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Once upon a time, I began to realize my amazing first-born stood out more than I thought. I knew he was special, with his infectious affection and incredible jump-up-and-down-arm-flapping excitement. I knew he saw the world with passion; he reacted severely both in joy and displeasure. I knew his heart was full and his mind was active, yet as he continued to grow, the development of his abilities was unlike other children. He knew his alphabet and numbers by a few months after his 2nd birthday, but he couldn’t string two words together. He could put together a 24-piece puzzle, but he couldn’t hear “no” without reacting with force, frustration and anger.
After my father visited and gently advised that I check, I read and read and didn’t sleep for days. I knew my son is Autistic. I also knew it wasn’t a tragedy. I knew it meant more effort to teach some things, but it also meant gifts, lessons and joy I wouldn’t know otherwise. Still, the reality of parenting can be filled with uncertainty.
So I continued to learn all I could, both about autism and about my son’s uniqueness. Most of all, though, I had to learn how to balance apparent opposites in my parenting and, honestly, in all other aspects of my life. I had to learn how to balance conviction and flexibility, discipline and gentility, endurance and self-care.
I realize all of us must learn this — it’s called virtue. It’s those habits of the mind that improve us, our relationships and our communities. It’s that life-long effort to overcome our weakness and impulsiveness in favor of prudence and consistency. It’s the gift of responding properly to those things outside of ourselves. And, of course, this is an obligation and a gift to all people, but having a child on the spectrum moved me with particular force to strive for virtue. Autism taught me about patience and endurance. It taught about conviction and fortitude because nothing will move us to get our act together like our children will. Moreover, in learning how to help my son with his areas of difficulty, I learned a thing or two about human behavior in general. So, for all of us who sometimes feel discouraged, exhausted or hopeless, here is what neurodiversity can do. Here is what autism taught me about virtue:
Not unlike Aristotle’s account of personhood, applied behavioral analysis tells us that every act seeks an end, we get something out of it, we seek some good. With my son, I learned to analyze why he might rock, arm flap or express frustration. Whether it was motivated by seeking attention, avoiding a task, being over-stimulated, etc. The same is true for all people — we do things for a reason, we are motivated to achieve some good, so we act, we do so repeatedly and we become habituated to have certain responses. Learning about it taught me that I had options for coping with stress, communicating my concerns and avoiding harmful situations.
Teaching my boy not to be afraid of the toilet took us several months of desensitization, as did bath time, haircuts and other fairly common activities. Sometimes things that are easy for other people take me longer, too. It’s part of the human condition not to be great at everything immediately. Some things take time. The greatest things take time and effort. This teaches us gratitude, humility and fortitude.
As parents, we sometimes forget that we too need care. Planning, observing and being super consistent sometimes results in unshaven armpits, severe sleep deprivation, poor eating habits, etc. I stopped being important to myself in the midst of caring for my children and my home suffered. We can’t serve the most important people if there’s nothing left in us. Caring for ourselves can be an act of humility, in accepting that we have limitations. Caring for ourselves is an act of love, giving those we serve the best we have.
I used to be afraid of hurting people’s feelings or of making them feel uncomfortable. I still care about not hurting people, but I care much more about forming a positive and nurturing environment for my children. It’s OK for people to see the world differently than I do, but if this worldview involves doing things that hinder the progress of my children, their trust in me or the peace we need to move forward, I am no longer shy about speaking up. Moreover, it is my responsibility to protect my children from all harm, so now I not only speak but actively exclude those environments that cause regression and anxiety in my little family. My babies come first. Just as my son can choose to lose screen time with his behavior, so can those around me lose the privilege of my children’s company with their behavior.
Honestly, I really sucked at being consistent, disciplined and bold. Having to be up and about 24/7, insistent about what my children need, and having to apply principles consistently moment by moment, day by day, actually made me a better mother. I probably would’ve just winged it otherwise just because I’m naturally that disorganized. But now I even plan meals, shower daily, shave my legs and try to budget. I even find time to write about it now and again.
Through observation of my own little Einstein, I saw so many oddities I engaged in as a child. I saw myself in many of his self-regulatory and repetitive behaviors. I saw myself in his sensibility, hyper-focus, and yes, in his intellectual ability. As I read, I learned about the “gender gap” in Asperger’s and autism and why autism can “look” different in women (and why we are grossly under-diagnosed). I will write more about it next time, but I must say now, it saved my life to know the “why” to so many things I wondered at (and disliked) about myself.
There is really too much to write that being Christof’s mom has taught me, but this is a short list to shout to the world that autism is not a tragedy and that it can teach us so much about our humanity. More so, it can teach us so much about being better at our humanity.
This stunning creature has been hunted to near extinction with more animals living in captivity as pets than in the wild.
On Insecure, Issa Rae’s HBO comedy about black life and dating in Los Angeles, Yvonne Orji plays Molly, an ambitious, single lawyer with a hole in her heart like everyone else. The first season saw Molly warily dipping into the dating pool with little success and surviving a fractured friendship, while Season 2 finds her reluctantly exploring the benefits of therapy and seeking professional ascension as her best friend deals with her own post-breakup delusions. Yes, Lawrence is still hot, real love remains elusive for Issa and Molly, and everyone is as emotionally screwed up as ever. Here’s a lightly edited conversation I had with Orji in mid-June about Insecure’s resonance, Molly’s growth, being a committed virgin and all the hot sex on the show.
JEZEBEL: Insecure sparks so many great discussions and social media fights in black circles, like when Molly doesn’t date Jared because of his one gay experience, the whole Team Lawrence debate. What do you attribute that emotional investment to?
YVONNE ORJI: I think people are into it because it’s real. Because they recognize themselves or someone they know within these characters. They’ve been in some of these scenarios or are challenged to think of how they would react in some of these scenarios. Anything that registers with people makes them want to have a conversation about it, makes them have a real physical reaction to it, because it’s a familiar place.
For the pilot, there was a minor thing where I was like, this might be sensitive, and it didn’t even make it into the pilot so it was like, okay great. That was the only thing that made me raise my eyebrow. For the most part, the writers know. I don’t think anyone’s goal is to be offensive at any point, but it is to have real conversations. As black people, we say things in our circles. Like, how Issa talks to Molly is not how she would talk at [Issa’s job] We Got Y’all, or how Molly would talk at the law firm. For the most part, it’s a comedy. A lot of what we’re trying to do is have fun and not offend, just be truthful and honest.
Nah. The writers do an amazing job of being equal parts funny as all-get-out and equal parts real and honest. I think this season you’re gonna see the real dramedy of this whole thing. The show has a phenomenal balance of really pulling from both worlds and having those moments of dark despair, having a comedy relief moment that’s authentic and not like, hey guys we need a joke in here, bada bing bang. I think of Episode 7 [in Season 1] when Molly’s driving Issa home from Malibu. Issa’s like, “I don’t even know what I’m gonna say [to Lawrence]” and Molly’s like, “Well practice on me.” They’re still fighting, they haven’t talked for a whole episode, and Issa starts going and Molly immediately goes “F you!” That was a choice I made. I have three older brothers and in my mind I’m thinking, how would a dude say this? I’m supposed to pretend like I’m Lawrence, so if my girl is trying to low-key apologize and we haven’t gotten anything out, I’m not here for this. So, “F you!” It took Issa by surprise. We did it two or three takes with her busting out laughing.
I feel like maybe you improvise the most because you’ve done stand-up? Or do you stick to what’s on the page?
No, let me tell you, I probably improvise the least. Natasha [Rothwell], who’s also a writer on the show and plays Kelly—half the stuff that makes it in is her. That episode where she goes, “So, straight, straight, straight, Lee Daniels,” that was her. That’s just her brilliance. She’s a genius. I won’t spoil it for you, but in the first episode of Season 2, there’s a hysterical line that she made up on the fly and it’s foolish. For me, it’s kind of like designated improv, whereas Natasha’s off the cuff. I like to get permission. She’s in the writers’ room and they have such good banter between them that she probably has more liberty to take. But also, I’m telling you, the words on the page, as is, are just so funny that really, you just have to deliver them and you have magic.
When you were reading the script in the beginning, what were some of the themes that really got you interested?
I just thought it was fun. Like, the fact that Issa’s rapping about a broken body part [see: “Broken Pussy”]. That in and of itself, I was like, what show is this? Who’s gonna allow this? And whoever’s gonna allow this, I want to be part of this. Also, if this is what your mind is thinking in the pilot, what is the rest of the show gonna be like? I liked the honest portrayal of both of their work lives. I loved the honest portrayal of Issa in this environment where she’s the only black person but they’re helping underserved communities which are mostly made up of brown people and having to navigate that space. I know that space. And then having Molly, who is the only black face in a majority white, corporate institution and having to navigate: okay, when I’m in the garage with the security people I can be my black self from Inglewood but when I’m up on the 14th floor I have to be like “Hey guys!” and put on the happy face.
Molly has some deep-rooted things that she needs to get over. But it’s like, dang you think you’re winning but you not. And how do you circumvent that? That was something beautiful to want to explore. Because so many women in their 20s and 30s are doing this right now. This is like a right now show. In 2017, speak to any group of women, black or white or any other race and they’re experiencing something very similar. I get white girls, Asian girls, who come up to me and say how much they love the show and identify with it and it speaks to them. The thing about it is it speaks to everybody in a different way. You get what you get from it because of where you are and the conversations you’re having.
It shows how much black stories are universal, though sometimes Hollywood can make it seem so niche. People have pointed out the similarities between Insecure and Girlfriends. What do you think is different about Issa and Molly’s dynamic in comparison to other black friendships you’ve seen on TV?
I mean, I think this show builds on those depictions that we’ve seen. Part of Issa’s reasoning for wanting to create a show like that is because she grew up seeing the kids from Hillman College in A Different World. Freddie and Cam and Whitley–they’re all different. You knew what you were gonna get from Kim and you were hoping that Kim and Ron finally got together. Same thing with Khadijah and all those girls [on Living Single]. Obviously, being on a premium cable network, you get to explore different dynamics and you get to speak in a certain way.
Yeah, you get to speak in a way that’s authentic to the community that you are in and, again, it’s not for everyone. ’Cause there are people who still have issues with the fact that these two educated black girls curse so much on cable network.
But then some people are just like, that’s how me and my girlfriends talk. Issa was very smart in saying this is not a show for every black person. Just because you’re black does not mean Insecure is gonna be your favorite show. A lot of times, advertising and corporate marketing will want to be like, this is the catchall and this is the show for every black girl. And it’s like, nah, Sway, this is not the show for every young black girl because there are people who don’t identify with what Issa or Molly go through. There are people who don’t identify with a man like Lawrence for whatever reason. A lot of times, we feel pressured to like something because it’s black or to support something because it’s black. Because if we don’t do it, then we’re never gonna get another show. That’s just so much pressure as opposed to “maybe let me check it out.”
People had an issue with the fact that it was called Insecure. Like, “Wow, really HBO, you finally give a black girl a TV show and then you make it Insecure? Why can’t it be called Powerful.” Well, she’s an awkward black girl. Every human, I don’t care who you are—Beyoncé has insecurities. Oprah has woken up and felt insecure in her life. I think for so long black women and black men, black people, have not had the ability to be portrayed as just okay to be themselves [on TV], flaws and all. Because they feel if anybody gets an inside peek to our flaws they’ll use it against us and try to keep us down. We can be all those things.
And that comes with quantity. It helps that there are more shows with black female leads. Like, I’m a huge fan of Chewing Gum. There’s Being Mary Jane, and Jessica Williams has a movie coming out on Netflix. We’re seeing a variety of images as far as black women dating on TV. We did not have that a few years ago. So I wanted to ask you about the importance of how Molly’s character contributes to this image of black people trying to find love.
The dating experience is my world. I’m a hopeful romantic. Even though I’m single, I really liken my career trajectory to what my love life trajectory could be like. While you’re in the Sunken Place, it feels like this is the pits. But then when you come out of it on the other side and you’re like, look at Jesus. I literally went from just grinding and doing stand-up to being on HBO, second lead on the show. It goes from zero to a hundred real quick. I think about that when it comes to dating. Like, I can go from being single to engaged in six months, who knows. I don’t know! But if it’s right, it’s right. I’m very hopeful. So when I play Molly, I know that she’s in a despair situation, but I play her with a tinge of maybe this could work.
Before you were on the show, what did you feel like needed to be explored more as far the reality of dating? Where were you like, “I don’t see this”?
What I think is interesting is having a show that depicts a strong black woman who has a lot of things going for her but also has some flaws when it comes to dating. Yes, there are some dudes that need to get it together, but, at the same time, just because you have one aspect working for you doesn’t mean that you don’t make mistakes. The fact that we don’t see the mistakes we make or the hand we play in our relationships either working or not working—and it’s not to play the victim but it’s just to be like, hey give it some thought. Are you the Molly chick that goes a dude smiles at me I think he loves me? If so, that may be your issue. Check that, because the narrative that you tell is: He smiled at me and I thought we were gonna have a good time and so I invited him to move in and he just, like, ghosted me. Oh, that’s because you moved probably way too fast. I think that ability, because the show is written by a black woman, to be able to check other black woman and be like, “Hey if this is something you do...” [is important]. As opposed to it being somebody else from another race telling us what to do and how to diminish ourselves.
The absence of the black female voice has been the problem on TV, to where there haven’t been as many black women allowed to write the shows. As far as Molly’s shortcomings, if you had in front of a therapist, what would you say would make her happy? What’s her issue and what does she need?
You know what, I say all the time, I think Molly would make an amazing girlfriend and an amazing wife. It’s just the step in between. It’s like, I probably would’ve been a great doctor if only for the MCAT. I just didn’t want to take the MCAT! I didn’t like studying for that long and then I might not get it right the first time. I don’t wanna be a doctor that bad. And maybe the whole blood situation, but I’m sure I could’ve found a specialty that didn’t require surgery.
I think Molly, it’s the dating regime that prevents her from finding the best kind of love for her. She’s a lawyer. She’s the kinda chick where things make sense to her or they don’t. This is the case. This is a fact. This is truth. This is not truth. And then, case dismissed. She sees black and white. So for her, it’s like, I see a dude, I like him, he seems me, he likes me, let’s cut out all the foolishness. I think once Molly gets to the “we in this together and we’re building” phase, oh my god, she’s gon’ be amazing. This interim phase, she can’t crack the code. And she doesn’t know how to play the game and she doesn’t want to play games. I get it. If she was in front of a therapist, I think it would really be having to have her mind disconnect from lawyer mode. I think she brings lawyer mode into dating mode and matters of the heart aren’t so black and white.
By the end of Season 1, Molly is on this professional dating app and dating Jidenna [laughs]. Do you have personal experience with dating apps?
I was on Coffee Meets Bagel for like five seconds. I’m not the best with dating apps. I was bullied and so I feel like being judged by my picture, something stupid I say in a profile... I’m good. I’d be like, How dare you not double tap me?! You don’t even know the essence of me. You ever try defending yourself to somebody who doesn’t even exist in your reality? I was like, let me get off this app before I become enraged for no reason. I’m the kind of person that when you meet me my essence comes out in real life. I’m not a 2D person. I’m more like a virtual reality, put the goggles on.
[Laughs] Right? And I also just knew that I’m not the person for a lot of people, no surprise. Like, in my real life, I’m not having sex until I’m married. So that’s a thing that I know eliminates a lot of people from my potential dating pool. And it’s not a thing where some dude says, “Oh she’s just saying that ’cause she hasn’t met me yet.” No sir. Thank you for playing but nah. I just don’t want to waste your time or my time. This is non-negotiable so either you with it or you’re not. And I’m not in the business of trying to convince you to be with it. All the dating apps, they’re face apps. Beyond the pretty face, y’all, this is the real and it’s cool if you can’t get with it, I get it.
Well, is it easier to explain to guys now that it’s out there, the virginity thing, or is it still a point you have to make?
It was never a point of contention. I have shirts that say “Keeping It Locked Till I get That Rock” and I’ve had those shirts since 2008 before I was even up for any kind of roles. Being a virgin was not anything I hid. It was like, y’all this is me, the same way I’m like I’m a comedian or I’m African. It’s, B-T-dubs, it’s not going down but thank you. It was never a thing that I felt hindered me. It was a thing I know made me different and made the margin slimmer in terms of who I dated or even who I let myself be open with. It’s never a thing that I thought would keep me away from a potential mate. For the dudes it did trip out, it’s like that’s cool, you just not him or you’re not ready to be him and that’s okay.
With Issa and Molly, Insecure is helping revolutionize black sex on TV. I’m hoping we’ll see more of it in Season 2.
I feel like we’ve seen black sex portrayed on other shows, especially on premium cable and in film. What we portray is young, black people engaging in sexual activities across the board and also discuss our characters living with the decisions that their actions have led to. Molly is very vocal and blunt when it comes to sexual situations. It’s different because on shows like Sex and the City, Samantha’s character is a liberated white woman who enjoys sex but if she were black, she may be slut-shamed. I think our show does a great job of keeping a good balance of the exchanges. And yes, there is a lot of sex in Season 2, even more so than Season 1.
I’m very observational whether it’s my dating life, being an immigrant, my parents. They don’t necessarily think they’re funny, but I do think there are things they present that can be hilarious.
A lot of your comedy material is based on the double consciousness of being Nigerian American, a first-generation immigrant. I’m also an immigrant, from an immigrant family. How did your assimilation into America compare to your Hollywood assimilation?
When I got to America, I had an accent so I was definitely picked on and was trying to find friends and I always felt being Nigerian made me special in some way. But I didn’t understand why the African Americans here didn’t want to be my friends and what made me so different, because coming from Nigeria everybody looks like you and everybody’s black like you, so it’s like, this shouldn’t be an issue. But then, my parents were like: We didn’t bring you here to make friends. We brought you here to make good grades so go ahead and get these As and don’t worry bout being popular. There was a bit of me that was like, that sucks that I can’t do both, but you right though, let me get these As. You can’t be dumb and not pretty. You can hopefully be both, but don’t not be popular and not smart. So I chose to be smart because that’s something I could control. I can’t control if you find me pretty. I can’t control if you think I’m worthy to be your friend, but what I can control is if I study and if I work hard and that’s the thing that I used as my ticket to wherever I wanted to be.
So then transitioning to entertainment, my transition came through faith really. I just believed God and he told me to do something that was so anti anything my immigrant parents knew of, anti anything that I thought I would do. My Nigerian-ness is what makes me succeed. The same level of you gotta do this and you gotta be the best is what I brought to entertainment. The expectation to succeed at the highest level was still there, you’re just applying it to something different. I call Luvvie one of my good friends and Cynthia Erivo—all of these amazing women of African descent that I’m able to text and be like, yo, what’s popping or why is this happening, and they give me advice or they bring me along for the ride or uplift me in the journey.
Earlier this year Shea Moisture introduced its new line of permanent hair color. I was ELATED (insert “happy dance” here)! As you can already tell by scrolling through my product reviews, I am an avid Shea Moisture supporter and fan. Their products are packed with awesome natural ingredients and carry a very reasonable price-tag. So, I had to give the Shea Moisture Hair Color System a try.
I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve colored my hair in my lifetime, and it’s always the same color – jet black. My natural hair color is a dark, dusty brown. I’m not the biggest fan of its color, so several years back I decided to experiment with jet black hair color. I guess I’m not the most adventurous spirit when it comes to my hair color (LOL), but I fell in love with the jet black hair color. It compliments my skin tone perfectly.
I picked up the jet black Shea Moisture Hair Color System at Target for $14.99. The box art is actual paintings of ethnic women and is so unique and DOPE! The contents inside the box are all conveniently stashed in a cute little drawstring sack. I was very impressed with the packaging.
Let me start by saying that I am not aware of a natural permanent hair dye. Just about all hair dyes contain some type of chemical that is used to permanently alter the color of the hair strands. So, if you’re a “Natural Ingredient Nazi” then this product is not for you. Henna will most likely be a better option for you. I would say that this product is a somewhat healthier and safer option for coloring your hair because it is a moisture-rich, permanent hair dye with some natural and certified organic ingredients for any hair type.
I followed the instructions, prepared the hair dye and proceeded to apply the dye to my sectioned hair. I noticed that the hair dye was very rich and thick. The application was a breeze and there was no drippy mess. My hair did not feel hard whatsoever, the dye actually softened it up a great deal. I made sure to thoroughly saturate each section with dye to avoid missing any areas and ending up with patchy color. I slapped on a plastic cap and let it marinate for 30-40 minutes.
My first impression while I was rinsing out the dye, “DAMMMNNN my hair is soft!”. My hair was CRAZY soft. I rinsed my hair for several minutes to ensure that all of the dye was out. I then shampooed, conditioned (I sat under my steamer for 30 minutes) and detangled with the products that were included in the kit. Throughout this entire process I was still thinking, “DAMMMNNN my hair is soft!”. LOL I rinsed out the conditioner and styled my hair as I normally do.
After styling and allowing my hair to dry, I did a thorough inspection to see the results. My hair was jet black…I mean JET BLACK. I didn’t miss a strand! My hair was extremely soft, shiny and the color was vibrant! I was in LOVE! After sporting my new color for several days I noticed that the color did not rub off on the collar of any of my shirts, as this use to be a major issue with other hair dyes I’ve used.
After several weeks I noticed my color began to slightly fade. I’m not sure if it’s because I sweat my hair out 3-4 times a week while working out, but I expected the color to remain vibrant for at least a couple of months. It’s been about one month, give or take a week, and although my hair color is still very dark, it is not jet black anymore. I see traces of dark brown throughout the my hair strands, especially the ends. So, I’m guessing that would call for a touch-up of color every couple of months or so, but I won’t be doing that. I plan to dye my hair a couple of times a year to maintain the jet black/black color. I did not have any issues with breakage or dryness. My hair acted exactly as it would have without the dye. I didn’t have to make any adjustments to my hair care regimen after dying it.
Overall, I give this product a B-. It would have been an A+ if the color wouldn’t have faded so quickly. As I stated earlier, I do not dye my hair often at all, so I’m not sure how often people touch-up their hair with hair color. I love the color, but I do not want to make a habit of dying my hair once every couple of months. I wouldn’t consider this issue a deal breaker since I was satisfied with all other aspects of the Shea Moisture Hair Color System experience. I also felt that it was worth the price because it came with a few sample sizes of their popular hair products. I actually still have leftover, hair elixir and shampoo from the kit. That was most definitely a plus+ in my book. I will definitely be using this hair color system again.
Your hair color looks so vibrant!!! I can’t wait until I finish my transition process so I can see how my natural hair acts with it 🙂
Have you tried cleansing with a non-lathering conditioning cleanser (I’m talking no bubbles, not just non-sulfates) instead of shampoo? I use WEN but there are many others. They don’t strip or fade color.
Hmm, I’ve never tried a cleansing conditioner. I will definitely keep this in mind the next time I color my hair. Thanks for the suggestion!
GIRLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAA!! You had me Rolling over here! I just canceled my color appointment with my stylist! Thank you so much for this review! I’m so pressed, how bout I’m RUNNING to target on my lunch time just to pick it up today!! I’m EXCITED to color and can’t wait!! My gray hair is sooooo Disrespectful!! LOL MUAH!
I’ve tried the auburn by Shea Moisture. It was the first time I’d ever dyed my hair and I fell IN LOVE with the color. Just like you, I kept thinking about how soft my hair was! I was a little nervous dying, being my first time, but was relieved to know there’s no ammonia in the dying products, which is known as harmful to hair. The thing about the fading? I still have color in my hair, though it’s grown out since I dyed it. Try using a shampoo without sulfates or paragons, because that will effect the length of time your color lasts (that’s with any dye). I definitely want to try using another color… maybe I’ll do the auburn again! :]
Thanks for the tips! I actually dyed my hair auburn and it’s growing out. It had to grow on me, but I REALLY miss my jet black!
I just dyed my hair with Beautiful Brown (semi-permanent) two weeks ago. How long before I can use this product? Thank you.
Hate to be a Debbie Downer, but this stuff has PPD in it. Lots of people have allergic reactions to it from mild to life threatening. I happen to be one, and was so excited about this until I saw that 😦 So everyone make sure you do a patch test everytime you color (even with henna), because allergies can develop. (I turned forty and became allergic to everything😤). I give this advice based on the mistakes I made. And for those of you for whom this product works I say WOOHOO!
I never permanent dye my hair, I’ve done semi permanent when I was in college. I wanted to dye my hair to try something different. I heard Shea Moisture is a good product and seeing your reviews and results of the product, I’m so impressed how nice it came out. I’m definitely going to give it a try. I think I’m a go with a very light brown color. Thank you for the tip!
I think I’m going to give this a try. After reading your review I’m tempted to go black however I was thinking a caramel color! Thanks for sharing!
I always find it disturbing to see people, especially in large crowds, apparently acting according to primitive emotions rather than enlightened thinking. It makes it seem like the veneer of civilization is paper thin, and we are not far removed from apes huddled around the monolith and hitting each other over the head with bones.
We can get on top of it, but that is a high energy state. Entropy is forever dragging us down to the lowest common denominator of tribalism, fear, disgust, and paranoia. As Sagan wrote in the Demon-Haunted World:
Whenever our ethnic or national prejudices are aroused, in times of scarcity, during challenges to national self-esteem or nerve, when we agonize about our diminished cosmic place and purpose, or when fanaticism is bubbling up around us – then, habits of thought familiar from ages past reach for the controls.It does seem, based upon a century of psychological research, that all that basic programming is still there in our brains.
A recent editorial about GMOs (genetically modified organisms) reminded me of that quote from Sagan. In the article McWilliams correctly, in my opinion, notes that much of the anti-GMO movement is built upon the emotion of disgust. This is any observation I have made before myself. Disgust is an interesting emotion. It has obvious survival advantages, but like many emotions it errs on the side of the false positive and is not very discriminating.
GMO rhetoric often takes the form of provoking disgust – talking about fish genes in tomatoes, “frankenfood,” emphasizing the use of pesticides (which is incidental to GMO technology), emphasizing that it is “unnatural,” or stating that it is not “real food.” These negative terms are contrasted with the language of wholesomeness for non-GMO foods – whole, natural, organic, and raw.
While disgust, just like fear and anxiety, is a protective reflex that serves a purpose, it is also a button that can easily be pushed and exploited. Part of the problem also is that the instincts we evolved in our pre-technological environment did not necessarily prepare us for the modern world. That is why we need things like science and evidence to help us figure out what is safe and what isn’t.
We are also interested in more than just what will make us instantly drop dead. We want to know what foods will be healthful to eat over our currently extended lifetimes. This is a more subtle effect, and a basic sniff test will simply not do. We need careful observation and rigorous data.
This is partly why popular campaigns to provoke disgust are so often anti-scientific. If the science were on your side, you wouldn’t need to push primitive emotional buttons.
The “fishmato” is perhaps my favorite example when it comes to GMOs. The example is meant to conjure images of fishy parts mixing with a tomato. Such images, however, are pure nonsense. All life on earth shares a common ancestry. Fish and tomatoes already share most of their genes (it’s hard to put a single number on it, but estimates hover around 60%). Also, genes shuffle around the kingdoms of life all the time, through viral vectors, for example.
In fact, you have to ask what is meant by “fish genes” and “tomato genes,” as if there is some fundamental difference between the two. There isn’t. They are just genes. Proteins are just proteins. There is nothing inherently “unnatural” about fish and tomatoes sharing genes.
The anti-GMO movement pushes other emotional buttons as well, specifically invoking the imagery of a villain and paranoia about the powers that be. Monsanto, of course, is the iconic boogeyman of the anti-GMO movement. They have created a demon almost entirely out of whole cloth. It is a modern day mythology. In fact, watching the anti-GMO movement unfold over the last two decades is an excellent example of how mythology forms and evolves. It is easy to see how the ancient world was populated with gods and demons, heroes and villains.
We are not yet free (if we ever will be) of the primitive circuits in our brains that helped us navigate the Serengeti but are not adapted to a modern technological world. For that we need science and critical thinking. The anti-GMO movement, along with many other social movements, provides ample examples of the various ways in which emotion trumps reason.
Understanding this aspect of human nature is critical, and it at least gives us the opportunity to use critical thinking to transcend our primitive instincts.
Telefonica Digital partners with GfK to launch ‘big data’ analysis service for business and local authorities
The new service offers companies and public sector organisations some analytical insight with view to making them more effective. It is to be rolled out through a range of products using different data sets including machine to machine data as well as anonymised and aggregated mobile network data.
To expand the service, Telefónica has partnered with GfK the marketing and research company. GfK and Telefonica will work together on product development initially in Germany, the UK and Brazil.
The first product to be released as part of the service is ‘Smart Steps’, which uses anonymised and aggregated data to measure, compare and understand which factors influence the number of people visiting a location at any time.
It’s an interesting way to make use of our mobile devices. The anonymity helps to protect mobile users and the resulting data should, in theory, help to provide more effective and relevant services from businesses.
The telecomms giant says that a number of retailers are already helping with product development by providing user feedback. Smart Steps will also be able to help town councils measure how many more people visit their high street when there are changes to things like parking or late night shopping hours.
In addition to retail footfall measurement Telefónica Dynamic Insights is also developing analytics products to help companies in a wide range of different industries. Initial product focus areas include fraud protection, and ‘Smart City’ technology, including traffic management.
“Big data is one of the key building blocks of the digital economy. Approached in a smart and responsible way it has the potential to transform every part of business and society – providing economic growth and improving people’s lives,” says Stephen Shurrock, Chief Commercial Officer at Telefónica Digital.
Indeed it seems that our constant data exhaust could provide ways in which we can influence civic design and decision making as well as working out better ways to improve business prospects.
Telefonica Digital does some interesting things with information. As part of a global telecommunications company, it has access to a huge amount of data that could be used in helpful and relevant ways.
The division hopes to deliver new growth for Telefonica through research and development, venture capital, global partnerships and digital services like cloud computing, mobile advertising and e-health. It is also a works on innovation for the umbrella brand Tu which recently released an app for storing mobile interactions and making them searchable via a timeline.