A letter to the aliens

I first saw Christopher Nolan's Inception when it was released 13 years ago and absolutely loved it.

The presented ideas and metaphors were altogether new to me and were woven into such a cinematic masterpiece that people still talk about it to this day.

Last night, I decided to watch it for the third time, and even though I still loved it, my appreciation came from a position of understanding, not awe.

Here's what I mean.

In the 13 years that have passed, I have expanded my knowledge of life.

In this particular case, I studied works on Psychology, especially those from two contributors I particularly admire - Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung.

These men pioneered (or at least popularized) studies on this phenomenon called "The Subconscious Mind".

They also conducted some interesting studies regarding dreams and their interpretations.

Carl Jung viewed objects and actors in a dream as projections from the subconscious, and as a means of communication from the subconscious to the conscious mind.

He believed that these messages could help the individual achieve personal growth and self-understanding.

He emphasized that the meanings of dream symbols aren't universally applicable but instead are highly personal to the dreamer, relating to the dreamer's experiences and individual psychological dynamics.

For instance, if you dream about a snake, Jung wouldn't provide a one-size-fits-all interpretation, rather he would want to understand what a snake means to you, within your personal experiences, cultural understanding, and emotional reactions.

Side Note: This understanding helped a younger me move beyond the popular Nigerian beliefs about eating food or seeing dead people in dreams.

Back to the movie, Inception.

When I saw it again last night, I could clearly see the influence of Carl Jung's theories throughout the film.

I still enjoyed it, but this time not as an unaware viewer who could be easily impressed, but as someone who was well-educated on the source material from which the story was written or inspired, and could therefore knowledgeably critique it.

The Aliens are here

For many years, humans have obsessed over the probability of the existence of aliens.

I say (sort of jokingly), that if you're looking for aliens, they're already here.

Look in the mirror.

It's you, it's us.

We're the species that are most out of sync with the others.

Our inventions are the most opposed to nature and the most threatening to other life forms.

That's beside the point really. I cannot prove these thoughts, so let's not make it a big deal.

I'm just leading into a metaphor.

Humor me for a minute and imagine that you're an alien (like Superman from the planet Krypton).

You were originally born on a different planet with a certain way of life.

But now you've been sent to live on Earth, where the way of life is different from what you know.

Failure to understand and successfully adapt to the Earth's way means death, incarceration by the authorities, or intense suffering.

Who would you pick as your teachers so as to get up to speed as quickly as possible?

What subject matters would you need to learn about the way of life of this weird species called humans?

I'll get to that, but first, let's bring this home.

Most humans live on this Earth as unaware aliens.

They haven't bothered to learn the principles that govern life on this planet, and so they keep losing at the game of life, or they get conned by other unscrupulous players.

I saw an Instagram Reel where a Nigerian preacher was boldly stating that the cause of fibroids was sexual promiscuity.

I'm not particularly concerned that he was wrong.

As a public figure myself, I understand that it is unfair and unrealistic to be expected to be right 100% of the time.

I know I'm not always right. I fall just a bit short by being right 99.99% of the time. Poor me.

My concern was the loud cheers coming from his congregation.

I thought, "Has nobody in this crowd done a basic study of human biology to know this isn't true?"

"Aliens," I thought, "They're not from around here, so they must not know enough about human anatomy to critique the sermon."

They will likely go home to their spouses and kids and authoritatively repeat the same thing.

Why isn't the plural of spouse, "spice" though?

Moving on…

As a visitor to Earth, here are some core subjects (in no particular order) I suggest you master in order to successfully integrate with our way of life here.

1. Human Biology

In order to exist on this planet, we're all provided with this "meat suit" that we call a body.

It consists of multiple systems and organs that work together to help us function optimally as humans.

Learn their names and functions.

Then learn the best ways to feed your body, clean it, protect it, and optimize its performance.

2. Economics and Commerce

People on this crazy planet have invented something called 'money'.

It has taken many forms over time, but these days, it exists mostly as paper and digital currencies.

If you wish to survive and thrive, you must learn its origins, intents, and purposes.

To gain power, you must learn how to accumulate it in large quantities, particularly in ways that do not attract unnecessary risk.

Also be aware that other humans will go to obscene lengths to try to steal it from you if you do not take sufficient steps to protect it.

3. Politics

In order to maintain a sense of security and order, humans form tribes.

These tribes have leaders.

These leaders have historically emerged through various methods, but nowadays, they have invented a system called 'democracy'.

It is a complex system whose actual nature and purpose you must investigate beyond what is advertised by leadership.

Remember that politics exists to maintain order.

That sometimes means erasing or suppressing knowledge that may threaten said order.

It’s understandable, as humans can act out irrationally when triggered by truth but you must still find ways to learn what has been hidden from them.

I have a few resources that would aid you. I'm sure you can handle it.

4. Media Literacy

In order to communicate with other humans on a large scale (hence Mass Communication), they've invented 'mass media'.

Originally, this was probably intended for informative purposes, but true to their nature of transforming tools into weapons, they have turned media into a potent one.

At all times, they will attempt to influence your behavior through their various forms of media - to vote, to buy, to fight and to feel emotions that are not originally yours.

You must be well educated on this subject so you won't forget your origins and start to grope as they do.

More on this when we touch on Critical Thinking.

5. Psychology

Your human 'body' has a central processor called a 'brain' located in your skull.

In conjunction with your nervous system, it is responsible for your voluntary and involuntary behaviors.

You must learn how these are all connected and even better, how to guide them to provide you with the best human experience possible.

Remember this - every tool, wielded differently, can be a weapon.

Weaponise your Psychology and its knowledge thereof.

6. Critical Thinking, Philosophy, and Logic

In order to grow in wisdom and knowledge, you will need to rely on the narratives of other humans.

But humans lie - sometimes for self-preservation, sometimes out of fear.

Try to discern such cases and be gracious, maybe.

However, there are sinister applications where for economic, religious or political reasons they intentionally seek to deceive and mislead other humans into disastrous outcomes.

You are not immune to such behavioral disasters and will therefore, as a matter of extreme urgency, need a superior system for carefully vetting all presented matters in order to decide what you accept as true.

This will help you arrive at the right conclusions more often than not.

Learn also the influence of cognitive biases and fallacies on your own decision making.

7. Geography

Any fool can point out countries as they exist on the map.

I’m nudging you to consider a more serious matter.

Depending on the race you are born into, they will restrict your range of movement on the planet.

Study the system in order to learn the legal loopholes so you can quickly make an exception of yourself.

Addendum

As you progress through your human experience, you will figure out other areas that require some study and consideration.

In any case, do not live here as an uneducated human.

Such a person - rich, poor, high born or otherwise - is but a slave to the whims of educated humans.

And hey, try to blend in.

They have a tendency to kill what looks 'different'.

Talk Soon,