"...none of us are immune from herding and irrational thinking."
Very true. I hold many contrarian views and would like to think that I never slip into a popular mental habit without careful consideration, but every now and then I bump into something and realize, "I always considered X unquestionably true, but in this new light, I see that it could be false." It doesn't pay to get cocky.
"During COVID, of course, the “facts” were not physically present."
Yes and no. I was already reading independent media when it hit, and a lot of facts were clear right away: the huge skew of risk with age, the fact the the great majority who contracted Covid (even oldsters) got through it just fine, the near complete ineffectiveness of masks, the near zero chance of contracting the bug from passing someone on the street, the importance of good vitamin D levels, the efficacy of repurposed drugs, and the lunacy of the fantasy that the virus could be completely snuffed out by locking everyone down. When the vaxx arrived, I'd already read about previous tries with mRNA concoctions, where all the test animals showed great antibody response (yay!), then died when exposed to the actual virus (oops!), so I was less than eager to get in line. Very soon the VAERS data raised HUGE red flags, which cemented my decision to decline the jab. Of course, to the extent that most people DON'T look to independent media for information, your statement is 100% correct, as the MSM completely abandoned its duty to inform and became a pure propaganda organ of the State, which, in turn, is in the sway of Pfizer and friends.
"...we must cherish the humanity in others, not just for their sake but for our own."
Yes. This is absolutely the key to a healthy and peaceful life. The moment we demonize someone, we demonize ourselves through that person's eyes and through the mindset we have taken. A particular historical figure said two seemingly contradictory things: "Sell your cloak and purchase a sword" and "Turn the other cheek." These fit together as the sentiment, "Defend yourself, but do so without anger."
I had to read ‘The Population Bomb’, by Paul Ehrlich in college… it was debunked but at that time my professors swore by it. The same truth will come in mandating vaccines and shoving climate change down our throats. Totalitarianism is group think and propaganda and controls the masses. I hope America wakes up!
Thank you, Barry. I agree - no one is immune to irrational thinking. Your work facilitates moral courage by creating this compassionate space for introspection. And the historical perspective really helps me to process what I'm witnessing. There's a lot of heart work behind these mindset shifts, and I think that work may help turn a terrifying ordeal into healing journey.
Great Essay Barry. Both Mental and Moral Courage have fallen by the wayside along with the true definition of Morals in general; especially the Natural Law Theory definition, which deals with Good vs Evil and Right vs Wrong. Today in the West each person has decided that their personal definition of Morals is all that matters; see the controversy over abortion - the evil/wrong of killing a living human (unborn child) now no longer applies.
"...none of us are immune from herding and irrational thinking."
Very true. I hold many contrarian views and would like to think that I never slip into a popular mental habit without careful consideration, but every now and then I bump into something and realize, "I always considered X unquestionably true, but in this new light, I see that it could be false." It doesn't pay to get cocky.
"During COVID, of course, the “facts” were not physically present."
Yes and no. I was already reading independent media when it hit, and a lot of facts were clear right away: the huge skew of risk with age, the fact the the great majority who contracted Covid (even oldsters) got through it just fine, the near complete ineffectiveness of masks, the near zero chance of contracting the bug from passing someone on the street, the importance of good vitamin D levels, the efficacy of repurposed drugs, and the lunacy of the fantasy that the virus could be completely snuffed out by locking everyone down. When the vaxx arrived, I'd already read about previous tries with mRNA concoctions, where all the test animals showed great antibody response (yay!), then died when exposed to the actual virus (oops!), so I was less than eager to get in line. Very soon the VAERS data raised HUGE red flags, which cemented my decision to decline the jab. Of course, to the extent that most people DON'T look to independent media for information, your statement is 100% correct, as the MSM completely abandoned its duty to inform and became a pure propaganda organ of the State, which, in turn, is in the sway of Pfizer and friends.
"...we must cherish the humanity in others, not just for their sake but for our own."
Yes. This is absolutely the key to a healthy and peaceful life. The moment we demonize someone, we demonize ourselves through that person's eyes and through the mindset we have taken. A particular historical figure said two seemingly contradictory things: "Sell your cloak and purchase a sword" and "Turn the other cheek." These fit together as the sentiment, "Defend yourself, but do so without anger."
I had to read ‘The Population Bomb’, by Paul Ehrlich in college… it was debunked but at that time my professors swore by it. The same truth will come in mandating vaccines and shoving climate change down our throats. Totalitarianism is group think and propaganda and controls the masses. I hope America wakes up!
Thank you, Barry. I agree - no one is immune to irrational thinking. Your work facilitates moral courage by creating this compassionate space for introspection. And the historical perspective really helps me to process what I'm witnessing. There's a lot of heart work behind these mindset shifts, and I think that work may help turn a terrifying ordeal into healing journey.
Great Essay Barry. Both Mental and Moral Courage have fallen by the wayside along with the true definition of Morals in general; especially the Natural Law Theory definition, which deals with Good vs Evil and Right vs Wrong. Today in the West each person has decided that their personal definition of Morals is all that matters; see the controversy over abortion - the evil/wrong of killing a living human (unborn child) now no longer applies.