A lot of the empowerment (and the, ahem, ‘spirituality’) that’s on sale today… reminds me of the store manikins in the windows… perfect, frozen… representations… of success, style, ‘wisdom’, fashion, confidence… power… sex. And — you know, you buy the dress, or the suit. You buy the accessories. You acquire the look.

But actually? You’re buying fealty to the store… the designer… the paradigm. You’re buying membership. And that’s the opposite of what’s on offer… that’s the opposite of success. Wisdom would wreak ruin on you for such abuse as this. Does confidence depend upon which catalog one is able to select from? Seduction’s root is wild, not feigned.

It’s all a beautiful lie.

And as for power?

I once saw a frail old man kill a green beret with a whisper at 50 feet.

And with another … he raised him up again.