You Might Be a Zombie and Other Bad News

it turns out, it’s usually fear of repercussion that keeps us from torturing our fellow human beings. Give us absolute power and a blank check from our superiors, and Abu Ghraib–style naked pyramids are sure to follow.

The age of chivalry is passing because men of honor are at a natural disadvantage in our modern, amoral world.

Thousands of years later, a good dose of mockery can still shut down critical thinking and make us fall right in line.