When is a fact not a fact? Can reality be set aside or ignored? Abraham Lincoln, who was known for using homespun anecdotes to make effective points, is said to have once asked a critic, “How many legs does a dog have if you count his tail as a leg?” “Well,” the man said, “In that case, five legs.” “No,” Lincoln replied, “Only four! Saying that a dog’s tail is a leg does not make it a leg.” Such simple yet profound wisdom seems lost on much of society today.

Many are familiar with the science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, which portrays an enemy called the Borg, a collective of cyborgs linked to a central controlling “hive” seeking to assimilate all lifeforms. Their ultimatum is, “You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.” Of course, the protagonists of the series do resist the Borg, and resistance is an absolute necessity in many areas of real life—it is not futile.

New Zealand’s most popular news site, Stuff, reports that polyamory—having more than one agreed-upon lover—is on the rise and far more widely accepted than just a decade or two ago. As this practice increases in acceptance, a growing body of written literature has been created to support it.

Reuters reported in January that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unexpectedly traveled to Jordan to meet with King Abdullah. The two leaders apparently discussed maintaining the status quo on the Temple Mount, joint security details, and economic cooperation between the two nations.