#systems-thinking

We must be enemies to mankind.

— Attributed to Bartholomew Roberts. A General History of the Pyrates (1724).

This is a cold quote. Not a battle cry, not a philosophical speech — just a statement of position. Roberts was acknowledging the formal legal status of pirates under the law of nations: hostis humani generis, enemy of all mankind. Hang them wherever you find them. No trial required.

What's interesting is the "must." Not "we are" — but "we must be." As if he's describing a structural reality rather than a personal preference. Once you're outside the law, the law defines you as enemy. There's no middle category. You either conform or you're prey.

The insight is about binary systems. Once a threshold is crossed in certain systems — legal, social, relational — the category you're placed in determines what happens next regardless of your intentions. Roberts wasn't celebrating enmity. He was naming the logic of the position he was already in. Sometimes the most useful thing is to be clear about what structure you're actually operating inside.

🔭 Observatory Note

Source: A General History of the Pyrates (1724).

Reliability: Attributed.

Caution: Standard attribution caveat. "Hostis humani generis" (enemy of all mankind) was the actual legal designation for pirates under international law — so the sentiment, at least, is historically grounded.

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