A War on Smart People

[cbabe]

4. They can't handle the truth. The story of Cassandra, and humanity.

https://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/the-myth-of-cassandra/#google_vignette

Imagine knowing the future, seeing with stark clarity the approaching devastation, yet being utterly powerless to avert it, your desperate warnings dismissed as the ravings of a madwoman. This was the tragic reality of Cassandra, the Trojan princess blessed—or cursed—with the gift of prophecy by the god Apollo.

Apollo, scorned and vengeful, twisted his gift, ensuring that while Cassandra would always speak the truth, no one would ever believe her. She foresaw the fall of Troy, the deceptive Trojan Horse, and her own violent end, yet her pleas were met with ridicule and disbelief.

It is through this tragic history of unchecked hubris and misunderstood warnings that Cassandra’s tale has become a lasting symbol through the modern concept of the Cassandra complex, describing the phenomenon of valid warnings being dismissed.

More than just a tale of unheeded prophecy, however, Cassandra’s myth serves as a timeless allegory for the profound dangers of ignoring dissenting voices, the corrupting influence of power, and the harrowing struggle for truth in the face of societal indifference, resonating powerfully in modern discussions from psychology to environmentalism.

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