The Dangers of Dogma: Terrain Theory, Nutrition, and the Trap of “Isms”

Dogma often masquerades as truth.

It presents itself as certainty, backed by authority, consensus, and moral conviction.

But within Terrain Theory, one of the foundational understandings is this: life is contextual. Health is not governed by rigid rules, but by relationships: between terrain, environment, stress, nourishment, history, and perception.

Dogma collapses complexity into slogans. And that’s where trouble begins.

When Science Becomes an “Ism”

Science, by nature, is provisional. It evolves as new observations challenge old assumptions. Yet in modern culture, scientific models are frequently treated as finished products rather than working hypotheses.

Nowhere is this more visible than in nutrition.

Veganism. Carnivore. Keto. Paleo. Low-fat. High-carb.

Each began as an observation or experiment. Over time, many hardened into identities – nutritional “isms” defended with near-religious fervor. Evidence that supports the belief is amplified. Contradictory experiences are dismissed, explained away, or moralized.

From a Terrain Theory perspective, this is a fundamental mistake.

What if the truth is that there is no universally “correct” human diet divorced from terrain? Metabolic flexibility, digestive capacity, mineral status, toxic load, nervous system health, and life stage all matter. What nourishes one person may degrade another.

When dietary frameworks become dogma, curiosity is replaced with compliance.

The Body Is Not an Ideology

Dogma asks the body to conform to belief. Terrain Theory asks us to observe what the body is actually doing.

On the podcast, we’ve explored stories of people who thrived on plant-based diets...until they didn’t. Others who found profound healing with animal foods...until they hit new limitations. These outcomes are not contradictions. They are data.

Health is not static. Terrains change. Needs change.

When we attach identity to a dietary system, we lose the ability to adapt. The body becomes a battlefield for ideology instead of a living system offering feedback.

Why Open Inquiry Matters

Dogma fears questions. Terrain Theory depends on them.

Why did this work then but not now?
What changed in the terrain?
Is the symptom an enemy, or a signal?

Curiosity allows us to move beyond “right” and “wrong” diets and into relationship with physiology. It invites experimentation without allegiance. It honors both scientific research and lived experience – without turning either into absolute truth.

Experiential Wisdom as the Final Teacher

In the end, no study, expert, or theory can replace direct experience. Observation over time – how energy, mood, digestion, resilience, and recovery respond – is the deepest form of knowing.

Terrain Theory does not reject science. It rejects scientific dogma. It asks us to remain humble, adaptable, and awake to complexity and nuance.

When we release our attachment to “isms,” we reclaim our ability to listen. Listen to the body, to nature, and to reality as it actually unfolds.

Health is not found in certainty. It is found in curiosity, attention, and an evolving relationship with the terrain.

Onward, humans!