How Many Monkeys?
I’m Benedict Marsh.
I’ve lived several lives in one.
I’ve been a radio host. An Oxford graduate. A traveller. A reader of far too many books. I’ve spent time in rooms with power, money, ideas—and also in rooms with murderers, fraudsters, and men the system forgot. I’ve seen institutions up close: the media, finance, law enforcement, prisons. I’ve watched them work. I’ve watched them fail.
This blog exists because the world has started to feel slightly mad—and because madness only really makes sense when you step back and look at it properly.
How Many Monkeys is a place to think about the current state of the world through philosophy, history, economics, culture, and lived experience. It’s about asking old questions in new circumstances. It’s about noticing patterns. It’s about understanding how we got here—and laughing, occasionally, at the sheer absurdity of it all.
I’ve read widely and lived widely. I’ve seen corruption where it shouldn’t exist, and humanity where it supposedly couldn’t. I’ve been inside systems most people only talk about from the outside. I’ve learned that certainty is usually a trap, ideology is often a shortcut, and taking yourself too seriously is rarely a sign of wisdom.
This isn’t a blog about having all the answers.
It’s a blog about thinking clearly, questioning confidently, and remaining human in an age that seems increasingly allergic to nuance.
The name says it all.
One blog.
Infinite bananas.
Frequently Asked Questions
For people who sense that something about the world doesn’t quite add up – and would rather think than shout about it.
It’s interested in politics, power, and institutions – but it’s not loyal to any ideology. Curiosity comes first.
Because without it, seriousness turns into dogma. And dogma is how thinking stops.
Sometimes. Experience shapes perspective. But the focus is always outward – on the world, not just the author.
Because at a certain point, you realise complexity, chaos, and human behaviour can’t always be reduced to neat explanations. Sometimes the only honest response is curiosity – and a sense of humour.