Illustration by Giovanni Stradano of Dante’s Fifth Circle of the Inferno
Will the heat in hell be wet or dry? I think it’s safe to say that the general consensus on “what’s worse” is that a dry heat is not near as miserable. If that’s the case, then reason would lead us to conclude that hell is a wet heat.
But we can’t be sure with just reason, so let’s see what others have to say about it.
Probably the best way to learn about how to motivate people to join your cause is to learn from the masters. It’s hard for me to narrow this down because there are so many good ones. But let’s start with an example from the past. In the 11th century, Alexius, Emperor of Constantinople, begrudgingly sent an invitation to Gregory VII (Hildebrand), the Roman Pope, asking for help against the Turks.
Suffice it to say that that there was a great deal of political animosity and tension between these two cities. For centuries, the Pope in Rome and the Patriarch in Constantinople fought with one another over who was the most humble follower of Jesus as well as the true, supreme head of the church. In asking for help, Alexius revealed Constantinople’s vulnerability, and Hildebrand saw an opportunity to prove his supremacy and humility.
Conspiracy theories are a great way to foster suspicion because all you need is a bit of animosity toward the group due to how different they are, or how big they are, or how successful they are, and then you have a large following in no time. What makes this especially fun is no evidence is needed. Let your imagination run wild! And when someone asks you to prove it, you roll your eyes and make fun of them by saying something like, “It’s a conspiracy, you idiot. They’ve covered up the evidence!”