legends

On television and radio talk shows I often hear the phrase "drinking the Kool-Aid" to describe a person who follows someone mindlessly, without thinking about the consequences. In many cases the phrase "drinking the Kool-Aid" is used in conversation as mindlessly as the person it describes. I often wonder, does the person using the phrase really understand the very ugly event associated with that phrase.

The connection of the phrase "drinking the Kool-Aid" with the actions of an individual who mindlessly follows some idea or individual comes from one of the largest mass murders in modern human history. In 1978, cult leader Jim Jones persuaded over 900 of his followers to drink a fruit drink laced with cyanide. The event known as the Jonestown Massacre has been called a mass suicide by some, but survivors have told the story of mind control and manipulation that lead to one of the greatest cult tragedies in modern history. The tragedy at Jonestown included the murder of a U.S. congressman and NBC News correspondent during an incident that took place prior to the mass murder that resulted in the deaths of more than 900 people.

Charismatic cult leader Jim Jones

The leader of the Peoples Temple, Jim Jones, had a vision for a Utopian world. In 1956 Jones started the Peoples Temple in Indianapolis, Indiana as a racially integrated church that focused on helping people in need.

Jones moved the Peoples Temple to Redwood Valley in Northern California in 1966. California seemed much more open to accepting an integrationist church than Indiana. As the Peoples Temple expanded into the San Francisco Bay Area they established homes for the elderly and the mentally ill. They also helped addicts and foster children. The work done by the Peoples Temple was praised in newspapers and by local politicians.

At first people trusted Jim Jones, and believed he had a clear vision for his followers. As his community grew larger, Jones became infatuated with power, and his delusions grew as well, as Jones began to describe himself as Christ. Fueled by drug usage Jones became paranoid and believed that the government was after him.

Over the years I have amassed quite a collections of inspirational life quotes, assorted pearls of wisdom, and research material on the origins of many popular idioms. I am fascinated by various words and phrases that get used in everyday language that people use and have no clue as to their origin. Many axioms and idioms are pretty simple to explain. They are handed down through the generations and used when they fit the occasion at hand. Idioms are not always inspirational but they can be interesting.

What's the significance of the 30,000 foot view of the 800 pound gorilla?

The view from 30,000 feet is meant to describe looking at something from a very high level to see the total picture without a lot of details. Because people don't understand the origin of the phrase you will see many variations of the phrase such as the 10,000 foot view, or 20,000 foot view. The significance of the 30,000 foot view is that 30,000 fee is the average cruising altitude of a commercial jet.

Much like the view from 30,000 feet the size of 800-pound gorilla often varies because people do not understand the origin of the phrase. There is a classic joke that asks the question, "Where does an 800 pound gorilla sit?" The answer is anywhere it wants to. The phrase is used to describe large corporations that can do whatever they want because they are so large.