Principles vs. false prophets
Responsibility, to me, is examining one’s own thoughts, reflecting upon one’s own feelings, taking the time to understand the difference between impulses and genuine feelings, examining one’s own life experience in comparison to those of many others, and to determine, over time, a consistent set of principles to live by, and to be able to defend these principles, under scrutiny.
When uncorrupted and undistracted by negative influences, humans seem to do this quite naturally. It is within the parameters of our species to do so. One could argue that critical thinking, is, in fact, the precise point of life itself. To others, an alignment with an external symbol as a means of mimicking a belief system, is a good enough substitute. The latter is a form of instant gratification, whether it be a person, ideology, or organization, and leaves one vulnerable to false prophets.
Surrendering control of our own thoughts and feelings yields a much easier, faster path to the worst of human nature. The false sense of intimacy and safety, gained within a group dynamic based simply on the dynamic of the group, rather than a fundamental set of shared principles, is deceptive.
The experience of coming together for a greater good can either be a genuinely meaningful, productive experience, or like a drug fix for a junkie.
Those of us, who I would call the “reluctant activists”, come together when our most deeply held principles have been violated, to such an extent, that we find it unbearable to stand by and do nothing. We don’t enjoy it, we would much rather be focusing on other interests and goals, at first, but, as we seek out answers, do our own research, and slowly come across other like-minded individuals, our commitment grows stronger. Soon, we will find ourselves devoted to the purpose of ensuring the integrity of these principles. We will finally understand what it means to care about something so deeply, we are willing to sacrifice what is left of our own precious time on earth, to ensure the security of these values, for future generations.
We do this for ourselves, of course, at first, but soon, we realize the process of finding a solution may outlast our own mortality. At this point, we do it for other reasons. With a faint hope of preserving something for ourselves, we shift our purpose entirely to ensuring the hopes of future generations. We have no guarantees. It is very demoralizing, at times. The highs are never too high, but the lows can seem very, very low. In other words, we are prepared to go down with the ship. We rely on our faith in ourselves, and something greater than ourselves. We won’t look happy. We won’t look high. We won’t need to convince or reinforce the seriousness of the situation for ourselves by dressing up, making TikTok videos, cancelling and silencing people, because the gravity of the moment, will be so ridiculously self-evident. We will hate that this is happening; we will be irritated by the inconvenience, at times, but we will recognize how critical this moment is to the future of civilization, and that we must act. By honoring these deeply-held principles, we will also be honoring the sacrifices of so many previous generations, for the very same reasons. It is our turn.
Sometimes life presents us with a situation or set of circumstances we don’t see coming, never asked for, and don’t particularly want. Eventually it comes down to a decision: we can change our perspective, see it as an opportunity, and embrace a new direction in our lives, or we can choose to resent it, and throw a very long, drawn out, temper tantrum.
Cowards tend to live in resentment. They bully, shame and demean anyone who dares to disagree with their beliefs, and align with people who reflect and reinforce these beliefs back to them, as a means of justifying their own behavior. To make it more “real” for them. They rely on adrenaline, which is why they will need to swing between extremes, so often, simply to sustain the energy to continue. All to reinforce the initial belief, and to stomp out their own doubt. It is the same mentality of any addict. When these beliefs inevitably fail them, they begin to scatter and hide, save for a select few, who actually decide to change. The ripple effects of their fear-based decision making will last for generations. But so will the ripple effects of the decisions made by those who chose to embrace the opportunity, let go of their previous dreams, goals and hopes, by choosing to ignore their fear, and to reinforce the very best of their own humanity; the qualities of loyalty, truth, empathy, character, resilience, sacrifice, love and courage.
In the end, it always comes down to self-determination and free will. Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, we are all the same.