There is an attack on us. Don’t be fooled. It’s everywhere, and at the same time, nowhere. It’s prevalent in our lives, quietly hidden under our beds, in our knapsacks, and in the shows we watch and the sites we visit. The attack is on your brain. Their weapon: Distraction. The booty, the bounty, the reward, the prize: Your money.
Governments have done little to protect us from the onslaught of tests and invasive procedures over past decades, lobotomizing our brains to behave in ways contradictory to our values and dreams. Quite often, governments have taken part, leveraged, and profited from such studies and practices. In many instances leading the charge. This is not new. You know this already. We all do. But we say, ‘meh, it’s not a big deal. I am who I am. I won’t let it get me down. I won’t let it drag me down.’ But you’re wrong. This is exactly how they want you to think.
‘You are an individual. You are great. Moana, you are special, better than the rest, the rules don’t apply to you. You’ll make it. The ocean is your friend!’
And while those who tell you opposite are labeled ‘downers, doubters, and dangerous for our happiness’ – there is truth in the words of the Pessimist. He has knowledge of things the rest of us have overlooked. The big one is statistical truths. Behavioural science. Human fallacies and mental biasses.
It is in their best interest to lead you to believe that you are stronger and smarter than you actually are. Don’t be offended. You’re only human. We are all, just human. And the tricks that work on you, work on me. Studies have shown, even when participants are aware of the propaganda being fed down their throats, months and years later forget the source, and believe that the implanted ideas are original, and from within. Did you know that? Of course not. Because you’re better than that. You’re an individual. You’re great. Moana, you’re special. The ocean is your friend.
At this point, some of you have trailed off thanks to the one of many notifications vying for your attention. Others are thinking, ‘dude – chill the fuck out’. And some of you are wondering, ‘I Know this, but what do I do?’.
For those in the latter group – frankly I don’t have the answer. I am with you, and actively looking to find the answers. For the time being, I have a few considerations. Some that I’m following, and some that I’m struggling to follow.
- Fuck your individuality.
You are part of our planetary human collective, including the birds and the bees. Forget this, and they’ll corner you. Keep this in mind, and they’ll have a fight they may not want. - Turn it off.
From time to time, you must kill your Facebook, Instagram, Netflix, movie trailers, music videos, and all digital and non-digital media – this includes your trashy magazines. We used to laugh at the poor schmucks in history, getting caught by the obvious propaganda coming from the tube. Families sitting in front of the black and white tube, being told how to think and what to buy. Now we are those schmucks, but in the 21st century, completely unaware of what’s happening to us. - Save your money.
I thank God everyday for my immigrant upbringing. This is how they get you. If you are in debt, you are an economic prisoner. You were sold a pile of shit, and you believed it. This includes school debt With the exception of a few occupations (doctors, lawyers, engineers), schools are a complete waste of time, and seldom do people work in the fields they have studied. Remember that schools are businesses with economic growth goals, no different from your love-to-hate corporations like McDonalds, Coca-cola, and Monsanto. On a side note – I find the latter group less evil and provide more value than most college and university degrees. Alas – I’ve gone on a tangent. My point being, live well below your means, save your money, and build wealth. - Work hard.
Not sure what to do? Clean your apartment. Not sure what to do on the weekends? Find another job. Bored at work? Work harder. Find bigger challenges. Grow yourself. Wisdom has shown time and again, that hard working people are more satisfied and are happier. Work hard for the sake of work – not the money, not the fame, but because it’s wonderful to lose yourself into something that provides value to others. That said, work on things that are positive – do your best to avoid helping the bad guys. You know who they are. - Seek happiness, not pleasure.
They are selling you pleasure. All day everyday you’re told that the path to happiness is their products. What they’re not telling you is that their swapping the concepts of happiness with pleasure. Pleasure is fleeting. Happiness comes from hard work, sacrifice, volunteerism, and personal growth. It comes from calmness, community, and caring. Not a degree. Not a nice car. - Have fun.
Despite their claims, they want you to think that life is miserable without their products and services. That life has little value without their ‘stuff’ to buy. Show them you can have fun through community, woking hard, and pursuing your goals. Fun has been perverted with images designed by Creative Directors, Producers, DOPs, and Marketers. Don’t believe them. Have fun despite and in spite of them.
That’s it for now.
Similar to many of my posts, this is rant, slash pep-talk intended for myself. If you’ve gotten any value out of this – that would be a bonus.
