. En het maakt ze vooral blind voor hun eigen gebrek aan kennis, met name als het gaat om kennis buiten hun vakgebied die een lableak waarschijnlijker maken. Bij tijd en wijle is het aandoenlijk hoe ze zichzelf wijsmaken dat zij alleen maar zuivere wetenschap bedrijven terwijl de hele chat doordrenkt is van politiek. En het wordt potsierlijk als ze zichzelf bij herhaling 180 graden tegenspreken. Zo vertellen ze elkaar spottend dat als er sprake zou zijn van een groot complot om een #labontsnapping onder het tapijt te schuiven, dit nooit geheim zou kunnen worden. Maar als het gaat om een zoönose, zegt Andersen doodleuk: "They [de Chinese autoriteiten] know it’s the farming…." Waarop Holmes zegt: "It’s definitely sounding that way…" En ook Garry ziet dat scenario helemaal voor zich. Zo moet het gegaan zijn. Blijkbaar is het helemaal niet moeilijk om dat wél geheim te houden, terwijl daarbij veel meer mensen betrokken zouden zijn. En als we het dan toch over complotdenkers hebben, deze vier heren kunnen er ook wat van. De meest vergezochte verbanden en motivaties worden als vanzelfsprekende waarheden uitgesproken. Ik snap nu wel waar het misgegaan is. Wil je enigszins in de buurt van de werkelijkheid blijven, moet je je eigen tegenspraak organiseren. Dat ontbrak in het geheel bij deze vier wetenschappers, die zich daardoor steeds dieper ingroeven in hun eigen waarheid. Je ziet in het verloop van de tijd in de privé-chat dat langzaam alle twijfel verdwijnt zonder dat er echt nieuwe bevindingen zijn, dat de stellingen steeds sterker betrokken wordt en dat elk tegengeluid steeds agressiever wordt benaderd. Totdat de grootste schok komt: DEFUSE van DARPA. Heel even haalt ze dat terug in de realiteit. En het is veelzeggend wat Rambaut hier uiteindelijk van zegt: "We just need to re-convince ourselves that it is just a coincidence..." En eigenlijk blijft het daarbij. Daarna wordt er eigenlijk niet meer gesproken over DEFUSE. Want wat niet van pas komt, wordt gewoon doodgezwegen. Dat was al een duidelijk patroon en dat wordt in deze complete Slack-chat nog eens pijnlijk duidelijk. #OriginOfCovid #WuhanTrilogie #ProximalOrigin #Wetenschap #Complotdenkers
Ours is a Union of Equality where you can be who you are and love who you want. People in Oradea 🇷🇴 and in any European city should be able to march peacefully to uphold their right to come together and live without fear. We stand with the LGBTIQ+ community. #EqualityForAll #LGBTIQ #LoveIsLove #RO
En Roumanie, l'augmentation de la population d'ours bruns, qui s'approchent de plus en plus des routes et des maisons, pose un danger pour les touristes imprudents qui tentent de les photographier, causant 14 décès et 150 blessés en cinq ans, tandis que la législation sur l'abattage des ours a été assouplie, suscitant des critiques sur la gestion de cette espèce protégée. #Ours #Roumanie #Tourisme
Homo Sapiens (yes, that’s us humans) evolved 300,000 years ago. We’re definitely not evolved to live in a high CO2 climate, as we are catapulting ourselves into right now. #ClimateChange #HumanEvolution #CO2 #Therearenospecificcountrymentionsinthetweetprovided.
I hope that the players can be proud of that in some time. We are fiercely competitive, so we almost don't allow ourselves to be proud of third place because 18 months ago we set the highest goal. We set the highest dream to chase, and we were very, very ambitious with our dream to make it to the final and win the World Cup. So it's very, very painful if you miss out.
