Runaway Trains and Runaway Teens

I turned 20 in 1992, the year that Soul Asylum wrote “Runaway Train”, which became a worldwide hit. Its theme was similar to “What’s Up?” by the 4 Non Blondes, about  depression and questioning life in a society where there is a lack of meaning.

Can you help me remember how to smile?

Make it somehow all seem worthwhile

How on earth did I get so jaded?

Life's mystery seems so faded

Everything seems cut and dry

Day and night, earth and sky

Somehow I just don't believe it

It’s a very “intuitive” song that questions a seemingly unquestionable reality and tries to find out if there is more meaning to life beyond life as we know it, something worthwhile living for. I instantly loved the song as I could identify, having just gone through my teens with a nihilistic phase and suicidal ideation.

I have argued that intuitives have a more hunter-gatherer mindset in contrast to the majority of people who have farmer-herder mindsets. I have been criticised as racist for this idea, but it simply means that our minds are programmed for different environments and that we find materialism far less satisfying, often find it hard to conform and struggle with authority.

This is a recipe for creating runaway teens when there is an authoritarian environment, routine farmer-type of life and little self-determination.  

The song isn’t really about runaway teens. However, the band had the idea to make the video clip about runaway teens and help them reconnect with their estranged families. Throughout the chorus the faces and names of teenagers who had gone missing are shown. I am aware that it sounds like BS, but faces of intuitive people correspond to what are known as “wood” and “metal” faces in Traditional Chinese Medicine. As far as I can tell all the faces shown in the video are intuitives. Here are some of them:

ENFJ

ENTJ

ENTP

The National Runaway Safeline reports that between 1.6 million and 2.8 million youth run away in the USA each year. I am sure that many cases of runaway teens could be prevented if their parents had a better understanding of their children.

For more on the hunter-gatherer neurotribe idea check out my book

https://www.amazon.com/-/de/dp/B0836LW5QV/




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