Were I playing poker, I’d love to have been dealt four aces. I’d push all of my chips to the center of the table and, with a huge, shit-eating grin on my face, I’d say “I’m all in.”

But this is not poker. It’s Rory’s The Friday Four, where he poses four thought-provoking questions for us to consider. This week’s four questions are:

1] Do you think our society could exist without laws?

For better or worse, I think we have demonstrated over and over again throughout human history that, in order to avoid anarchy and chaos, society must have laws. Of course, when the leader of the country ignores or breaks said laws (yes, I’m talking to you, Donald Trump), the so-called rule of law loses its meaning.

2] How important is the freedom of speech?

In a free society, freedom of speech is extremely important. But it can also be easily abused by those with evil intent. So there needs to be a balance between allowing people to freely express their opinions without fear of retaliation, and controlling the expression of hate speech or speech that jeopardizes the sanctity and security of a country’s citizens. Remember:

3] How long do you think humans have left on planet earth?

At the rate we’re going, probably not far into the 22nd century.

4] Using your mind or losing your mind, where is the fine line between madness and creativity?

This seems to beg the question of whether or not there is a strong correlation between an original, creative mind and a troubled one. I tend to think that very creative people sometimes seem to have serious dark sides and suffer from depression and mood swings (i.e., bipolar disorders). But are creativity and madness just two sides of the same coin? Can one exist without the other? I honestly don’t know. I’m not a particularly creative person, but some that I personally know do tend to be high strung, sensitive, and emotional. But madness? Mentally illness? No, I just don’t see that.