Chat are we cooked?: The Epstein Files, Adam and Eve’s Fall from Eden, and Power
Words by Maggie Ruan (@maggienotmag)
“He ate babies????”
was the first text I sent out to my friend as I recovered from my fall down the Epstein Island rabbit hole. Upon learning of the [alleged] atrocities of Jeffrey Epstein– one of many elites who have committed vile, horrendous things– I was utterly disgusted and even more in shock. I found the whole thing hard to fathom. How could a human being be capable of not only planning, but [allegedly] executing things so perverted and disgusting?
Thus, I set out on a journey to discover the root of his motives and reasoning.
Jeffrey Epstein was a wealthy wealthy guy. He established several finance firms and had an expansive network with other tech moguls, billionaires, scientists, celebrities, religious figures, and political figures– including Palantir’s Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Steven Hawking, and Bill Gates. His most significant client, Leslie H. Wexner– the founder of LBrands, mother-brand of many fashion companies (such as Victoria’s Secret and children’s clothing brand Justice), garnered him the bulk of his wealth. Wexner gave him his New York estate, and enough money from the partnership to accumulate to Epstein’s hundreds of millions of net worth. Then, Epstein acquired the island Little Saint James, which he is confirmed to have used as a hub for his network of elites to indulge with him in his perverted, depraved fantasies. I won’t go into detail, but [allegedly] his victims ranged from young girls ages 11-18, with cases even involving toddlers and infants.
Adam was the first human being made by God. From Adam’s rib God made Eve, the first woman. God warned them to not eat the forbidden fruit, warning that eating it would lead to death. Yet, in the form of a serpent, Satan, deceived Eve into taking a bite, after convincing her it would make her wise like God. Adam shortly followed. Right after consumption, the two were (obviously) discovered by God, and as punishment they became aware and ashamed of their nakedness. Additionally, the rest of mankind was cursed with a painful childbirth process, the necessity of labor for food, and the concept of mortality: death. Their story culminates with the duo’s fall from Eden onto Earth: a spiritual death from the all-good, all-plentiful Heaven.
Well, the first thing we have to discuss is what us everyday people and Epstein, Adam, and Eve don’t have in common: power. For Epstein, it was exorbitant amounts of money that translated to influence and connections. Even before the acquisition of his island, Epstein had a net worth that most people spend their entire lives working for and never make a fraction of. Adam and Eve had direct, conversational connections to the ultimate, omnipotent God and a carefree life within a lush, serene garden– literally Heaven.
What more is there to want when you seem to have all people dream of? Does having these advantages– money and fame, or freedom and a nice, cushy life– twist your psyche?
Not completely.
and a biological adaptation at that.
The human mind is known to have impulsive, dark thoughts. A study from CharlieHealth shows that 94% of people experience some degree of dark, impulsive, unwanted thoughts. And not only is it common, but it's a specific biological response.
The human brain accounts for worst case scenarios– impulsive thoughts– to prevent them from occurring. These dangerous, often-violent thoughts are not subconscious action plans, but warning signals to train us what not to do.
If the human brain is conditioned to have violent intrusive thoughts, what distinguishes the everyday person who doesn’t act on it from the ultra-powerful who do? Isn’t that the purpose of our legislature– to regulate the morality and wellness of our nation?
In the same way, laws serve as additional moral scaffolding. Just in case an individual acts against the grain of morality and into their perversions, legal repercussions are in place to establish consequences, serving as a deterrent. Human life is precious, delicate and most importantly: finite. It seems reasonable to assume that no one would squander their last 40 years of life ever in a metal cell in exchange for one impulsive act.
Well what if you could get away with it? What if that barrier, that friction between thought and execution, didn’t exist? That was exactly the case with Epstein. His trajectory from perversion to reality was frictionless, smooth, easy. Get into jail? That’s chill. He had the resources to make bail, hire a great lawyer, even bribe members of the government and police force into giving him a better sentence. All because he had so much of what others didn’t have: wealth. With his surplus he was inherently in a higher position in society. Money is the loophole that allowed him to continue on with his life, and even let the atrocities of Epstein Island attract more well-known customers and elites.
The everyday person winces at the thought of a 300 dollar traffic fine. Jeffrey Epstein accrued two state charges of solicitation of prostitution with a minor, six counts of molestation and unlawful sex with a minor, and several more counts of sex trafficking of minors. But with his resources, he twisted an 18 months of jail time into just 13, during which he was still allowed to have a private driver, leave jail for up to 12 hours a day, have a private office, hire private security, travel internationally, and more.
Kinda. The corrupt gain power. Or in further terms, this question enters the case of selection bias. I've found that people who typically seek power to begin with have traits that overlap with what we define as bad. Ambition can become ruthlessness and aggression. Ambitious people typically are also unable to be satisfied, which could speak to Epstein’s insatiable and extreme inner perversions. There also comes the issue of having tunnel vision, which can cause individuals to ignore the consequences of their actions and possible collateral damage. An essay on PapersOwl succinctly states, “Unchecked ambition often acts as a bridge to evil, where the desire for achievement overrides moral considerations.” Essentially, Epstein had traits within him that inclined him to become more ambitious, but of the same intensity, evil. Once he had access to wealth, and thus power, the same traits that led him to his “success” allowed him to pour the fruits of his labor into his guilty pleasures, and get away with it.
Let’s make one thing clear. Money doesn’t make someone evil. Money, fame, and power simply amplify whatever your deepest urges once were, and allow for the full scotch-free execution– it’s a self-enacting validator.
The fall of Adam and Eve from Eden serves as one of the easiest psychological parables of power and access. The story is not about disobedience, but a yellow caution barrier of what happens when desire meets opportunity in the absence of friction. The eating of the fruit was symbolic of moving from externally constrained behavior (obeying the commands of God) to internally justified behavior (self-governance on Earth). In the same way, money removes that friction, that consequence.
The case of Epstein parallels this when systems that normally enforce constraint (law, social stigma, financial risk) fail to apply to elites, self-governance replaces accountability– often unsuccessfully.
***Yet it is important to note that while the disobedience of Adam and Eve shares some fundamental semblance to the case of Epstein, it is significantly, significantly different. In no way am I justifying or comparing the actions of Epstein with the Bible.
Essentially, there are bad, malicious people– even horribly, horribly evil ones who can’t compromise the rest of their mortal lives to act out on their urges. So, they hide amongst us. And blend in, clocking in, clocking out, and moving along. But there are some who do act upon their urges.
No. Epstein was bound for corruption. Money and fame just made it easier for him to do what he always wanted to do.
I have two steps for you:
1. Be wary of people in power
We know now more than ever that fame and money only ever amplify what is inside. Those who are in power are no better than you. They are still mortals with simple thoughts and blood and flesh– power shouldn't inflate their influence in your mind. Read the news and books. Write, discuss. Stay true to what you believe in and don’t follow the words of anyone blindly. Stay firm on your own morals.
2. Have compassion and gratitude
In a world full of horror and evil, be someone who is a little less than that. Care for the people around you. Give back to those who love you, and those who don’t know you. Having gratitude for what you already have removes comparison, reduces stress, and fosters optimism. Ur good bro. Eat an Oreo. Call your Mom. Get ur roommate and grab Yopo.
Thanks for reading to the end of this article. I appreciate that you have spent your precious time on little old me’s crazed ramblings. Give yourself a pat on the back, maybe a hug too, and go for a walk. The world can be heavy, but it is full of good and light too.
Maggie Ruan | @maggienotmag
