I have to admit, although it seems like I am a real freedom fighter screaming from the mountaintop, “Give me liberty, or give me death,” I am actually quite a wimp.
This essay made my day. I’m the same when it gets to overt confrontation. Not my thing. But-I’m a stubborn skeptic so I don’t go along with group think.
I think we are ALL sheep-it just comes down to who you listen to,believe and trust. Who is shepherding you?
The normies believe the government, media, pharma etc…
And then there’s the rest of us who get our info from other sources.
And we have to live among the deceived and gaslit.
Thank you for being a sane voice in the middle of all this!
Yes, you are right, we are ALL sheep...even though us shrews don't go along as blindly as the "real sheep" most of us (me included) still follow certain voices...and those voices are not always 100% reputable...think of all the flak people like Malone, Tucker Carlson, RFK Jr., Trump, and tons of others get every day for being part of the agenda and/or deep state...
Without a science background but with a few strokes on a keyboard, many regular people like myself could see through the fakery of The Science" etc..And we found credible people who went against the narrative and we were open to what they had to say.
I don't know everything, but I have a sense for things not adding up.
And I try--as Solzhenitsyn put it--"to live not by lies."
It is interesting to me how much junk is out there about "internet education" and how dangerous it is that people think they "know something" with a Google search.
That is all part of the agenda in its effort to keep us stupid. Knowledge is knowledge, it makes no difference if we acquire it through books, universities or the internet. Sure, there is advantage to acquiring knowledge through a vetted, structured source (and I am beginning to think THAT is a problem), but if you are careful, and have common sense, you can get a Harvard education through the sources found only on the internet.
because there are other voices we can choose. So many choose to follow mainstream industrial strength narratives. And then there is no room to disagree. Even if your own lived experience goes against it. Yikes.
And is it true that people can only be hypnotized through hearing, not seeing?
I guess it's not just hearing--but assenting to it. Trusting it.
I believe we are all born with an innate moral compass, as we are direct expressions of our creator. I also believe this sense of protection of life, even at the cost of our own, is taught or “ideoligized” out of many and has created the great division syndrome which is the evil ones’s greatest means of control. So many have forgotten their divine connection. I believe for humanity to save itself, this instinctual moral compass must be rekindled through reconnection of our true self to our creator. Hearts that have been beguiled and distracted from their truth by the evil ones must be made aware and reunited with God. This is our command as believers to bring about the kingdom of God on earth. We were given our salvation method; we who see and know must be the instruments to awaken and lead others back to their truth. You are doing your part here and through your work with humans. To be fearful of persecution or incarceration is human; to be aware of the fear and think about its consequences reveals the divine in you. We must keep the faith that God’s strength will be there if and when we need it because we are aware and know our true north.
Here is a response to another comment I made earlier today...
"The ancient Egyptians believed that we were born with an "imago" of "heaven," they called this "ma'at" and it was their duty to reflect this vision onto the material world they were living as incarnate beings. Of course this didn't always go so well, but they believed that was their obligation as living beings. In their cosmology this "knowingness" was inborn, it was innate.
Schwaller de Lubicz, who devoted his life to studying ancient Egyptian spirituality, called this innate knowingness "consciousness of the heart"...we see this concept described in all great spiritual traditions, "look inward" "follow Christ." "follow your heart," etc.
I am not that familiar with the intricacies of the world religions to say they believe this "knowingness" of God and the divine is something that must be learned or if it is something that is natural and inborn. But it seems that it is not a foreign idea.
I like to believe it is true. And that evil, lack, and fear, are the things that are learned through our material life...thus separating us from the truth that we were born with. And we spend our lives uncovering that truth that was always there.
Yes, the laws of the physical world largely (but not wholly) dictate the fate of our physical bodies and physical existence, but the laws of God dictate our spirit and soul...as they navigate the material manifestation...we only need this discipline in our physical form, as there is no need to "follow a rule or law" in the spirituatl realm (there is no "form", there is no choice, there is no binary of good and evil, only good). Too little space here to give this concept justice...
Anyway...a few thoughts...could be wrong for sure!!"
How do all your topics find you, Todd? Amazing! We will never know what we will do in the future because we can never know what even the next moment will bring. To me, it is a bigger picture. I don't ask myself if I will sacrifice for another but, will I be able to live with my actions (or inactions). It is the quality in which we live in the Now that will determine our usefulness in every future event. If I rely on myself I will probably fail. If I trust that there is a power greater than myself that is with me when I am faced with uncertain circumstances, then I can step forward (or not) in peace and/or acceptance. It's not what I can do but what can be done through me. I am a factor not the focus. Humility is the color of courage in all that life can bring and splay before us. Amen.
The thrid Kingdom of Consciousness..."Everything is done THROUGH me"...the fourth, and final (Christ consciousness) "Everything is done AS me"...the first KOC, is victim consciousness, "Everything is done TO me"...the second KOC, which is where most people stop, is "Everything is done BY me"...
I actually do not know how I come up with what I come up with...I definitely do not know how I write them...I do think it is divinely driven, as I don't think I could do this alone...(not being vain here, just humble).
I do think of these topics off the cuff...they just come to me because something that has happened to me, or something I've read, or whatever. I cannot believe I've written over 400 of these things. Of course what keeps me going is people like you that say they resonate with what I write...before the substack I just thought I was weird...now I know a lot of people are weird with me!! 😆
I differ little, except in details of my ignorance and concern about disclosing legally (or illegally) actionable details. Your fold on privacy rights on private school premises seems legally and practically correct. The school has liability exposure for failing to maintain a safe environment. People who object to management policies are free to transfer to a competing school more friendly to their preferences, e.g., a 'party' school.
My concern is that leftism, e.g., ChiCom influence, will result in the sort of persecution that Trump has suffered, i.e., weaponization of government like lawfare, e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_lawsuit_against_public_participation I hear much about the January 6 abusive legal process, so I think that your concerns are well-founded in history and recent experience.
As to how to fight the endless war for freedom from abusive megalomaniacs, I think it often makes sense to fight and run to live to fight another day. I was disappointed that several prominent lawyers seemed to fold on the 2020 election fraud fight, until I read that lawyers know that they are outgunned by the guv, so rather than suffer the financial ruin of Michael Flynn or Rudy Giuliani, they fold and plea-bargain. I see that as less cowardice than sensible guerrilla asymmetrical warfare that sustained the American Revolution until the French offered dispositive assistance to compel British surrender.
I don’t think anyone can predict for sure what they would do in any given situation, but don’t think you’re a wimp, Todd. We all have our cringe moments to reflect upon. So focus instead on the positive and brave things you’ve done, even if they weren’t recognized or well-received at the time. We’re only human after all.
Lots of 'food for thought' here. I can so relate to this Todd.
I was a total rebel in my teens but (due to a verbally abusive and authoritarian father) I can go full-on wimp when face to face with authority. My heart pounds, my brain turns to mush and I loose who I am. This reaction makes me very angry, but only when the confrontation is over, and what a waste of energy that is!
We probably all have varying degrees of wimpiness/rebelliousness. I do think that 'Wimpy me' has lost strength during the last 5 years, replaced by what I hope is a powerhouse of Rebellion. I won't know until she is tested, but until then I will keep trying to flex her muscles whenever possible.
Maybe we Shrews will surprise ourselves when the time comes to stand up and bugger the consequences! Time will tell.
Yes, I'm the same...I do believe the past five years has made me less likely to back away because I want to avoid conflict. Now I welcome it.
My mother was the authoritarian...and I was always afraid I would make her angry, so I walked on eggshells, which I think is one reason why I am a wimp. I can relate to what you say here...
Hey, Todd, I really appreciate your essay “Avoiding Trouble.” I like all your writing, actually, but don’t always take the opportunity to tell you. So thank you for writing as you do.
That's the million dollar question isn't it? What would we do in that moment-to-moment of truth? Run, be paralyzed with fear or stay and do one's best to slay the dragon, sort of speak. I, too, was concerned at times in the height of the plandemic of what or who could show up at our door? As a Canadian, it was a terrifying thought and took me back to the readings during the horrors that led to WWII.
Yes, same here...I do believe we would instinctively (well, it isn't "instinct") sacrifice our physical bodies for the "greater good" (what is "right") if we don't have the time to intellectually process it.
Even then (obviously) I think we shrews tend to make the "correct" cerebral decisions. We follow logic, when we have enough information to properly discern what logic tells us.
But I do still wonder about it...that split second decision to save another before myself. I do think I would sacrifice self...but you never know until you are faced with it, God forbid.
Yes it's that split second that would define us and until we are faced with it, we can only assume or hope we would 'do' right. When you read that someone was brutally attacked while others stand around to film it - makes me wonder who would come to my/our rescue though, doesn't it?
Well...I am less and less confident that the sheep masses would ever do anything "right"...I think I have been in denial for most of my life that my fellow human beings have that capacity...I no longer think they do.
I think you are expressing what many of us feel. I believe I am in the same place. I think if push came to shove, so to speak, I would of course protect my loved ones, even to death. I think that God has prepared each of us in his own way, that we won't be alone when the situation arises. He never puts us in any situation that he hasn't prepared us for, or that we can't handle. I know there are lots of scriptures to explain this, but I am not Biblically literate enough to quote them on short notice.
You are a freedom fighter because you write this. Many, many more people think similar thoughts but even if they had the literacy to frame them and express them as well as you do, they wouldn't stick their heads above the parapet. Discretion is indeed often the better part of valour and it would be pointless to be a martyr to insurmountable odds. The risk-benefit equation is always switched on in our minds - survival!
Yes, we certainly do have a survival instinct. But I wonder if we circumvent that instinct when we take risks to help others, refuse compliance, stand in the face of adversity...I know the last thing that is on my mind when I refuse to comply is physical survival...unless, of course, it is a "bigger" picture of survival...survival of humanity, of morals, of soul.
The choice to offer yourself to save another is not inborn, I don’t think. It must be learned by observation in your own lived experience. Not necessarily in seeing others destroyed within your own circle (although some have) but by the attitudes and beliefs and morals of those around us. There is a level of ethics that, if lived consistently, would demand personal sacrifice when confronted with an unacceptable situation.
I don’t think that everyone learns that. Certainly, some world leaders-current and past-have shown a complete lack of understanding in that area.
Whether a moral, human, divine, sense, or awareness, is inborn or not is a big question. The ancient Egyptians believed that we were born with an "imago" of "heaven," they called this "ma'at" and it was their duty to reflect this vision onto the material world they were living as incarnate beings. Of course this didn't always go so well, but they believed that was their obligation as living beings. In their cosmology this "knowingness" was inborn, it was innate.
Schwaller de Lubicz, who devoted his life to studying ancient Egyptian spirituality, called this innate knowingness "consciousness of the heart"...we see this concept described in all great spiritual traditions, "look inward" "follow Christ." "follow your heart," etc.
I am not that familiar with the intricacies of the world religions to say they believe this "knowingness" of God and the divine is something that must be learned or if it is something that is natural and inborn. But it seems that it is not a foreign idea.
I like to believe it is true. And that evil, lack, and fear, are the things that are learned through our material life...thus separating us from the truth that we were born with. And we spend our lives uncovering that truth that was always there.
Yes, the laws of the physical world largely (but not wholly) dictate the fate of our physical bodies and physical existence, but the laws of God dictate our spirit and soul...as they navigate the material manifestation...we only need this discipline in our physical form, as there is no need to "follow a rule or law" in the spirituatl realm (there is no "form", there is no choice, there is no binary of good and evil, only good). Too little space here to give this concept justice...
Anyway...a few thoughts...could be wrong for sure!!
This essay made my day. I’m the same when it gets to overt confrontation. Not my thing. But-I’m a stubborn skeptic so I don’t go along with group think.
I think we are ALL sheep-it just comes down to who you listen to,believe and trust. Who is shepherding you?
The normies believe the government, media, pharma etc…
And then there’s the rest of us who get our info from other sources.
And we have to live among the deceived and gaslit.
Thank you for being a sane voice in the middle of all this!
Yes, you are right, we are ALL sheep...even though us shrews don't go along as blindly as the "real sheep" most of us (me included) still follow certain voices...and those voices are not always 100% reputable...think of all the flak people like Malone, Tucker Carlson, RFK Jr., Trump, and tons of others get every day for being part of the agenda and/or deep state...
I have hope though.
Without a science background but with a few strokes on a keyboard, many regular people like myself could see through the fakery of The Science" etc..And we found credible people who went against the narrative and we were open to what they had to say.
I don't know everything, but I have a sense for things not adding up.
And I try--as Solzhenitsyn put it--"to live not by lies."
It is interesting to me how much junk is out there about "internet education" and how dangerous it is that people think they "know something" with a Google search.
That is all part of the agenda in its effort to keep us stupid. Knowledge is knowledge, it makes no difference if we acquire it through books, universities or the internet. Sure, there is advantage to acquiring knowledge through a vetted, structured source (and I am beginning to think THAT is a problem), but if you are careful, and have common sense, you can get a Harvard education through the sources found only on the internet.
Agree!
I think it comes down to voice--
because there are other voices we can choose. So many choose to follow mainstream industrial strength narratives. And then there is no room to disagree. Even if your own lived experience goes against it. Yikes.
And is it true that people can only be hypnotized through hearing, not seeing?
I guess it's not just hearing--but assenting to it. Trusting it.
I believe we are all born with an innate moral compass, as we are direct expressions of our creator. I also believe this sense of protection of life, even at the cost of our own, is taught or “ideoligized” out of many and has created the great division syndrome which is the evil ones’s greatest means of control. So many have forgotten their divine connection. I believe for humanity to save itself, this instinctual moral compass must be rekindled through reconnection of our true self to our creator. Hearts that have been beguiled and distracted from their truth by the evil ones must be made aware and reunited with God. This is our command as believers to bring about the kingdom of God on earth. We were given our salvation method; we who see and know must be the instruments to awaken and lead others back to their truth. You are doing your part here and through your work with humans. To be fearful of persecution or incarceration is human; to be aware of the fear and think about its consequences reveals the divine in you. We must keep the faith that God’s strength will be there if and when we need it because we are aware and know our true north.
Yes, you sound like an ancient Egyptian!
Here is a response to another comment I made earlier today...
"The ancient Egyptians believed that we were born with an "imago" of "heaven," they called this "ma'at" and it was their duty to reflect this vision onto the material world they were living as incarnate beings. Of course this didn't always go so well, but they believed that was their obligation as living beings. In their cosmology this "knowingness" was inborn, it was innate.
Schwaller de Lubicz, who devoted his life to studying ancient Egyptian spirituality, called this innate knowingness "consciousness of the heart"...we see this concept described in all great spiritual traditions, "look inward" "follow Christ." "follow your heart," etc.
I am not that familiar with the intricacies of the world religions to say they believe this "knowingness" of God and the divine is something that must be learned or if it is something that is natural and inborn. But it seems that it is not a foreign idea.
I like to believe it is true. And that evil, lack, and fear, are the things that are learned through our material life...thus separating us from the truth that we were born with. And we spend our lives uncovering that truth that was always there.
Yes, the laws of the physical world largely (but not wholly) dictate the fate of our physical bodies and physical existence, but the laws of God dictate our spirit and soul...as they navigate the material manifestation...we only need this discipline in our physical form, as there is no need to "follow a rule or law" in the spirituatl realm (there is no "form", there is no choice, there is no binary of good and evil, only good). Too little space here to give this concept justice...
Anyway...a few thoughts...could be wrong for sure!!"
How do all your topics find you, Todd? Amazing! We will never know what we will do in the future because we can never know what even the next moment will bring. To me, it is a bigger picture. I don't ask myself if I will sacrifice for another but, will I be able to live with my actions (or inactions). It is the quality in which we live in the Now that will determine our usefulness in every future event. If I rely on myself I will probably fail. If I trust that there is a power greater than myself that is with me when I am faced with uncertain circumstances, then I can step forward (or not) in peace and/or acceptance. It's not what I can do but what can be done through me. I am a factor not the focus. Humility is the color of courage in all that life can bring and splay before us. Amen.
The thrid Kingdom of Consciousness..."Everything is done THROUGH me"...the fourth, and final (Christ consciousness) "Everything is done AS me"...the first KOC, is victim consciousness, "Everything is done TO me"...the second KOC, which is where most people stop, is "Everything is done BY me"...
I actually do not know how I come up with what I come up with...I definitely do not know how I write them...I do think it is divinely driven, as I don't think I could do this alone...(not being vain here, just humble).
I do think of these topics off the cuff...they just come to me because something that has happened to me, or something I've read, or whatever. I cannot believe I've written over 400 of these things. Of course what keeps me going is people like you that say they resonate with what I write...before the substack I just thought I was weird...now I know a lot of people are weird with me!! 😆
I differ little, except in details of my ignorance and concern about disclosing legally (or illegally) actionable details. Your fold on privacy rights on private school premises seems legally and practically correct. The school has liability exposure for failing to maintain a safe environment. People who object to management policies are free to transfer to a competing school more friendly to their preferences, e.g., a 'party' school.
My concern is that leftism, e.g., ChiCom influence, will result in the sort of persecution that Trump has suffered, i.e., weaponization of government like lawfare, e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_lawsuit_against_public_participation I hear much about the January 6 abusive legal process, so I think that your concerns are well-founded in history and recent experience.
As to how to fight the endless war for freedom from abusive megalomaniacs, I think it often makes sense to fight and run to live to fight another day. I was disappointed that several prominent lawyers seemed to fold on the 2020 election fraud fight, until I read that lawyers know that they are outgunned by the guv, so rather than suffer the financial ruin of Michael Flynn or Rudy Giuliani, they fold and plea-bargain. I see that as less cowardice than sensible guerrilla asymmetrical warfare that sustained the American Revolution until the French offered dispositive assistance to compel British surrender.
That recalls a T-shirt I saw with an image something like https://www.amazon.com/CafePress-Great-Defiance-Poster-Semi-Gloss/dp/B06ZYK8RLJ Searching for that ranked https://www.zazzle.com/the_next_to_the_last_act_of_defiance_poster-228640224465329928 I'm thankful that we can still use ballots rather than bullets, because the day may come when the 2nd amendment must be exercised. Meanwhile, we must fight more peacefully to defend and restore the legacy of the constitution, recalling the historical blood and treasure sacrificed to win and preserve our freedom.
So very well said...thank you for this...
I don’t think anyone can predict for sure what they would do in any given situation, but don’t think you’re a wimp, Todd. We all have our cringe moments to reflect upon. So focus instead on the positive and brave things you’ve done, even if they weren’t recognized or well-received at the time. We’re only human after all.
Yes, that we are! Thank you...
One thing I've learned in my 78 years is that I don't really know what I would do in any situation until I actually experience it.
You look very young for 78!! I'm a decade behind you! I'm sure it will go very fast!
Lots of 'food for thought' here. I can so relate to this Todd.
I was a total rebel in my teens but (due to a verbally abusive and authoritarian father) I can go full-on wimp when face to face with authority. My heart pounds, my brain turns to mush and I loose who I am. This reaction makes me very angry, but only when the confrontation is over, and what a waste of energy that is!
We probably all have varying degrees of wimpiness/rebelliousness. I do think that 'Wimpy me' has lost strength during the last 5 years, replaced by what I hope is a powerhouse of Rebellion. I won't know until she is tested, but until then I will keep trying to flex her muscles whenever possible.
Maybe we Shrews will surprise ourselves when the time comes to stand up and bugger the consequences! Time will tell.
Yes, I'm the same...I do believe the past five years has made me less likely to back away because I want to avoid conflict. Now I welcome it.
My mother was the authoritarian...and I was always afraid I would make her angry, so I walked on eggshells, which I think is one reason why I am a wimp. I can relate to what you say here...
Hey, Todd, I really appreciate your essay “Avoiding Trouble.” I like all your writing, actually, but don’t always take the opportunity to tell you. So thank you for writing as you do.
You are so kind to let me know...I really appreciate it...it is what keeps me writing!! Thank you....
That's the million dollar question isn't it? What would we do in that moment-to-moment of truth? Run, be paralyzed with fear or stay and do one's best to slay the dragon, sort of speak. I, too, was concerned at times in the height of the plandemic of what or who could show up at our door? As a Canadian, it was a terrifying thought and took me back to the readings during the horrors that led to WWII.
Yes, same here...I do believe we would instinctively (well, it isn't "instinct") sacrifice our physical bodies for the "greater good" (what is "right") if we don't have the time to intellectually process it.
Even then (obviously) I think we shrews tend to make the "correct" cerebral decisions. We follow logic, when we have enough information to properly discern what logic tells us.
But I do still wonder about it...that split second decision to save another before myself. I do think I would sacrifice self...but you never know until you are faced with it, God forbid.
Yes it's that split second that would define us and until we are faced with it, we can only assume or hope we would 'do' right. When you read that someone was brutally attacked while others stand around to film it - makes me wonder who would come to my/our rescue though, doesn't it?
Well...I am less and less confident that the sheep masses would ever do anything "right"...I think I have been in denial for most of my life that my fellow human beings have that capacity...I no longer think they do.
I think you are expressing what many of us feel. I believe I am in the same place. I think if push came to shove, so to speak, I would of course protect my loved ones, even to death. I think that God has prepared each of us in his own way, that we won't be alone when the situation arises. He never puts us in any situation that he hasn't prepared us for, or that we can't handle. I know there are lots of scriptures to explain this, but I am not Biblically literate enough to quote them on short notice.
Thank you for your words...I believe the same...
You are a freedom fighter because you write this. Many, many more people think similar thoughts but even if they had the literacy to frame them and express them as well as you do, they wouldn't stick their heads above the parapet. Discretion is indeed often the better part of valour and it would be pointless to be a martyr to insurmountable odds. The risk-benefit equation is always switched on in our minds - survival!
Yes, we certainly do have a survival instinct. But I wonder if we circumvent that instinct when we take risks to help others, refuse compliance, stand in the face of adversity...I know the last thing that is on my mind when I refuse to comply is physical survival...unless, of course, it is a "bigger" picture of survival...survival of humanity, of morals, of soul.
Agreed - we have souls, and a moral compass which doesn't necessarily bow down to the survival instinct.
Exactly.
The choice to offer yourself to save another is not inborn, I don’t think. It must be learned by observation in your own lived experience. Not necessarily in seeing others destroyed within your own circle (although some have) but by the attitudes and beliefs and morals of those around us. There is a level of ethics that, if lived consistently, would demand personal sacrifice when confronted with an unacceptable situation.
I don’t think that everyone learns that. Certainly, some world leaders-current and past-have shown a complete lack of understanding in that area.
Whether a moral, human, divine, sense, or awareness, is inborn or not is a big question. The ancient Egyptians believed that we were born with an "imago" of "heaven," they called this "ma'at" and it was their duty to reflect this vision onto the material world they were living as incarnate beings. Of course this didn't always go so well, but they believed that was their obligation as living beings. In their cosmology this "knowingness" was inborn, it was innate.
Schwaller de Lubicz, who devoted his life to studying ancient Egyptian spirituality, called this innate knowingness "consciousness of the heart"...we see this concept described in all great spiritual traditions, "look inward" "follow Christ." "follow your heart," etc.
I am not that familiar with the intricacies of the world religions to say they believe this "knowingness" of God and the divine is something that must be learned or if it is something that is natural and inborn. But it seems that it is not a foreign idea.
I like to believe it is true. And that evil, lack, and fear, are the things that are learned through our material life...thus separating us from the truth that we were born with. And we spend our lives uncovering that truth that was always there.
Yes, the laws of the physical world largely (but not wholly) dictate the fate of our physical bodies and physical existence, but the laws of God dictate our spirit and soul...as they navigate the material manifestation...we only need this discipline in our physical form, as there is no need to "follow a rule or law" in the spirituatl realm (there is no "form", there is no choice, there is no binary of good and evil, only good). Too little space here to give this concept justice...
Anyway...a few thoughts...could be wrong for sure!!