When Gorillas Explain Geopolitics
Prestige, Power, and the Strange Animal Called Human
News sometimes opens doors we never expected.
Recently, while watching a program analyzing the rising military tensions between the United States and Iran, a scholar of international politics made a striking remark.
“In Middle Eastern politics, prestige is everything.”
According to him, the real danger is not defeat itself.
It is appearing defeated.
Once a state loses prestige, its authority begins to erode from within.
When I heard this explanation, an unexpected image came to mind.
A giant primate living deep in the forests of Africa.
The gorilla.
The Kingdom of Gorillas
In gorilla society, a large adult male with a silver patch across his back—the famous silverback—leads the group.
He is king, father, and guardian.
Remarkably, the principles governing this society resemble modern diplomacy more than one might think.
