While it might seem strange to start a discussion on international relations with a didactic story, the world is a strange place and answers can often be found in the most unlikely of environments. It is not merely a case of hoping for something fortuitous to arise, interdisciplinary explorations have, at times, brought about previously unconsidered breakthroughs and revelations in various fields.

The story in question is one told by University of Toronto professor and clinical psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson. Entitled Slaying the Dragon within Us, it tells the story of a child named Billy, his family, and a dragon. Billy awakes one morning to find a small dragon in his room. Unsure what to do, he tells his mother about the newly-arrived monster. She reassures him that dragons do not exist and that he should simply ignore it.