Category: Psychology

The North Korean Government Executing Convicted Persons for Minor Criminal Offenses

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North Korea is the only country in the world which kills its citizens for making unauthorized international telephone calls. Many assassinations have been made for similar reasons such as sleeping on the job as was the case when 1 person was killed, defaming Kim Jong Un’s wife as was the case when 9 people were killed, or being the ex-girlfriend of Kim Jon Un, as was the case when Kim Jong Un’s girlfriend was sentenced to death by firing squad. These executions occur as a deliberate strategy to maintain the North Korean governments absolute control over its population. By enforcing extreme punishments for the most minor infractions, the North Korean government instills a pervasive sense of fear, ensuring that citizens remain obedient and submissive. These actions are rooted within the governments desire and need to suppress dissent and eliminate any perceived threats to its authority, regardless of how trivial they may appear. Executions also serve as a haunting reminder of the consequences of disloyalty against the North Korean state, reinforcing a culture in which silence and compliance are essential to survive. By targeting individuals for minor actions, the North Korean government sends a clear message that no person is beyond its reach, and that every aspect of life is subject to its control. This calculated system of fear and punishment is central to the North Korean government’s strategy of self-preservation

How Wedding Ceremonies Worked Within Europe During the Medieval Period

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Medieval weddings were carried out much the same as they are during the modern day with any witnesses present being provided 3 distinct opportunities to object to the marriage with the most common objections being that the parties involved were too close in relation by blood and/or the age of the bride was too young to accept the concept of marriage and/or bare a child. A ring and a piece of gold or silver was placed upon the Christian Bible held by the priest conducting the ceremony, in an effort to have the ring blessed, after which the priest would take the brides right hand and in Latin say “In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen” which means “in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. With truth” in Latin. The priest would touch each finger, starting with the thumb, after saying each part of the Holy Trinity, ending upon the 4th finger when saying “amen”, which became the finger which the wedding ring was placed upon. It was not uncommon for both men and women to wear their wedding rings on their thumbs or middle fingers until the 17th century as any finger was considered acceptable. After undertaking vows, both the husband and wife would lay down to be covered in a shroud, afterwhich they would arise as a newly married couple. This practice was symbolic of a marriage transforming 2 unique individuals into a single person married to Jesus Christ. Finally, the priest would then kiss both the bride and groom upon their face, typically the cheek, and put the couple to bed to ensure consummation of the marriage, at which point, the marriage ceremony was considered complete

The Reason Japanese Samurai Shave the Top of Their Head

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The practice of “chonmage” (pronounced “chon-mah-geh”) which means “tied knot on top” in Japanese is the reason Japanese samurai shaved the tops of their heads, in a pattern reminiscent of male pattern baldness. Japanese Samurai shaved the top of their heads in this particular style for both pragmatic and symbolic reasons. The shaved portion of the head helped secure their helmets referred to as “kabuto” which means “helmet” in Japanese, making them more comfortable but also prevented overheating during battle. Over time, the chonmage became a status symbol within Japanese society, symbolically representing a samurai’s loyalty and discipline. The chonmage aesthetic also reflected the samurai’s adherence to Bushido, the warrior code. Different variations of chonmage emerged within Japan over the centuries, with the style remaining a distinctive hallmark of the samurai class until the Meiji Restoration in 1868 when Japan modernized and abolished the traditional feudal samurai system

The Reason Women Were Forced Into Caretaking Roles Throughout History

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In early hunter gatherer societies, women played a crucial role in providing sustenance within their communities. Women were responsible to gather fruits, nuts, and roots, developing extensive knowledge of plant life, seasonal patterns, and medicinal herbs as these are all necessary skill sets for foraging. As societies expanded in order to sustain their growing populations, women became less and less relevant as they were viewed as unfit for agricultural work or to participate within battles and wars, and because of these factors and because virtually all societies shifted toward agriculture, women gradually lost their ability to gather and became increasingly dependent upon the wealth and provisions of their husbands. The rise of warfare in expanding civilizations meant that warriors who were almost exclusively male gained access to even more control over resources and decision making within society. This forced women into the role of caretakers. With agriculture came the concept of land ownership, which was almost exclusively controlled by men, further solidifying male dominance of society. As permanent settlements formed, men took control of agricultural work, domestic trade, and governance, whilst women were confined to domestic responsibilities due to generations of marginalization and conditioning. Over the coming centuries, religious, cultural, and legal systems reinforced these divisions, ensuring that women remained economically and socially subordinate in perpetuity

The Volatile Temperament of Jesus Christ

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Jesus Christ was known to be confrontational when his message was not being understood correctly. Christ was not adverse to conflict and was not as mild and reconciling as he is portrayed during the modern day, in fact there are accounts in which he cursed fig trees for not bearing any fruit and cursed entire locations for not responding to his message, after which he continued to migrate with his congregation, effectively leaving those people behind instead of persisting to convince them of his teachings. The Gospels account for instances like this multiple times throughout their recounts

The Annual War Campaign of the Assyrian Civilization

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The Assyrians were masters of war, as war underpinned their society, economy, and civilization. The Assyrians would collectively gather each year to attack and plunder any neighboring states unlucky enough to be within striking distance. This tradition was viewed by the Assyrians as a time of harvest, with vegetables being replaced with the plunders and spoils of war. The Assyrians are known to have impaled their enemies, amputate their enemies, burn their enemies alive, flay their enemies alive, disfigure enemies, engage in mass blinding of vision, as well as mass deportation

One Person Can Change the World Via the Gift of Charity

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It is often said that one person cannot make a difference, but on December 19, 1843, Charles Dickens released A Christmas Carol, with charitable donations skyrocketing seemingly overnight as the book became a best seller and sold out by Christmas Eve of that same year. A Christmas Carol has gone on to become one of the best selling book publications of all time even during the modern day. Dickens’ publication was not only a story, it was a strong critique of the socioeconomic inequalities which plagued Victorian England, and Europe as a whole, during the 19th century due to the development of the Industrial Revolution during the 18th century. Dickens’ work discusses the moral obligations of the wealthy and was successful at projecting a message of social justice and reformation. After its release, the English public’s attitude toward poverty and charity softened, with many becoming more generous during the holiday season, a tradition which persists into the modern day in the form of holiday gift giving on Christmas and/or Christmas Eve. Dickens deliberately retailed A Christmas Carol affordably in a concerted effort to ensure it would reach as broad of an audience as possible. This decision contributed greatly to the novels rapid success and influence within English culture. The book serves as a strong example of how both literature and art can function as powerful tools for advocacy and reformation, perhaps even upon a global scale

How Flames Were Artificially Produced for Opera Productions During the 18th Century

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During the 18th century within opera and theater productions, stage doors which would lead a character to Hell achieved simulating the flames of Hell with brandy which would be placed into a container and lit on fire due to the fact that during the period, brandy was the brightest glowing flame available because of it’s high alcohol content. Once the brandy was burning bright, a powder referred to as “lycopodium” was blown across the flames to create an intense illumination, creating a fireball of sorts. It was in truth a very dangerous special effect to achieve because of the wooden sets, the actors involved, and the enclosure of the theatre itself. Most of those who performed the pyrotechnics for operas and plays during this period were ex-military, often soldiers who understood how these chemicals worked in depth as rocket technology was at the cutting edge of warfare during the era

Italian Explorer Christopher Columbus Leveraging Astronomy to Manipulate the Indigenous Taíno of Jamaica

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During Italian explorer Christopher Columbus’ 4th voyage and while still stationed upon the island of Jamaica in the Caribbean, Columbus’ crew and flotilla did not have the supplies necessary to travel back to Europe. Columbus appealed to the indigenous Taíno people of the island and requested they share their resources. The Taíno informed Columbus that they had only sourced enough supplies to see themselves through the season and that they did not have access to a surplus. Columbus responded by telling this group that if they did not comply, he would summon divine forces and cause the moon to disappear within 1 weeks time; the key to this being that Columbus understood that a total lunar eclipse was scheduled to occur within the coming week. The Taíno were skeptical of this claim initially, but when a total lunar eclipse occurred as predicted, it caused this group to believe that Columbus held a seat beside the hand of God. Unsurprisingly, Columbus was almost immediately provided all of the material he desired to fund his return voyage to Europe. During the middle of the total lunar eclipse, Columbus stated that his god, the Christian God, would now reverse the destruction of the moon and return the moon to its former position as the Taíno had complied with his crews demands

The Correlation Between Cats and the Bubonic Plague of Europe

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During the Middle Ages and up until the Salem Witch Trials, cats were killed alongside their owners who were believed to be practicing the dark arts of magic, sorcery, and witchcraft. Typically cats were burned alive in ceremonial bonfires. Ironically, had this not occurred, the Bubonic Plague probably wouldn’t have been as prolific as it was as the fleas found upon the rats who carried the disease, would have been killed alongside their host by the very cats which were killed in droves by human beings. Cats are partially resistant to the Bubonic Plague but with few to keep the rat population in check, the plague was able to wash over Europe and kill 25,000,000 (25 million) people which was 25% of the European population