What Is It Like to Be a Bat? By Thomas Nagel (1974)

Philosopher Thomas Nagel wrote the essay "What Is It Like to Be a Bat?" in 1974, an essay that makes one think about empathy by posing this very question.

Our own experience provides the basic material for our imagination, whose range is therefore limited. It will not help to try to imagine that one has webbing on one's arms, which enables one to fly around at dusk and dawn catching insects in (Nagel, 1974:14) one's mouth, that one has very poor vision, and perceives the surrounding world by a system of reflected high-frequency sound signals, and that one spends the day hanging upside down by one's feet in an attic. In so far as I can imagine this (which is not very far), it tells me only what it would be like for me to behave as a bat behaves. But that is not the question. I want to know what it is like for a bat to be a bat. Yet, if I try to imagine this, I am restricted to the resources of my own mind, and those resources are inadequate to the task (ibid:16).

(...) The more different from oneself the other experiencer is, the less success one can expect with this enterprise. In our own case we occupy the relevant point of view, but we will have as much difficulty understanding our own experience properly if we approach it from another point of view as we would if we tried to understand the experience of another species without taking up its point of view (ibid:24). (Nagl, 1974)

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- Nagl, T. (1974). What Is It Like to Be a Bat? Wie ist es, eine Fledermaus zu sein? Reclam, 6th edition
- photographs of Adam West (Batman, 1966) via and via

Batman vs. Reality

"Because no child should be part of war. Ever."
War Child Holland

War Child is a non-governmental organisation that was founded in the UK in 1993. Soon afterwards, War Child organisations followed in Canada and the Netherlands. War Child Holland was founded in 1994 by Dutch peace activist Willemijn Verloop after she had visited the war zone of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The organisation focuses on the psychosocial needs of children who have suffered from war or armed conflict (via).*



"Fantasie is vaak de enige manier om te ontsnappen aan de realiteit."

The -ism Series (17): Trollism

"Online trolling is the practice of behaving in a deceptive, destructive, or disruptive manner in a social setting on the Internet with no apparent instrumental purpose. From a lay-perspective, Internet trolls share many characteristics of the classic Joker villain: a modern variant of the Trickster archetype from ancient folklore. Much like the Joker, trolls operate as agents of chaos on the Internet, exploiting ‘‘hot-button issues’’ to make users appear overly emotional or foolish in some manner. If an unfortunate person falls into their trap, trolling intensifies for further, merciless amusement." (Buckels et al., 2014). The Joker is also described "as a tragic character; a family man and failed comedian who suffered "one bad day" that finally drove him insane" (via).



Social media platforms have become important means to promote cultural activism and education, to promote e.g. anti-racism, feminism, LGBT rights by raising awareness and sharing information. But they also attract racist and sexist trolls who "spread disharmony among online activists" (via). Adam Reed distinguishes the psychopathological troll from the missionary troll. While the latter is motivated by a desire to convince others that his or her favourite belief system is to be considered, the psychopathological troll is "motivated to participate in an internet forum by psychotic delusions or compulsions, or by a neurotic seeking of false self-esteem" (via). Although this is not a scientific categorisation but one based on everyday observations, there is probably a pattern to be recognised by those reading comments from time to time. In general, there is not yet much empirical research on trolling behaviour (Buckels et al., 2014).



In their studies, Buckels et al. (2014) investigated online commenting styles and personality profiles of Internet trolls. Their measures included a personality inventory, a scale to measure the Dark Triad (narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism), a scale to assess sadistic personality, questions on internet use and four items relevant to trolling: "I have sent people to shock websites for the lulz.", "I like to troll people in forums or the comments section of the websites.", "I enjoy griefing other players in multiplayer games." and "The more beautiful and pure a thing is, the more satisfying it is to corrupt." The authors found significant correlations between trolling and psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and particularly sadism. Sadism is specific to trolling behaviour. "The troll persona appears to be a malicious case of a virtual avatar, reflecting both actual personality and one's ideal self. (...) for those with sadistic personalities, that ideal self may be a villain of chaos and mayhem (...)." (Buckels, 2014).



The troll persona is an everyday sadist that hides behind a "veil of anonymity" since offline "they would quickly have their ass kicked for their incessant provocations." (via). But perhaps the biggest danger is not to be provoked but to be bored to death by comments that - once their content is translated - say "I am paranoid and have no idea what I am talking about but ignorance does not keep me from commenting and criticising everything."
Racism, sexism, ... sadism, trollism. "The more beautiful and pure a thing is, the more satisfying it is to corrupt." And diversity is beautiful.



- Buckels, E. E., Trapnell, P. D. & Paulhus, D. L. (2014). Trolls just want to have fun. Personality and Individual Differences, 67, 97-102.
- photos of Cesar Romero as the Joker via and via and via and via

Pretty Old.

Amanda Logacre was declared Miss Delaware on 14th June 2014. She was soon later told that she had to give back her crown and $ 11.000,- scholarship because she was too old for Miss America. Amanda Lograce is 24.


Marilyn Monroe look-a-like competition at Hastings, 15th July 1958 (via)

The organisers said that her age violated competition rules since contestants had to be between 17 and 24. As Logacre turns 25 this October, one month after the Miss America competition, she is too old. The Miss Delaware 2014 title was given to Brittany Lewis, Amanda Logacre was dethroned and received best wishes for her future endeavours (via). The state pageant's attorney later said that Amanda Lograce would receive all the scholarship money she had to forfeit (via).


Beauty contestants Baba (16), Conway (18) and Swenson (26) at a chiropractor-judged beauty contest in May 1956 at a time when contestants were judged on beauty, poise, posture and X-rays and people were not really concerned about raditation (via) ...

Logacre compared the way she was stigmatised with beauty queens who lost their titles because they had been involved with criminal behaviour or pornography: "I'm being treated as if I did something morally and ethically wrong. I'm just really heartbroken." (via). That is probably what ageism feels like.


... speaking of radiation: Miss Atomic Bomb Lee A. Merlin wearing a swimsuit with a cotton mushroom cloud. Las Vegas combined the two major attractions nuclear bombs and showgirls (1957) (information via, photo by Don English via)


Copa Girl Linda Lawson as Miss-Cue wearing an A-Bomb crown to illustrate another misfiring of the Operation Cue Bomb surrounded by servicemen, Las Vegas, 1st May 1955 (photo via)


Linda Lawson with an A-Bomb crown (photo via)


"Miss Beautiful Ape" contest run by Gary Owens in June 1972, at the time of the release of "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes". Dominique Green (no. 2) won a role in "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" (1973) (photo by Larry Bessel via)


Miss New Zealand collapses under the hot sun of Long Beach, California, 17th July 1954 (photo by Perry Griffith via)


Adam West with beauty pageant contestants (photo via)