Art Deco is the incarnation of civilizational energy—the spirit of Achilles and Tesla in architectural form.
The ultimate style for high civilization...
Kenneth Clarke said:
“Vigour, energy, vitality: all the civilizations—or civilizing epochs—have had a weight of energy behind them.”
Art Deco embodies this vitality.
He claimed civilization had 3 enemies:
"First of all fear — fear of war, fear of invasion, fear of plague and famine, that make it simply not worthwhile constructing things, or planting trees or even planning next year’s crops."
Does this look fearful to you?
Art Deco often features exotic materials, such as ebony and ivory, and exquisite craftsmanship.
The fruits of a culture unafraid to try new things.
The next enemy is a lack of self-confidence. A culture regrets its past, stifling its ability to progress.
Art Deco's blocky, muscular designs show a civilization secure yet determined. Its aura is simultaneously ancient and futuristic.
A timeless spirit of crushing grandeur.
So many Art Deco designs look like they could be 5,000 years old. It's an artistic style that appreciates a civilization's past.
Finally Clarke warns against exhaustion:
"the feeling of hopelessness which can overtake people even with a high degree of material prosperity."
Art Deco's imagery is all about vitalism. God-like men, exalted maidens, mythical beasts—dreams of a civilization with a vision.
Art Deco embodies faith in social and technological progress.
It fosters a belief that the best is yet to come.
We need to be Art-Deco-maxing as a civilization.
It's the architectural style of a people who've triumphed—and aren't done yet.
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Machiavelli promoted a *realistic* approach to governance.
It didn’t always involve being nice.
His work "The Prince" is packed with hard hitting truths for rulers — but there’s one lesson that modern leaders MUST pay attention to, or risk losing everything…🧵
Niccolò Machiavelli was a 15-16th century Florentine diplomat, philosopher, and author who’s best known for his political masterpiece “The Prince”.
Often called the father of modern political philosophy, he wrote the book as a guide for potential rulers.
The Prince is a practical work, covering topics like: the ideal qualities of a prince; military counsel; and how a prince should manage his state.
For example, Machiavelli proposes that two institutions are integral to a ruler’s legitimacy…
Rome was the preeminent engineering civilization. Its roads, bridges, and aqueducts ensured an unmatched quality of life for its citizens.
Yet its greatest engineering feat wasn’t about providing comfort—the Colosseum was built for a dramatic death...🧵
The Colosseum became famous for its gladiatorial contests, executions, reenactments of famous battles, and even mock sea fights.
It was a theater designed with two things in mind: death and spectacle.
Constructed between 72-80 AD under Vespasian, the Colosseum was the largest amphitheater in the Roman world. Holding a capacity of 65000 spectators, the building project required extraordinary human ingenuity.
Of course, such a massive undertaking required a lot of money…
All empires repeat the same cycle, says 20th-century historian John Glubb.
He observed that for the past 3000 years every civilization has followed the same 6 stages before decline—what are they?🧵
Sir John Bagot Glubb was a British soldier and author who served as the commanding general for Transjordan's Arab Legion from 1939 to 1956.
In his later years he wrote about geopolitics and world history, and penned a succinct description of how civilizations rise and fall…
Glubb’s 1978 work, “The Fate of Empires and the Search for Survival,” is an idea-dense essay that argues all great empires follow an eerily similar pattern.
From observing 11 distinct cultures, Glubb draws some intriguing conclusions that have implications for modern society.
On May 20th, 1910, nine kings gathered at Windsor for the funeral of King Edward VII.
The photograph they took is a stark reminder of how drastically European leadership has changed—the men pictured remain symbols of a bygone era of monarchy.
Who were they?🧵
King Haakon VII of Norway (top row, far left)
Ruled from November 1905 until his death in 1957. After the 1905 dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway, he became the first independent Norwegian monarch since Olaf II in 1387.
Tsar Ferdinand of the Bulgarians (top row, second from left)
Ruled as Tsar during the tumultuous First World War. After a series of military setbacks in 1918, he abdicated the throne in a bid to save the monarchy. His eldest son succeeded him, becoming Tsar Boris III.
Galileo called him “superhuman”. Tesla said he was the “ideal” inventor. And da Vinci was directly inspired by him.
Simply put, Archimedes was the greatest engineer and mathematician of the ancient world.
Here’s why...🧵(thread)
Born around 287 BC, Archimedes was an inventor, mathematician, astronomer, and engineer from the city of Syracuse in Sicily.
Very little is known of Archimedes’ life other than his discoveries and inventions, of which there were many.
The ancient historian Polybius was the first to reference Archimedes about 70 years after his death, describing various war machines that the inventor built including catapults, a giant crane that destroyed ships, and various stone-throwing machines.