Exerpt from Ken Wilbur's A BRIEF HISTORY OF EVERYTHING; and the FiKi imperative in the modern world

“Evolutionary psychology makes it pretty clear why we have these instincts. They help us to survive. Or, they used to anyway. The only problem is that, living in the society of today, we don’t need FIKI (Fuck it Kill it = the two main imperatives of testosterone) to survive anymore.

“Unfortunately, it seems that evolution has hardwired us men this way. FIKI explains why murders and rapes are committed disproportionately by men, and not by women. Until our software catches up to our hardware, the FIKI impulses will continue to cause problems.”
—Ken Wilbur in his A Brief History of Everything

The silent denial about this issue by most males (and females) of the species is deafening. As Ken Wilbur implies, FiKi probably was useful when guys met in a forest somewhere and threw stones or spears at each other but now the toys of war have made testosterone too dangerous to be trusted, and a Safeway on nearly every corner has made hunting-to-live mostly arcane.

Wish I had said it as clearly as Ken. But I think the premise and science have more Uuumph, coming from a thoughtful accredited guy, for the people who most need to hear it.

The thing Ken isn’t discussing here in detail is: when testosterone floods the male brain, it short circuits the synapses in the “safeguard” segment of the brain where rational thoughts are evaluated and where violence as a choice is reconsidered. I am not making this up. Neuroscience articles in Scientific American discuss the studies on the issue.

Submerged in testosterone, the “logic” of violence takes over and we get what we’ve got.

Ken takes the stance that men need to acknowledge this problem; and need to learn to notice this problem in themselves; and need to take responsibly for being actively careful in their choices when this situation arises. That is what he means by a software that can deal with the (testosterone geared) hardware.

In a blog exchange recently on the issue of violence directed toward women and this planet, a fellow sought to flatter me by stating that he has always believed that “Women civilize men”, which appalled me. Because implicit in there somewhere is the subtext that if a man or men behave “uncivilized” then it must be some woman’s fault. And there we have the good ol’ “Look what you made me do!” mind-twist.

Two of my favorite quotes from men:

“The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend”—Robertson Davies

“Insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results.”—Frank Herbert.

For me there is something of wit, humor and wisdom in these ideas presented by guys here; obviously the thoughts emerged from a brain not riddled by testosterone in that moment.

Maya Angelou's Phenomenal Woman

I put this poem here because every woman should read it every day.


Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man, The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.

I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care, '
Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.