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How to Tame Tyrants: the Space Overview Effect & Earthrise
What if every dictator had a chance to see how small humanity really is in the vast realm of the Universe?
Exposing authoritarians to viewing Earth from space, even in virtual reality, could reform them
.What if every dictator had a chance to experience the same spiritual epiphany that most visitors to space feel, called The Overview Effect?
Would most, if not all, dictators change their ways after an experience of such transcendence?
“Researchers have characterized the effect as ‘a state of awe with self-transcendent qualities, precipitated by a particularly striking visual stimulus’. The most prominent common aspects of personally experiencing the Earth from space are appreciation and perception of beauty, unexpected and even overwhelming emotion, and an increased sense of connection to other people and the Earth as a whole. The effect can cause changes in the observer’s self concept and value system, and can be transformative.” from Wikipedia
Can you imagine a dictator experiencing that in space? Will that dictator remain so obsessed over the minute details necessary to maintain their control? After seeing the thin band of blue atmosphere in which humans barely hold on, will that dictator remain willing to continue to inject illwill into such a small a space? Will that dictator think twice before injecting more red into that blue?