Serial Experiments Lain is a Japanese anime television series created and co-produced by Yasuyuki Ueda, written by Chiaki J. Konaka, and directed by Ryūtarō Nakamura. It was first broadcast in Japan in 1998. The show features surreal and avant-garde imagery and explores philosophical topics such as reality, identity, and communication. Its content is highly experimental, serving as a direct invitation for viewers to reflect on the world and the society they inhabit. Rather than delivering a linear plot, the series offers a layered experience that challenges perception and questions the very nature of existence.
Is our society flawed because of a patriarchal dominance throughout history?
Recently, I’ve been combining my daily reflections with the content I write for my posts, and one recurring idea is that society could truly benefit from more female leadership—whether as heads of state or CEOs. In Lain, once again, it is a male director who seeks to dominate the WIRED, thereby generating chaos within the system. Scientific studies have shown that male tendencies toward aggression and sexual dominance are deeply rooted in primal brain functions, dating back to a time before we had access to a developed prefrontal cortex capable of regulating our instincts. Back then, brute force dictated social structures. Women, biologically different, were assigned roles according to those ancient standards. But must we really continue to uphold a system that favors inequity based on outdated evolutionary advantages?
How is it natural that ancient religions still dictate our societies?
Religion is another central theme in Lain, where Masami gains power through belief, ascending to the status of a god within the WIRED. When we take a step back, it’s striking to see how modern societies are still deeply shaped by religions conceived by individuals unaware of Earth’s vastness, let alone the Universe or Darwin’s theory of evolution. Although preaching love for one’s neighbor may be noble, history reveals that countless wars have been fought over these belief systems and the fervent loyalty they demand. What began as symbolic frameworks have evolved into power structures resistant to scrutiny or change, regardless of the cost in human suffering.
The global society we now inhabit doesn’t have to be in constant turmoil from war or economic manipulation.
Historical ideologies and religious constructs are among the many fuels that continue to feed a system still influenced by the primitive thinking of a patriarchal worldview. Change is not impossible, but those who benefit from this long-standing imbalance of power are unlikely to surrender their influence without resistance. Will it come to a point of no return? Maybe. Or maybe not. But we are not powerless in the face of these forces. Each of us, in our own way, has a role to play in shaping the outcome. The question is whether we will act before the system decides for us.
#tales-posts
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