When you think of Abraham Lincoln, you probably picture a tall, solemn orator whose speeches still echo through history. Yet, tucked behind that iconic stovepipe hat were ten troubling stories that showcase a man wrestling with fear, rage, and heartbreak. Below, we peel back the polished veneer to reveal the darker chapters of Lincoln’s life.

10 Troubling Stories Unveiled

10 He Was Afraid To Carry Knives Because He Might Kill Himself

Outwardly, Lincoln seemed like the town jester who could crack a bawdy joke at any moment, wearing a grin that convinced everyone he was the most carefree soul around. In private, however, he was battling a crushing depression that gnawed at his spirit.

He confided to a close friend that he “never dared carry a knife in his pocket” for fear that he might turn it on himself. This wasn’t idle paranoia—he came perilously close to ending his own life on more than one occasion.

During the bitter winter of 1840, his melancholy deepened. Though engaged to Mary Todd, Lincoln found his heart tangled with another woman, Matilda Edwards, and the emotional tug‑of‑war left him utterly distraught.

One colleague summed it up bluntly: “Lincoln went crazy as a loon.” He sank into a mental collapse, unable to work, spending his days mired in hopelessness.

Friends, fearing a tragic impulse, scoured his home, removing every kitchen knife and shaving razor, convinced that even a moment’s unsupervised access could spell disaster for him.

9 He Jumped Out A Window

Even as his depression lingered, Lincoln still showed up at the statehouse. In December 1840, amid a heated legislative session, he startled everyone by leaping out of a window.

The stunt wasn’t a suicide attempt. The Whig party, to which he belonged, was on the brink of losing a critical vote that would force the State Bank to make payments it could not afford, potentially sending the bank spiraling into bankruptcy.

Lincoln spotted a loophole: if the Whigs were short one member, the vote would be invalid. Determined to stall the tally, he ensured one Whig was absent by throwing himself out the window.

Contemporaries treated it as a theatrical political trick. Some joked that his towering height meant his legs barely missed the floor, turning the act into a punch‑line.

Modern scholars, however, view the episode through the lens of his deepening depression, suggesting that the jump may have been driven by more than mere political theatre.

8 He Stopped His First Political Speech To Fight Someone

Lincoln’s reputation as a champion wrestler preceded him—he boasted over three hundred victories and suffered only a single loss. Though his frame appeared lanky, those who saw him up close described a sinewy powerhouse.

In 1832, at the age of twenty‑three, he took the podium for his inaugural political address. He barely uttered a few words before his attention shifted to a scuffle erupting in the crowd.

Two men were locked in a brawl, and Lincoln saw a fervent supporter—who had urged him onto the stage—being roughed up. Without hesitation, the towering future president abandoned his speech, descended from the platform, and seized the beleaguered man by the trousers.

With a mighty heave, Lincoln flung his companion across the floor, sending him at least four metres away, according to eyewitness accounts.

7 He Started A Riot

Lincoln’s fighting spirit didn’t stop at wrestling. A local farmer recalled a moment when Lincoln was asked whether he could slaughter a hog with his bare hands. Lincoln replied, “If you’ll risk the hog, I’ll risk myself.”

Later, a man named William Grigsby challenged Lincoln, but the future president deemed the opponent insufficiently formidable. Instead, he arranged for Grigsby to spar with his stepbrother, John Johnson, to raise the stakes.

When Grigsby began to dominate, Lincoln intervened. He hoisted Grigsby and hurled him into the gathered crowd, then roared, “I’m the big buck of this lick! If any of you want to try it, come on and whet your horns!”

The crowd erupted into a full‑blown melee. Some swung at Lincoln, while others defended him, and the entire street turned into a chaotic brawl sparked by the man who would later grace the penny.

6 He Watched His First Love Die

Before Mary Todd entered his life, Lincoln fell deeply for Ann Rutledge while still a law student. Ann was already engaged to John MacNamar, yet the two lovers pledged to break that engagement.

MacNamar was overseas in London, and Ann insisted on confronting him in person. While they waited for his return, Ann contracted typhoid fever, becoming gravely ill.

Lincoln visited her daily, and her sister Nancy later recalled the heartbreaking sight of Lincoln emerging from the room after their final meeting, visibly shattered.

Ann’s untimely death plunged Lincoln into a year‑long bout of madness and grief, with friends noting that he seemed “insane for a year after Annie’s death, with grief.”

5 He Was Considered Hideous

Lincoln’s voice, described by contemporaries as high‑pitched and shrill, was only part of his perceived physical flaws. Many considered his facial features unattractive, and even Lincoln himself seemed aware of the criticism.

When accused of being “two‑faced,” he retorted wittily, “If I had two faces, would I be wearing this one?” The remark hinted at a lingering self‑consciousness about his looks.

In 1860, an eleven‑year‑old girl named Grace Bedell wrote to him, urging, “Let your whiskers grow; all the ladies like whiskers and will tease their husbands to vote for you.”

Inspired, Lincoln grew a full beard, debuting it at his inauguration. He later met Grace, proudly showing off his new whiskers, saying, “Gracie, look at my whiskers; I have been growing them for you.”

4 There Were Rumors That He’d Impregnated Three Women

While modern speculation sometimes questions Lincoln’s sexuality, his contemporaries painted him as a notorious womanizer, reputed to have a “strong passion for women” and an inability to keep his hands off them.

Rumors swirled throughout the town. One farmer claimed Lincoln asked to be notified whenever a mare entered the barn so he could watch the horses breed.

More scandalously, whispers suggested Lincoln fathered children with three local women: Mrs. Abell’s daughter, Mrs. Duncan’s child, and Mrs. Armstrong’s baby. The gossip painted a picture of a secret paternity network.

When Lincoln became president, he invited Mrs. Armstrong—allegedly the mother of one of his secret offspring—to the White House. She laughed off the chatter, declaring, “It was not every woman who had the fortune and honor of sleeping with a president.”

3 He Almost Cheated On Mary Todd With A Prostitute

In the bleak year of 1840, Lincoln, wrestling with depression, sought solace in a brothel. His friend Joshua Speed facilitated the encounter after Lincoln asked, “Speed, do you know where I can get some?”

At the time, Lincoln was courting Mary Todd—perhaps already engaged. Yet the darkness of that year drove him to consider a night with a prostitute.

Upon arrival, he discovered the service would cost $5, but he possessed only $3. The prostitute, attempting to reassure him, offered to trust him for $2, but Lincoln refused, insisting he could not go into debt.

He explained, “I’m poor, I don’t know where my next dollar will come from, and I cannot afford to cheat you.” He offered his three dollars, which the woman declined.

Leaving the establishment, the prostitute praised him, saying, “You are the most conscientious man I ever saw.”

2 He Nearly Fought A Duel With Broadswords

In 1842, Lincoln’s literary ambitions collided with personal pride, culminating in a near‑duel with James Shields, a 36‑year‑old political rival.

Lincoln had penned a satirical short story lampooning Shields, depicting him as a liar and a fool. Offended, Shields demanded a public apology, which Lincoln flatly refused.

Consequently, Shields issued a challenge. Since Lincoln chose the weapon, he selected massive broadswords, insisting on a 30‑centimetre plank separating them, effectively rendering Shields unable to strike.

Believing Shields would concede, Lincoln was surprised when the challenger still marched to the field, ready for an unwinnable fight.

Lincoln prepared to strike down Shields, but a relative of Mary Todd intervened, persuading both men to stand down before blood was shed.

1 He Nearly Left Mary Todd At The Altar

Earlier we noted Lincoln’s flirtation with Matilda Edwards, but Mary Todd herself was also navigating a precarious path. She confessed later that, for two years before their wedding, she “doubtless trespassed many times” with other men, notably Stephen Douglas.

Lincoln, aware of his fiancée’s infidelities, still proceeded to marry her. Some historians argue that an unexpected pregnancy prompted the hurried nuptials.

In a private meeting at a friend’s house, Lincoln shifted from contemplating a broken engagement to declaring he would marry Mary the very next day.

He wrote to a confidant that he “shall have to” marry her, a phrase suggesting external pressure—perhaps the impending birth—forced his hand.

On the wedding day, witnesses recalled Lincoln looking as though he were marching toward the slaughter. When asked where he was headed, he replied, “To hell, I suppose.”

Going into surgery can be downright terrifying; each procedure brings a maze of steps, safety checks, and preventative measures that must line up perfectly for a smooth recovery. Trusting the whole team—nurses, anesthesiologists, surgeons, and everyone in the operating room—is essentially a leap of faith. Yet, amid the hustle of an estimated 28 million operations each year, some objects slip through the count, leading to the very real nightmare of discovering 10 troubling items hidden inside a patient after the sutures are gone.

10 Troubling Items Left Inside Patients

A French woman opted for a cutting‑edge operation in April 2017 to stop her heavy periods without undergoing a full hysterectomy. The promise was simple: after the surgery she would be free of bleeding and pain. Instead, she woke up with a gnawing ache in her lower abdomen—the very symptom that had driven her to the operating table.

She called her doctor, who brushed it off as weight‑related discomfort and handed her a prescription for painkillers. The medication did nothing, and three days later the pain sharpened into stabbing contractions. Those contractions forced her to push out a surgical glove and five compresses that had been unintentionally left inside her, along with a large pool of blood that sent her straight to the emergency department.

A similar drama unfolded in England in 2013 when Sharon Birks underwent a routine hysterectomy. Three days post‑op she was given antibiotics for a presumed infection, yet the pain persisted. Believing the catheter was to blame, she headed to the bathroom, only to feel a pressure that coincided with the emergence of a surgical glove from her vagina. No lasting damage occurred, but the experience was undeniably terrifying.

These unsettling stories illustrate how a seemingly minor oversight—a stray glove—can turn a healing journey into an unexpected nightmare.

Talk about an unplanned delivery.

9 Needle In A Haystack

The old saying about finding a needle in a haystack takes on a chilling new meaning when a Tennessee man, John Burns Johnson, emerged from a nine‑hour heart operation only to discover a surgical needle was missing. An X‑ray confirmed the needle was still lodged inside him, prompting an immediate second surgery that failed to locate it.

Unfortunately, the needle remained hidden, and a month later Johnson succumbed to complications directly linked to the foreign object. An autopsy finally retrieved the needle, confirming the grim outcome.

This isn’t an isolated incident. A Florida woman who had a caesarean in 2003 lived with chronic back pain for 14 years, until an X‑ray revealed a broken epidural needle embedded in her spine. The needle had fractured into three pieces, causing nerve damage and extensive scarring.

Needles account for only about ten percent of retained surgical items, yet the consequences can be fatal, underscoring the importance of meticulous counts.

8 Throw In The Towel

A Californian man underwent abdominal surgery in April 2014 to excise a bladder cancer. Months later, he experienced relentless bowel pain, fatigue, and a loss of mobility that left him fearing a cancer recurrence.

What the doctors didn’t anticipate was that a surgical towel had been left behind. The forgotten towel lodged in his abdomen, mimicking a tumor and causing the debilitating symptoms.

Towels represent roughly 2.1 percent of retained items and are invisible on standard X‑rays. In 1995, an Ohio woman’s lung surgery left a green, balled‑up towel inside her chest; she lived with the sensation of something moving for seven years until her autopsy revealed the culprit.

While the Californian patient eventually recovered after the towel’s removal, the incident led to the surgeon’s dismissal and a lawsuit that highlighted how such oversights can devastate lives.

7 No Sponge About It

Sponges are essential for soaking up blood during surgery, yet they become a nightmare when inadvertently left behind. A Japanese woman endured intermittent abdominal bloating for three years, eventually discovering two surgical sponges inside her abdomen—remnants from a caesarean six years earlier that had adhered to her stomach folds and colon.

Sponges dominate retained‑item statistics, comprising about 70 percent of all cases. Two‑thirds of these incidents lead to severe infection, injury, or even death.

In 2007, a woman in California who had undergone a combined bladder and hysterectomy was misdiagnosed with gastrointestinal issues. When bleeding emerged, doctors finally identified a massive sponge mass that had become embedded in her intestines, necessitating removal of a large intestinal segment.

These harrowing examples underscore the critical need for rigorous sponge counts in every operation.

6 Wire Not?

Surgical wires are commonplace, but when one goes missing, the consequences can be serious. In England, a routine procedure in August 2018 left a wire inside a patient’s body. The omission wasn’t spotted until twelve hours later, prompting a swift follow‑up surgery that removed the wire without lasting harm.

In Philadelphia, Donald Gable returned home after heart surgery feeling fine, only to discover during a follow‑up visit that a two‑foot wire had been silently residing in his chest for six weeks. Fortunately, surgeons extracted it before it pierced any vital vessels.

Wires also serve as guideposts in catheter procedures. At Albany Medical Center, two patients ended up with guide wires left inside them, only identified after routine X‑rays.

During a caesarean, a probe wire was accidentally cut. Staff noted the missing segment but assumed it hadn’t entered the patient’s body. An X‑ray weeks later proved otherwise, forcing another operation to retrieve the stray piece.

Although none of these cases resulted in major injury, they highlight how easily a tiny metal filament can slip through the cracks of surgical safety protocols.

5 Rock, Paper . . . Scissors?

When 69‑year‑old Pat Skinner went in for colon surgery in 2001, she was warned that post‑op discomfort was normal. Yet her pain was far beyond the usual aches, prompting her GP to order an X‑ray that revealed an 18‑centimeter pair of scissors lodged against her tailbone.

The scissors had become embedded in surrounding tissue, forcing surgeons to perform an extensive operation that also required removal of part of her bowels.

In 2016, a man who had undergone surgery after an accident discovered, via X‑ray, that the same pair of scissors—now rusted after 18 years inside his body—were still present. The rusted handles had grown into his organs, necessitating a three‑hour surgery to extract them.

Both patients recovered fully, but the incidents serve as stark reminders that even commonplace tools can become dangerous relics when left behind.

It seems the surgeons weren’t playing with scissors; they were playing with lives.

4 To Scalpel Or Not To Scalpel?

A veteran named Glenford Turner underwent prostate removal in 2013. The operation ran longer than expected, yet he left the hospital with no warning of any issue. Months later, persistent abdominal pain led him back to his doctor, who ordered imaging that uncovered a scalpel blade left inside his body, drifting between his bladder and rectum.

The rogue scalpel was successfully removed, relieving Turner’s agony. A contrasting case involved Victor Hutchinson, who sought help for gallbladder‑like symptoms. After a heart‑bypass surgery months earlier, a scalpel had vanished from the operating room. Though staff scanned his chest, they missed the blade, which had migrated to his abdominal cavity and lodged near his spine.

When an X‑ray finally located the instrument, doctors deemed it too risky to extract, leaving Hutchinson with a permanent, unwanted souvenir.

These stories illustrate how even the most trusted surgical instrument can become a hidden hazard when counts go awry.

3 You’ve Got This, Clamp

Clamps are indispensable for holding tissue steady, but they can be forgotten once the sutures are tied. In 2011, a patient who had a gastric‑band removal discovered a 20‑centimeter clamp still inside them three days later, after unexpected bleeding forced a second surgery that ultimately required spleen removal.

This incident underscores how even routine procedures can conceal dangerous oversights, turning a simple clamp into a life‑threatening liability.

2 Retract This!

Retraction devices are essential for exposing surgical sites, yet when one is misplaced, the results can be alarming. In Seattle, Donald Church set off an airport metal detector a month after tumor removal, prompting a CT scan that revealed a 33‑centimeter retractor lodged in his abdomen, pressing against his chest and causing severe discomfort.

The University of Washington Medical Center acknowledged that this wasn’t their first such incident; a year earlier, a woman had a retractor left inside her after cancer surgery, only discovered after a month of unexplained pain.

Another patient endured 27 years of intermittent pain after a 1979 polyp removal, only to learn via X‑ray that a 28‑centimeter retractor had been overlooked, residing beside his pelvis for nearly three decades.

These cases demonstrate how a seemingly innocuous piece of equipment can become a long‑term burden when forgotten.

1 Everything But The Kitchen Sink

While many of the previous anecdotes involve a single stray object, Dirk Schroeder’s 2009 cancer operation turned into a nightmare of epic proportions. Post‑op, he suffered relentless pain, fatigue, and a host of unexplained symptoms that doctors dismissed as normal recovery.

A home‑health nurse eventually noticed a gauze pad emerging from his stitches. Scans revealed a staggering total of sixteen foreign items: swabs, a 15‑centimeter roll of bandage, a compress, multiple needles, and even fragments of a surgical mask.

Approximately 1,500 patients each year experience retained items, but it’s rare for so many different objects to be forgotten in one surgery. Schroeder required two additional operations to extract the debris, highlighting a profound breakdown in surgical inventory protocols.

His story raises unsettling questions about how an entire suite of tools could vanish unnoticed, leaving a patient to endure months of misery.

When you think about music, you might picture love‑filled verses or dance‑floor anthems, but 10 songs tell stories that are anything but sweet. From murderous ballads to chilling confessions, these tracks turn melodies into unsettling narratives that linger long after the final note fades.

Why 10 Songs Tell Dark Stories

Each of these songs pulls listeners into a world of horror, loss, or deep personal anguish. Below, we rank them from the most unsettling to the hauntingly poignant, complete with lyrics, background, and the real‑life events that inspired them.

10 Sarah McLachlan

“And I would be the one to hold you down,
Kiss you so hard, I’ll take your breath away,
And after, I’d wipe away the tears,
Just close your eyes dear”

These lines sound eerie on their own, but the backstory makes them downright chilling. Over three years, a deranged fan named Uwe Vandrei bombarded McLachlan with obsessive letters, peppered with thinly veiled threats and claims that she was “betrothed” to him from birth. When McLachlan incorporated fragments of those letters into her 1993 hit “Possession,” Vandrei sued, only to end his own life before the case ever reached court.

9 Carolina Buddies

“They say he killed his wife at first,
and the little ones did cry
Please papa, papa, won’t you spare our lives?
For it is so hard to die”

In late December 1929, 43‑year‑old Charlie Lawson took his wife and seven children to town for new clothes and a family portrait, then returned home full of holiday anticipation. On Christmas Day, he turned the festivities into carnage, gunning down his teenage daughters in the tobacco barn, then dispatching his wife on the porch and the remaining children inside the house, even a four‑month‑old infant. Sixteen‑year‑old Arthur survived because Lawson sent him on an errand earlier. After the massacre, Lawson fled into the woods and took his own life. The folk‑inspired ballad released by the Carolina Buddies in 1930 captured the gruesome tale, later covered by the Stanley Brothers and Doc Watson.

8 Bruce Springsteen

“I saw her standing on her front lawn,
just twirling her baton
Me and her went for a ride, sir,
and ten innocent people died”

Springsteen adopts the voice of 19‑year‑old Charles Starkweather, who, together with his 14‑year‑old accomplice Caril Ann Fugate, embarked on an eight‑day killing spree that left ten victims dead in 1958 Nebraska. Inspired by the 1973 film Badlands, where a young woman twirls a baton on a front lawn, Springsteen wove that image into a haunting narrative after researching the real murders. The result, “Nebraska,” anchored his 1982 album of the same name.

7 The Louvin Brothers

“I met a little girl in Knoxville, a town we all know well
And every Sunday evening, out in her home, I’d dwell
We went to take an evening walk about a mile from town
I picked a stick up off the ground and knocked that fair girl down”

The Louvin Brothers’ 1956 rendition of “Knoxville Girl” sounds like any other mid‑century country tune until the lyrics are examined closely. Derived from the Irish ballad “The Wexford Girl,” the story follows a man named Willie who meets a young woman in Knoxville, Tennessee, then brutally beats her with a stick during a stroll, drags her body by the hair, and dumps her in a nearby river. The stark contrast between the gentle melody and the horrific narrative makes the song profoundly unsettling.

6 Eels

“Laying on the bathroom floor
Kitty licks my cheek once more
And I
I could try
But waking up is harder when you wanna die”

In just two‑and‑a‑half minutes, the Eels deliver a gut‑wrenching portrait of despair. Frontman Mark Oliver Everett penned the verses after his sister Elizabeth’s first suicide attempt, when he rushed to her house and found her unconscious on the bathroom floor. Though she survived that incident, she battled severe depression for years, ultimately succeeding in 1996 while Everett was on tour. Everett’s own life has been riddled with tragedy—discovering his father’s dead body after a heart attack, losing his mother to cancer in 1998, and a cousin in the 9/11 attacks—adding layers of personal anguish to the track.

5 Eminem

“Sit up front! (We can’t just leave Hailie alone! What if she wakes up?)
We’ll be right back; well, I will: you’ll be in the trunk!”

Released in 2000, “Kim” is a six‑minute, raw, and unsettling rant where Eminem vacillates between caring for his daughter Hailie and unleashing a violent fantasy against his then‑wife Kim. The track escalates from frantic pleas to a simulated murder, complete with Eminem impersonating Kim’s voice before strangling her and dumping her body in a car trunk. While entirely fictional, the song mirrors the volatile relationship between Marshall Mathers and his ex‑spouse, reflecting a broader pattern of domestic turmoil that tragically echoes in real‑world incidents.

4 Korn

“Mother, please forgive me
I just had to get out all my pain and suffering
Now that I am done
Remember I will always love you
I’m your son”

Korn’s “Daddy” opens with a harrowing confession of a child’s abuse. Lead vocalist Jonathan Davis explained that the lyrics were inspired by a family friend’s molestation case, where the victim’s cries fell on deaf ears. Fans initially speculated that Davis was recounting his own experience of sexual abuse at the hands of a babysitter, a claim Davis later hinted at in interviews. The song’s stark, anguished delivery captures the terror of being unheard and the lingering trauma of childhood violation.

3 P.O.D.

“Last day of the rest of my life
I wish I would’ve known
‘Cause I didn’t kiss my mama goodbye”

On March 5, 2001, P.O.D. found themselves stuck in a traffic jam caused by a shooting at Santana High School, where 15‑year‑old Charles Andrew Williams killed two students and wounded thirteen others. The incident spurred the band to write “Youth of the Nation,” a track that interweaves three separate teenage narratives of tragedy. The 1999 Columbine massacre also influenced the lyrical content, creating a powerful commentary on senseless violence and its impact on youth.

2 The Smiths

“Over the moor, take me to the moor
Dig a shallow grave
And I’ll lay me down”

Morrissey, barely older than the victims of the infamous Moors murders, co‑wrote “Suffer Little Children” with guitarist Johnny Marr in 1984. The song explicitly names three of the five children murdered by Myra Hindley and Ian Brady, offering a mournful tribute that sparked controversy. Families of the victims protested the public naming, and the single’s sleeve—evocative of Hindley—further inflamed the debate. Morrissey defended the track as a solemn homage, borrowing its title from Matthew 19:14.

1 Rise Against

“He said, Son, have you seen the world?
Well, what would you say if I said that you could?
Just carry this gun, you’ll even get paid,
I said that sounds pretty good.”

Rise Against’s frontman Tim McIlrath crafted “Hero Of War” as a stark anti‑war anthem. The song opens with a charismatic recruiter promising adventure and pay, luring a naïve young man into military service. The protagonist’s idealism shatters when he witnesses and partakes in atrocities, including killing a surrendering woman bearing a white flag. McIlrath stresses that the narrative reflects the plights of countless soldiers worldwide, who return home broken and unsupported, urging listeners to recognize the hidden costs of combat.

When the phrase “ten troubling social” meets “U.S. colleges,” the mind often drifts to classic college‑age mischief like binge drinking, hazing rituals, and the occasional HPV scare. Yet the landscape of higher education is now peppered with a host of newer, more insidious habits that could have far‑reaching consequences far beyond a hangover or a bruised ego.

Ten Troubling Social Overview

10 Segregation

In a move that many describe as either a bold stride forward or a puzzling step backward, Western Washington University recently launched a Black‑only residence hall. Situated roughly 90 miles south of Seattle, the liberal‑arts college set aside the fourth floor of one of its largest dorms for a program dubbed the “Black Affinity Program.”

The program’s website claims its mission is to “explore and celebrate the diversity of Black and African American people and culture, with historical and contemporary context.” Curiously, the same page also states that “Black Affinity Housing residents represent all diverse identities,” a claim that appears contradictory given the very definition of a Black‑only space. The goal, according to the site, is to foster “a sense of belonging for all residents by creating a safe environment for open, honest, and sometimes challenging dialogue.” How a “safe environment” simultaneously encourages “challenging dialogue” remains a point of contention.

Self‑segregation is no longer a rarity on American campuses. The National Association of Scholars recently unveiled an initiative titled “Separate But Equal, Again: Neo‑Segregation in American Higher Education.” Their survey of 173 universities revealed that 42 % of schools offer segregated housing, 46 % run segregated orientation programs, and a staggering 72 % host segregated graduation ceremonies.

Historically, many colleges have been dominated by white (and increasingly Asian‑American) student bodies, leaving Black students to grapple with a sense of cultural isolation during a pivotal period of self‑discovery. Critics argue that this surge in self‑segregation runs counter to the ideals championed by civil‑rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., prompting heated debate across campuses.

9 Anti‑Meritocracy

In October 2021, Dorian Abbott, an Associate Professor of Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago, was abruptly uninvited by MIT for a guest lecture he had been slated to deliver. One might assume he was set to espouse fringe views—perhaps flat‑earth theories or climate denial—but that was far from the truth.

The presentation, titled “Climate and the Potential for Life on Other Planets,” examined how planetary climate models influence assessments of a world’s habitability. Abbott also highlighted emerging climatic regimes that differ from any currently observed on Earth, making the talk a legitimate scientific discussion rather than a provocation.

Speculation ran wild that Abbott might have been expelled for extremist behavior—white supremacy, sexual misconduct, or overt anti‑LGBTQ sentiment. In reality, his only perceived offense stemmed from an op‑ed he penned for Newsweek, where he critiqued contemporary diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) standards, labeling them anti‑meritocratic.

Abbott proposed a fresh framework called “Merit, Fairness, and Equality,” arguing that students should be evaluated as individuals based on rigorous, unbiased criteria. After MIT’s decision, Princeton University stepped in, inviting Abbott to present his lecture. The session was so well‑received that it quickly outgrew its Zoom capacity, necessitating a cyber‑conference expansion.

8 Treating Moderates Like Radicals

Disinviting conservative speakers from campus stages is nothing new, a fact documented extensively by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE). While overt bans peaked around 2016 and have modestly declined since, a subtler form of gate‑keeping has taken root.

Recent analyses suggest that left‑leaning student groups now dominate speaker‑selection committees, effectively sidelining moderate voices. In January 2021, the National Review reported that the right‑leaning faction of Princeton’s historic American Whig‑Cliosophic Society faced a double‑standard: the left‑leaning party’s speaker list sailed through with ease, while the conservative side saw two of its nominees rejected as “too controversial.”

One of the rejected nominees was George Will, a Pulitzer‑winning columnist and Washington Post contributor who also happens to be a Princeton alumnus. His reputation for measured, reasoned commentary makes his dismissal all the more puzzling.

The episode underscores a growing discomfort with moderate conservative voices, suggesting that campuses may be treating even well‑established, balanced perspectives as ideological threats.

7 Banning Conservative Student Organizations

Even more alarming than speaker bans is the outright prohibition of conservative student groups. In 2017, Santa Clara University’s student senate voted down a proposal to establish a Turning Point USA chapter—a group dedicated to promoting fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government among students.

The vote tally read 10 in favor, 16 against. Student senate chair Neil Datar defended the outcome as the product of a “rigorous, fair, and democratic process,” highlighting how democracy can paradoxically enable undemocratic outcomes. Ahmer Israr, a senator who voted for the club, lamented that his peers “trampled upon the rights of an intellectual minority group on campus by engaging in a tyranny of the majority.”

Supporters argued that the organization represented mainstream conservative thought, yet opponents painted it as a potential extremist threat—a narrative that equated any vaguely conservative stance with Nazism or white supremacy.

This episode illustrates how even mainstream political viewpoints can be marginalized under the banner of protecting campus inclusivity.

6 Illiberal Liberalism

The suppression of conservative voices is not the only trend; left‑leaning scholars who fail to meet an ever‑rising progressive litmus test are also being sidelined. Portland State University’s tenured philosophy professor Peter Boghossian, a self‑described classical liberal who has never voted Republican, found himself at the center of such a controversy.

Boghossian’s teaching philosophy emphasized exposing students to a wide spectrum of ideas, often inviting speakers whose viewpoints he personally disagreed with. He explained, “I invited those speakers not because I agreed with their worldviews, but primarily because I didn’t.” He argued that grappling with uncomfortable perspectives cultivates critical thinking, respectful debate, and even the possibility of changing minds.

University administrators, however, accused him of turning the campus into a “Social Justice factory” that prioritized race, gender, and victimhood over rigorous inquiry. He contended that the institution had abandoned its core mission of truth‑seeking, fostering instead a climate where dissenting opinions are silenced and students are trained to echo ideological certainties.

Boghossian’s resignation letter, posted on Bari Weiss’s Substack, paints a stark picture of progressive groupthink that tolerates no deviation, even from scholars who share left‑leaning values but refuse to toe the line.

5 Abdicating Their Primary Purpose: Education

The resignation letter also highlights a broader crisis: universities appear to be abandoning their foundational role of fostering intellectual curiosity. Boghossian argues that faculty and administrators have swapped the pursuit of truth for an intolerance of divergent beliefs, effectively muting open discourse.

He cites examples where questions challenging “approved narratives” during diversity trainings were instantly dismissed, and any demand for evidence to support new policies was labeled a microaggression. Professors faced accusations of bigotry simply for assigning canonical texts authored by European, male philosophers.

Even the act of showing critically acclaimed films can trigger institutional backlash. This climate of virtue‑signaling and thought policing mirrors the dynamics of social media, where any deviation from the prevailing orthodoxy is swiftly censored.

In such an environment, higher education risks turning students into compliant followers rather than independent shepherds, stifling the very creativity and critical analysis that colleges are meant to nurture.

4 Deciding What’s Funny (and What Isn’t)

Political correctness has turned many college campuses into no‑go zones for comedians who simply want to make people laugh. The issue isn’t confined to conservative comics; it spans the entire comedic spectrum.

Even liberal figures like Bill Maher have steered clear of campuses after UC Berkeley activists opposed his 2014 commencement address due to past jokes about Muslims. Iconic, apolitical performers such as Jerry Seinfeld avoid college venues because of perceived hypersensitivity among student audiences.

Edgier comedians—Louis C.K., Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Pete Davidson—also forgo college gigs, insisting that comedy should push boundaries and provoke thought. Historically, pioneers like Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Joan Rivers, and Lenny Bruce would likely have faced similar bans.

The growing aversion to humor on campuses signals a troubling shift: an environment where the very act of making people laugh is viewed with suspicion, stifling a vital form of cultural expression.

3 Denying Due Process

The push for robust mechanisms to protect survivors of sexual misconduct has been a long‑overdue victory. Yet, in many institutions, the drive to safeguard victims has inadvertently stripped accused students—often men—of basic due‑process protections.

In a 2017 Atlantic article, Emily Yoffe detailed how a single accusation could derail a student’s entire academic career. She highlighted cases where mutual encounters, later deemed “uncomfortable” by one party, led to formal complaints that resulted in suspensions, housing bans, and severe stress‑related health issues.

One illustrative scenario involved a woman who performed oral sex on a fully clothed man, after which she later claimed she “realized I’d been sexually assaulted.” The ensuing investigation led to the man’s suspension and loss of housing, ultimately forcing him to drop two classes.

Yoffe argues that such outcomes, while well‑intentioned, risk undermining the legitimacy of anti‑sexual‑violence efforts by denying accused students a fair hearing, thereby eroding confidence in campus disciplinary processes.

2 A Growing Gender Imbalance

The era when women were catching up to men in higher education has flipped, and now women constitute a clear majority. For the 2021‑22 academic year, women made up nearly 60 % of college enrollees—a gap that has steadily widened over decades.

Historically, enrollment figures were roughly balanced, but recent data shows a decline of about one million students overall, with men accounting for more than 70 % of that drop. Experts point to several factors: boys are more likely to be held back, drop out, or struggle with reading proficiency in K‑12, while many young men gravitate toward immediate employment in fields such as construction or law enforcement, which traditionally do not require a college degree.

The ramifications are significant. College graduates earn, on average, 56 % more than high‑school graduates—a difference translating into over a million dollars in lifetime earnings. Moreover, graduates tend to experience lower unemployment during recessions, enjoy better health outcomes, and report higher levels of happiness and marital stability.

Understanding and addressing this gender disparity will be crucial for policymakers and educators aiming to maintain a balanced, thriving higher‑education ecosystem.

1 Prompting a “Radical Centrist” Education Backlash

Ironically, the very last entry on this list may turn out to be a hopeful sign—if only it had to exist. A growing cohort of moderates from across the political spectrum has decided to forge their own institution, citing the need for a truly open‑minded academic environment.

In November 2021, a coalition of current and former Harvard faculty announced plans for the University of Austin, a Texas‑based liberal‑arts college designed to counter what its founders perceive as pervasive censorship in higher education.

Among the founders are notable figures such as former New York Times columnist Bari Weiss, ex‑Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers, Kennedy School professor Arthur C. Brooks, cognitive psychologist Steven A. Pinker, and Brown University economist Glenn C. Loury. Their collective vision emphasizes a return to rigorous, evidence‑based discourse free from ideological constraints.

Pinker warned that many universities have become trapped in a rut characterized by soaring tuition, bloated bureaucracy, bizarre admissions criteria, and a homogenized political climate that silences dissent. Co‑founder Panayiotis Kanelos echoed this sentiment, questioning whether the storied motto “Veritas” still holds true in institutions where the pursuit of truth appears to have been sidelined.

The emergence of the University of Austin underscores a broader backlash: a yearning for campuses that prioritize intellectual diversity, merit, and open dialogue over conformity.