It was all triggered by a damn Instagram reel I saw, posted by a shipmate who was obsessed with bodybuilding.

Let’s start from the top: we’ve all heard the phrase before. Now and then you see cute-sy cartoons of a dog eating a hotdog, or an actual dog. Sometimes they’re eating each other in a weird kinda loop. It’s a popular phrase, likely embedded in music, the title of at least two movies (highly recommend the spanish one that isn’t starring Nicholas Cage) and much more.

Nonetheless, I never much thought about the actual meaning until it came to my attention over a year ago. Once I heard the phrase in a new light, I couldn’t shake the realization of profound meaning it carried. This truly is a dog-eat-dog world we live in.

I decided to write this in a series because there’s so much to this theory. Every day new thoughts come to me, memories arise, and occasional foresight flashes before my eyes. My interpretation of the DED theory simply put: there are only a finite supply of resources and opportunities on this earth, and generally, no third-party will look out for your best interests. We must “strive to survive.”

It’s important to note while considering this ideology, to avoid semantics or being too literal.

-Humans are more civilized than canine

-There’s no carnal consumption of like-creatures

-And if my friend we’ll call “Ivan” is reading this, no, there’s no cats involved

As this principle unfolds, I will share more about what DED means to me and why it’s central to how I’ve been living my life, using its pillars as guidelines for the choices I make on the daily.

So needless to say, to be continued…