The Author's Answers

1 May 2026

“What is up with Erika Kirk’s evil eyes?”

Erika Kirk is a former pageant competitor, an evangelical public figure, and the current CEO of Turning Point USA—every lane of which teaches you that your presence is a tool and your eyes are the sharpest part of it. What she's doing, consciously or not at this level of depth (she has been doing this for almost two decades, it’s likely just second nature) is dominance-through-sustained-gaze. It's supposed to make the person on the receiving end feel singularly seen, slightly destabilized but chosen at the same time—but it can only be completed by the social loop. The camera breaks it. It has nothing to do with her eyes. She's looking into a camera instead of at people. What you're seeing isn't evil, it's unrelenting. Without the other person to close the social loop it's missing what's called interbrain synchrony—this is what this whole system, the way she wants to use it, needs to function. Without it she is just amplifying herself—unrelenting. 

I contemplated ending my answer there but I can't let that be it in good conscience. If someone in her realm were to realize where the disconnect is, it won't be by fixing her eyes but changing the context she's placed in—it'll just look different. More rally content, more rooms, more people on camera already caught in it.

“What does The Quiet Analysis mean?”

Someone who quietly analyzes. Not everything means something else, sometimes what you have in front of you is the answer. 

“How do you stay objective on topics you have strong opinions about?”

Well, I won't lie, I am an extremely objective person. I try not to form opinions without having as many of the facts as I can first. However, I am human, I have emotions that can get charged over certain topics; but my emotions are not other people’s problem to navigate or solve. Understanding that opinions are emotionally backed rather than factual helps clear what can and cannot be used in a productive conversation—that’s what I am here for. Productive conversation, not emotional validation.

17 April 2026

How long does it take you to write an essay?

The writing itself, not very long as long as I don't overthink my word choice. However, for each of my pieces that require it, I do thorough research trying to gain a deeper understanding of every perspective involved and to fully grasp the concepts at hand. This entire process takes me anywhere between a week to three on top of my life.

Where do philosophy and systems thinking intersect for you?

In my mind it's a circle. You can not build a system without holding regards for the individuals within to or around it. That's like basic ethics which is an umbrella term under philosophy.

How do you decide what topics to write about?

Whatever I find intriguing, interesting, or undernoticed.

How much of your identity is your own versus inherited?

All of your identity is your own and all of it can still be inherited or none of it. You are you, no one else can come along and take labels off. However, if you don't like the label, take it off and act accordingly.

Do we have free will?

I love this question because I will argue my answer until my last breath. No. First of all, you don't even have free thinking in America because of the way media is produced and received. Scientifically, also no, because when presented with a choice your mind has already decided before you come to the conclusion. But also might I add, if you had free will would you actually be sitting here questioning it? No, you would be too busy acting freely.