Addicted to Idols

The Dangerous Comfort of Outsourcing Your Life

A prompt designed by Alejandro Betancourt generated this image using AI technology.

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." — Bertrand Russell

Have you found yourself hanging on every word of a charismatic leader, feeling euphoric when your team wins, or finding solace in a religious doctrine? We've all had these experiences at one time or another.

We're still living in a world of idol worship, a phenomenon that transcends individual experiences. We're seeking figures and idols to give our lives meaning, direction, and, most dangerously, certainty.

As someone who often finds himself on the outside looking in—an agnostic in a world of believers, a non-politician surrounded by partisans, and more likely to be found with my nose in a book than cheering at a stadium—I've been fascinated by observing thi…