Can 100 Unarmed Men Take Down a Single Gorilla in a Fight?

Society

May 1

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We often criticize social media—and often for good reason. But every now and then, it offers something of value. One such gem is the abundance of thought experiments: strange, contrarian questions designed to provoke reflection and debate. Would you kill baby Hitler? How many holes does a straw have? Is a hot dog a sandwich?

Here is the latest one making the rounds: Suppose 100 unarmed men decided to challenge a single silverback gorilla to a fight. No knives, guns, baseball bats, or tranquilizer darts. Just bare hands. Mano a mano. Who would win?

The entire premise is laughably absurd. This 400-pound beast would add 100 new names to the obituary. The gorilla is devoid of intellect and reason. It is undistracted by theories and ideologies. It operates on mere instinct. If the gorilla senses danger, it attacks and destroys. Sheer numbers would not be enough to defeat the primate.

As asinine as this scenario seems, it is the perfect metaphor for the delusion of modern American culture: the idea that undeniable truth can be defeated by sheer numbers.

The gorilla represents truth and reality. It is imposing, undeniable, immovable, and often unforgiving. The 100 men represent our modern liberal culture. Mobs of activists, journalists, ideologues, professors, politicians, and influencers think if they chant the same falsehoods loudly enough, they will become fact. They are wrong. Repeating nonsense with passion is still nonsense.

“We need to get back to telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”

Let's take economics. Some politicians, mostly Democrats, promise free everything. They advocate for free housing, free healthcare, and free education. Their campaign slogan should be, "Vote for me and everything will be free." Then, all the people who vote for them wonder why eggs are $12 a dozen, why gas is $5 a gallon, or why their taxes keep going up. Because in economics, "free" is a fantasy. Economics is about resources, value, and supply and demand.

Let's look at education. Curriculums have been watered down. Kids are being taught how to feel instead of basic writing and arithmetic. We hand out participation awards. We coddle their egos like fragile glass. How did that work out? Now, we have generations of spoiled, entitled, bratty adults who are functionally illiterate. Even our "elite" institutions are not exempt. Harvard recently launched remedial math courses to "address pandemic learning loss." Sure, blame COVID. But the gorilla of truth isn't fooled.

Then there's gender. We have told men like Will Thomas that if they feel like a woman and change their name, they can compete in women's athletics. We have told women that acting like a man will lead to a life of happiness and fulfillment. Women have never been more depressed. Children are being allowed to consent to irreversible gender surgeries in the name of compassion, leading to a generation of mutilated Frankensteins. The gorilla of truth strikes again.

A man cannot become a woman any more than 100 unarmed men can become a military unit by saying so. It is the residue of our cultural messaging: if enough people believe in something, then it must be true.

This is not just about "owning the libs" or attacking woke culture. Denying truth is a sin the political Right is just as guilty of. Too many so-called conservatives talk tough on camera after the chaos has died down. They are more than willing to lampoon the absurdity of "trans" men competing in women's sports after Riley Gaines initially put her career and livelihood on the line. The gorilla in the room is they are too afraid to embrace the truth when it counts.

Even worse, the Right often believes that compromise with chaos is a virtue. They misunderstand Christian forgiveness. They think if they just go soft on language or acquiesce to the madness a little longer, the mob will eventually calm down. Wrong! Love the sinner, hate the sin. We can have grace and sympathy for a person who is confused by their gender, but we still have to put our foot down to the gender dysphoria madness.

You can't beat the gorilla. You learn to respect it. You learn to appreciate it for what it is. You understand that truth doesn't need your approval to exist. Gravity doesn't care how inclusive your language is. Two plus two doesn't care about your lived experience. And biology doesn't care how many rainbow flags you wave.

We need to get back to telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Stop lying to kids. Stop pretending that men can give birth. Stop acting like anything a man can do a woman can do better. Stop acting like broken homes, government dependence, and fatherlessness are just "alternative lifestyles." Start calling things what they are. Because when reality hits, it doesn't hit softly. It hits like a gorilla. And the longer you deny it, the harder it swings.

We are not victims. We are not helpless. We're just lost in a fog of lies and fake empowerment. Real empowerment starts with truth. Real strength starts with accepting reality. That gorilla isn't your enemy—it's your wake-up call.

No—100 unarmed men can't beat a gorilla. And 100 million confused Americans can't beat the truth. The sooner we stop pretending otherwise, the sooner we can return to reality.