Were we handpicked to know the truth? Are we the chosen ones? I have resisted this idea for almost three years. It seems much too biblical, and although I consider myself a spiritual/religious person I am not so sure if I see the Bible as literal as most religious people do. And besides, does the Bible make any reference to “hand picking” people who will be critical thinkers and not get sucked into the evil narrative? I know the Rapture suggests that only those who have taken Jesus Christ as savior will experience the Second Coming of Christ, but would that count? I don’t know if all
Hello Todd: I believe post-traumatic resilience has a lot to do with it. BTW, we are doing an event against globalism here in Western, Maine on May 20. It would be great to have you stop by.
I appreciate your comment, I have been coming around to the same conclusion, just obviously really stubborn about giving up on her. Anyway, I am intrigued with the idea of new sympatico friends.
I spend an inordinate amount of time obsessing about my "bestie" since 6th grade being such a sheep. She's vaxed, gets every booster, hates Trump, despises Fox, loves Obama, NPR and makes me gag with her virtue signaling on BS social issues. Any advice for me? I am bothered way too much asking why and will she ever wake up and doubt she gives my opinions a second thought
I’ve had a number of “epiphanies” in my life since I was a child, no idea where they came from; yet I am currently listening to testimonies from NDE experiences and so much of what they say is something I have already thought about so I’m thinking I might have been through several lives already, I long dearly for what they describe.
The biggest lesson in my life was in a math class in 6th grade; the teacher would write an equation on the blackboard and ask us if we’d think it was true or not and we had to be so confident in our response that we would be willing to have our head chopped (or hand burnt) over it. His daughter was top of the class (of course). One day I could clearly see that the equation was not true for a specific value of X (and true for all other ones) but went with the rest of the class (we all looked at his daughter who got it wrong) - got my head chopped that day and loathed myself for following the crowd against what I knew was true. The next time around, I was the only one in the class who saved my head. 40 years later I visited my teacher to thank him for that lesson.
From that moment I have not been interested in thinking like everyone else (some known personality whose name escapes me said that if everybody thinks the same way, then someone has stopped thinking and I think it’s perfectly said); although I did drink the climate change kool-aid for many years (now recovering, to my sheep husband’s despair).
I also resonate to the curiosity aspect - I was an avid reader (now Substack has taken over!! As well as videos and podcasts on all sorts of subjects- the main ones around the Covid insanity, the wokeness craziness, the revision of history (moon landing, JFK, Titanic, and possibly where we really come from- maybe some aliens gave us some knowledge or altered our DNA in the early days of our humanhood - although I won’t deny we’re still creatures from “God”.)
Mostly sheep around me (it can feel a bit lonely yet I am comfortable with it, not super interested in my former friendships who won’t see the slaughterhouse ahead of us) and super thankful for the discussions with the lovely shrews out there!!
I love this. I asked this very question at the end of one of my own articles (less eruditely than you have), beginning with a quote from Neil Oliver:
GB News commentator Neil Oliver (while interviewing Eva Vlaardingerbroek), aired this postulate: "I have a theory that no one’s been changed by the events of the last few years. I think that individuals’ true natures have simply been revealed … or even exposed. I think we’re seeing people for who they truly are and it’s been a fascinating revelatory time, I would say."
And I went on to say; "I’ve had this same thought, many times over. The danger, of course, is that I must then by default see myself as superior for not having believed the lie. But I can’t help it."
Then I asked my readers what they thought.
Now, reading this, the thought came to me that what we have in common, I think, is a sense of urgency to DO something. A feeling of great and burdensome responsibility, that keeps compelling us to determine what our next step of resistance ought to be, when we're so used to being stone-walled at every turn. So if indeed I'm in some way "chosen" then I'm divinely obliged to not fall off the rails into apathy, but to keep on going and doing whatever presents itself to me to do. It just won't let me off the hook!
Hey Todd, I enjoy the discussion. I’m not sure if i buy the Shrew as Divine Right argument, but it is flattering to us all. My father worked in media so i saw how the sausage was made as a child. Got to peer behind the curtain so to speak. One trick he used to do was to do “blow out” the overhead light while with the back of his elbow he flipped off the light switch. He let me catch him. Perhaps that is how i learned to question the narrative and sniff out the BS. Then again being chosen by the Lord is more favorable.
Well, this may water down my perceived intention, but I think everything we do is "chosen by the Lord"...in a rather strange and ineffable way. We do have free will, but even that is "chosen" by our higher self. The reason the "Shrew as Divine Right" is interesting is because it involves a consensus...meaning many of us are doing essentially the same thing...i.e., many of us are "chosen" for the same task. Which makes it seem a little more deliberate...like there is a goal, or an agenda, to being a shrew.
Take it or leave it...it is just a "rub the chin/scratch the head" sort of thing on my part. It doesn't make us any more special than being chosen to be poor in this life...or being chosen to be the "bad guy"....who knows, being a shrew may get us killed a lot sooner than being a sheep...would it be a "good thing" then?? Maybe...
Heard from a French thinker recently: the mind chooses the journey, the soul decides on the destination. I liked the image and wanted to share it here.
Mar 23, 2023·edited Mar 23, 2023Liked by Todd Hayen, PhD, RP
It's a good conversation starter. I think it's a helpful and calming view to think of everything we and others do as chosen by the lord. I don't believe we are in control as we imagine, and our rulers are even less in control than they insist. There are many who believe we "volunteered" to incarnate during this challenging time to intentionally be apart of some consciousness shift, or perhaps some eternal battle between good and evil. I'm willing to entertain just about any idea without becoming a die hard believer, since I temper it all with a reasonable dose of skepticism - or more accurately suspended judgment. It's all possible - and I suppose we'll all find out one way or another eventually.
Thanks for the post and discussion. Occasionally I post here on sub stack so if you are feeling generous please have a look. Thanks.
I am coming to believe that we did indeed decide to be here during these historical moments. And I think that our main duty is to remain human (as “they” try to implement transhumanism on us) and to be the most loving as possible (I now avoid thinking of Trudeau, Macron, Bonnie Henry and Theresa Tam - oh, let’s not forget Fauci!! - they get my blood curling and it’s not good for my health or my karma).
God forbid that happens!! The ChatGPT is clearly the beginning of the end in my opinion...well, there have been dozens of "beginnings of the end" over the years! Maybe we are closer to the end than I think!! Once "they" destroy creativity, they have got us by the throat...and again, no one seems to care.
Another way of framing your question is why some people blow the whistle and some people don't. There have been over 40 years of investigation into exactly this question in the organization studies literature. And after 40 years of post-positivist correlational studies with every demographic you can think of, and every institutional quality you can think of, the result has been an absolute nil in understanding anything about it. My doctoral dissertation was specifically on this subject and because of the dearth of illumination in the field, I took a completely different tack. Number one, I stopped looking for conscious motivations and assumed that what was operational was not necessarily apparent to the agent themselves. drawing on a union understanding, that individuals are the product not only of individual conditioning but also of societal and species conditioning, I investigated whistleblower reports and dreams with an eye to uncovering operative forces by means of which individuals have the wherewithal to object, to withstand criticism, to think clearly despite tremendous emotional investment, and to follow through. the conclusion to which I was led goes even beyond the spirit idea. it appeared that the forces operative in whistleblowing individuals are transpersonal, meaning that the individual is incidental to this phenomenon, not Central to it. it appeared that once a society gets so far out over the abyss by repressing the shadow side of a given quality - for example the shadow side of the hero in our culture is the good, brave guy, whereas our heroes are from what was formerly the shadow side, i.e. rapacious, merciless, relentless schemers, celebrities and bankers. this approach acknowledges the effect of unconscious currents in societies, as previously discussed by Young with respect to World Wars I and II. As we are embroiled in World War III, I think the perspective pertains once more. I believe the dissertation is online, entitled "As yang as it gets: Whistleblowers as archetypal heroes in contemporary society" by S Ivory 2016.
I'd be happy to send it to you on request I've wanted for a long while to turn it into normal peoplespeak and have it published, but the major publishers of archetypological material won't touch anything that isn't written by a "certified" Jungian therapist - as if no one can read him and understand unless the priesthood is standing by! Uggh! Pharisees are all around us, still counting the number of angels on the heads of their personally electroplated pins!
Good question , Todd. Maybe its time for you to develop a shrew/sheep test ? I think it has something to do with fear, many sheep seem to know what is going on, but they ignore it to be on the safe side, and with self fullfilling prophecy they sooner or later believe the lies. Naomi Kleins book about the Shock Therapy had some answers fot that question too, as far as i remember.
Yes, fear is a huge element...but it is a certain kind of fear. I think MANY sheep do have that basic fear of death and suffering...but I would think that is an elderly person thing. I have seen so many elderly people really fearful of impending death. I won't say anything about that because I am not so old yet that death is constantly on my mind...but I really don't think I will be like that when I am ancient.
I think the kind of fear that we see is a basic fear of change...of being in a "dark" place, of not knowing what to do, not know how to cope if the bottom dropped out...a fear of having to "think about where the next meal is coming from"....stuff like that...they want to just bop along as they always have and not have to deal with anything too difficult. I think that is something I saw when Trump was in office...people were so fearful that that he would cause their "usual" life to be so different...yeah, maybe he could have done that...but deal with it...roll with it...fight for keeping that from happening...people don't want to do that it seems. Some do, but most that feel that way are shrews, not sheep. Sheep don't like "shit disturbers"...
Yes, i think you are right with that kind of fear, some of that i often have by myself as a self employed artist (not the fear of death, or just financial death). And additionally its the fear of eventually not belonging to the group anymore, so they do what they think they have to do to be accepted by their group.
Mar 22, 2023·edited Mar 22, 2023Liked by Todd Hayen, PhD, RP
There are some excellent comments to your very interesting essay. I am old now and I appreciate being able to look back at all the stages I went through. I have very often wondered why behaviors of other people are so obvious to me and not to others. I don't think it is intelligence. I think it is intuition and growing wisdom that comes from conscious awareness. I also think people go through different times in their lives when they are just too overwhelmed by surviving that they don't have time for curiosity and searching for deeper truths. Also, they are satisfied with their own beliefs and since the MSM and churches are full of people that tell them what to believe, they find confirmation in being part of the group. I think that humanity is still at a very immature stage - proven by our wars, prejudices, selfishness, and destruction of our planet. We have no idea that we are souls taking lives in a body having a temporary experience to learn the greater lessons shown by the avatars like Jesus, and the Buddha that came to show us what the Divine being is like. Not "chosen" - AWARE. People like you are to help teach those who are trying to understand but don't know where to look. You have a mature soul.
No, it is not intelligence...there is plenty of that on both sides..."critical thinking" maybe, but that has to be defined rather specifically...."curiosity"...that seems to be a winner. Everything else you say is also right on...
I can’t say ‘why’ for sure, but for me the shrew/sheep spectrum divides based on one factor: courage. Can you stare at darkness and not turn away. Most people would rather gnaw their own leg off than face the reality of deep darkness. Shrews seem to be able to, and more to the point, they are built to tunnel right through it! I don’t know if you could have picked a more apt metaphorical creature.
When my sister and I picked "shrew" we really had no idea how appropriate the word is. We then researched it and found all this cool stuff about them...it IS pretty perfect!
Maybe shrews have a deep curiosity concerning the world around them. I know I question absolutely everything and love thinking and learning. I have a feeling many shrews are similar.
I also am at awe at with the natural world around us. There is so much complexity in the living world. I do believe in a creator (which I call God). I don't think people should 'play god' (which the transhumanists are focused on doing). I do believe in good and evil. And I do strive to be good. I am enjoying reading the Bible.
I did my research when it came to masks, covid, etc. But even before my research, deep down in my being I KNEW that all the covid mandates were wrong and evil on so many levels- which I found interesting because day to day i never feel like I know anything because I am such a questioner. I constantly question myself and my beliefs. But when it comes to good vs evil, moral vs immortal, I feel like the answer is clear. Such clarity must be from God.
I think you got a point. I believe there are things that we just "know" (especially good and evil); then we read and do research to confirm what we already know.
Wow… great article!
Hello Todd: I believe post-traumatic resilience has a lot to do with it. BTW, we are doing an event against globalism here in Western, Maine on May 20. It would be great to have you stop by.
I appreciate your comment, I have been coming around to the same conclusion, just obviously really stubborn about giving up on her. Anyway, I am intrigued with the idea of new sympatico friends.
I spend an inordinate amount of time obsessing about my "bestie" since 6th grade being such a sheep. She's vaxed, gets every booster, hates Trump, despises Fox, loves Obama, NPR and makes me gag with her virtue signaling on BS social issues. Any advice for me? I am bothered way too much asking why and will she ever wake up and doubt she gives my opinions a second thought
She is not your "bestie" anymore. Time to face up to it.
I've lost every one of my lifelong friends.
My new ones are as gold to me.
I’ve had a number of “epiphanies” in my life since I was a child, no idea where they came from; yet I am currently listening to testimonies from NDE experiences and so much of what they say is something I have already thought about so I’m thinking I might have been through several lives already, I long dearly for what they describe.
The biggest lesson in my life was in a math class in 6th grade; the teacher would write an equation on the blackboard and ask us if we’d think it was true or not and we had to be so confident in our response that we would be willing to have our head chopped (or hand burnt) over it. His daughter was top of the class (of course). One day I could clearly see that the equation was not true for a specific value of X (and true for all other ones) but went with the rest of the class (we all looked at his daughter who got it wrong) - got my head chopped that day and loathed myself for following the crowd against what I knew was true. The next time around, I was the only one in the class who saved my head. 40 years later I visited my teacher to thank him for that lesson.
From that moment I have not been interested in thinking like everyone else (some known personality whose name escapes me said that if everybody thinks the same way, then someone has stopped thinking and I think it’s perfectly said); although I did drink the climate change kool-aid for many years (now recovering, to my sheep husband’s despair).
I also resonate to the curiosity aspect - I was an avid reader (now Substack has taken over!! As well as videos and podcasts on all sorts of subjects- the main ones around the Covid insanity, the wokeness craziness, the revision of history (moon landing, JFK, Titanic, and possibly where we really come from- maybe some aliens gave us some knowledge or altered our DNA in the early days of our humanhood - although I won’t deny we’re still creatures from “God”.)
Mostly sheep around me (it can feel a bit lonely yet I am comfortable with it, not super interested in my former friendships who won’t see the slaughterhouse ahead of us) and super thankful for the discussions with the lovely shrews out there!!
I love this. I asked this very question at the end of one of my own articles (less eruditely than you have), beginning with a quote from Neil Oliver:
GB News commentator Neil Oliver (while interviewing Eva Vlaardingerbroek), aired this postulate: "I have a theory that no one’s been changed by the events of the last few years. I think that individuals’ true natures have simply been revealed … or even exposed. I think we’re seeing people for who they truly are and it’s been a fascinating revelatory time, I would say."
And I went on to say; "I’ve had this same thought, many times over. The danger, of course, is that I must then by default see myself as superior for not having believed the lie. But I can’t help it."
Then I asked my readers what they thought.
Now, reading this, the thought came to me that what we have in common, I think, is a sense of urgency to DO something. A feeling of great and burdensome responsibility, that keeps compelling us to determine what our next step of resistance ought to be, when we're so used to being stone-walled at every turn. So if indeed I'm in some way "chosen" then I'm divinely obliged to not fall off the rails into apathy, but to keep on going and doing whatever presents itself to me to do. It just won't let me off the hook!
Hey Todd, I enjoy the discussion. I’m not sure if i buy the Shrew as Divine Right argument, but it is flattering to us all. My father worked in media so i saw how the sausage was made as a child. Got to peer behind the curtain so to speak. One trick he used to do was to do “blow out” the overhead light while with the back of his elbow he flipped off the light switch. He let me catch him. Perhaps that is how i learned to question the narrative and sniff out the BS. Then again being chosen by the Lord is more favorable.
Well, this may water down my perceived intention, but I think everything we do is "chosen by the Lord"...in a rather strange and ineffable way. We do have free will, but even that is "chosen" by our higher self. The reason the "Shrew as Divine Right" is interesting is because it involves a consensus...meaning many of us are doing essentially the same thing...i.e., many of us are "chosen" for the same task. Which makes it seem a little more deliberate...like there is a goal, or an agenda, to being a shrew.
Take it or leave it...it is just a "rub the chin/scratch the head" sort of thing on my part. It doesn't make us any more special than being chosen to be poor in this life...or being chosen to be the "bad guy"....who knows, being a shrew may get us killed a lot sooner than being a sheep...would it be a "good thing" then?? Maybe...
Heard from a French thinker recently: the mind chooses the journey, the soul decides on the destination. I liked the image and wanted to share it here.
It's a good conversation starter. I think it's a helpful and calming view to think of everything we and others do as chosen by the lord. I don't believe we are in control as we imagine, and our rulers are even less in control than they insist. There are many who believe we "volunteered" to incarnate during this challenging time to intentionally be apart of some consciousness shift, or perhaps some eternal battle between good and evil. I'm willing to entertain just about any idea without becoming a die hard believer, since I temper it all with a reasonable dose of skepticism - or more accurately suspended judgment. It's all possible - and I suppose we'll all find out one way or another eventually.
Thanks for the post and discussion. Occasionally I post here on sub stack so if you are feeling generous please have a look. Thanks.
https://les4x5u6.substack.com/p/end-stage-optimism
I am coming to believe that we did indeed decide to be here during these historical moments. And I think that our main duty is to remain human (as “they” try to implement transhumanism on us) and to be the most loving as possible (I now avoid thinking of Trudeau, Macron, Bonnie Henry and Theresa Tam - oh, let’s not forget Fauci!! - they get my blood curling and it’s not good for my health or my karma).
In many ways it's a "logical" conclusion. It certainly provides context and meaning. I may be getting there myself.
Right on Les...totally there with you.
and again, "Drawing on a Jungian understanding", not "union" ... sorry again (said sheepishly ... haha!)
You rely too much on AI!!😂 At least it didn't use "onion"
i think that would be funny watching all our AI's talking to each other here, a bit like Facebook already is with their bots. Weird new world.
God forbid that happens!! The ChatGPT is clearly the beginning of the end in my opinion...well, there have been dozens of "beginnings of the end" over the years! Maybe we are closer to the end than I think!! Once "they" destroy creativity, they have got us by the throat...and again, no one seems to care.
My speech to text read Jung as Young ... sorry!
I figured as much!! Didn't think you would make that mistake...
Another way of framing your question is why some people blow the whistle and some people don't. There have been over 40 years of investigation into exactly this question in the organization studies literature. And after 40 years of post-positivist correlational studies with every demographic you can think of, and every institutional quality you can think of, the result has been an absolute nil in understanding anything about it. My doctoral dissertation was specifically on this subject and because of the dearth of illumination in the field, I took a completely different tack. Number one, I stopped looking for conscious motivations and assumed that what was operational was not necessarily apparent to the agent themselves. drawing on a union understanding, that individuals are the product not only of individual conditioning but also of societal and species conditioning, I investigated whistleblower reports and dreams with an eye to uncovering operative forces by means of which individuals have the wherewithal to object, to withstand criticism, to think clearly despite tremendous emotional investment, and to follow through. the conclusion to which I was led goes even beyond the spirit idea. it appeared that the forces operative in whistleblowing individuals are transpersonal, meaning that the individual is incidental to this phenomenon, not Central to it. it appeared that once a society gets so far out over the abyss by repressing the shadow side of a given quality - for example the shadow side of the hero in our culture is the good, brave guy, whereas our heroes are from what was formerly the shadow side, i.e. rapacious, merciless, relentless schemers, celebrities and bankers. this approach acknowledges the effect of unconscious currents in societies, as previously discussed by Young with respect to World Wars I and II. As we are embroiled in World War III, I think the perspective pertains once more. I believe the dissertation is online, entitled "As yang as it gets: Whistleblowers as archetypal heroes in contemporary society" by S Ivory 2016.
Wow...this is great! Thank you! I will look for your dissertation....sounds amazing...
I'd be happy to send it to you on request I've wanted for a long while to turn it into normal peoplespeak and have it published, but the major publishers of archetypological material won't touch anything that isn't written by a "certified" Jungian therapist - as if no one can read him and understand unless the priesthood is standing by! Uggh! Pharisees are all around us, still counting the number of angels on the heads of their personally electroplated pins!
Good question , Todd. Maybe its time for you to develop a shrew/sheep test ? I think it has something to do with fear, many sheep seem to know what is going on, but they ignore it to be on the safe side, and with self fullfilling prophecy they sooner or later believe the lies. Naomi Kleins book about the Shock Therapy had some answers fot that question too, as far as i remember.
Yes, fear is a huge element...but it is a certain kind of fear. I think MANY sheep do have that basic fear of death and suffering...but I would think that is an elderly person thing. I have seen so many elderly people really fearful of impending death. I won't say anything about that because I am not so old yet that death is constantly on my mind...but I really don't think I will be like that when I am ancient.
I think the kind of fear that we see is a basic fear of change...of being in a "dark" place, of not knowing what to do, not know how to cope if the bottom dropped out...a fear of having to "think about where the next meal is coming from"....stuff like that...they want to just bop along as they always have and not have to deal with anything too difficult. I think that is something I saw when Trump was in office...people were so fearful that that he would cause their "usual" life to be so different...yeah, maybe he could have done that...but deal with it...roll with it...fight for keeping that from happening...people don't want to do that it seems. Some do, but most that feel that way are shrews, not sheep. Sheep don't like "shit disturbers"...
Yes, i think you are right with that kind of fear, some of that i often have by myself as a self employed artist (not the fear of death, or just financial death). And additionally its the fear of eventually not belonging to the group anymore, so they do what they think they have to do to be accepted by their group.
There are some excellent comments to your very interesting essay. I am old now and I appreciate being able to look back at all the stages I went through. I have very often wondered why behaviors of other people are so obvious to me and not to others. I don't think it is intelligence. I think it is intuition and growing wisdom that comes from conscious awareness. I also think people go through different times in their lives when they are just too overwhelmed by surviving that they don't have time for curiosity and searching for deeper truths. Also, they are satisfied with their own beliefs and since the MSM and churches are full of people that tell them what to believe, they find confirmation in being part of the group. I think that humanity is still at a very immature stage - proven by our wars, prejudices, selfishness, and destruction of our planet. We have no idea that we are souls taking lives in a body having a temporary experience to learn the greater lessons shown by the avatars like Jesus, and the Buddha that came to show us what the Divine being is like. Not "chosen" - AWARE. People like you are to help teach those who are trying to understand but don't know where to look. You have a mature soul.
Thank you...very nice of you!
No, it is not intelligence...there is plenty of that on both sides..."critical thinking" maybe, but that has to be defined rather specifically...."curiosity"...that seems to be a winner. Everything else you say is also right on...
Good article Todd. Linked it @https://nothingnewunderthesun2016.com/ already about 10 days ago when Off Guardian ran it!!!
Thank you!!!
I can’t say ‘why’ for sure, but for me the shrew/sheep spectrum divides based on one factor: courage. Can you stare at darkness and not turn away. Most people would rather gnaw their own leg off than face the reality of deep darkness. Shrews seem to be able to, and more to the point, they are built to tunnel right through it! I don’t know if you could have picked a more apt metaphorical creature.
When my sister and I picked "shrew" we really had no idea how appropriate the word is. We then researched it and found all this cool stuff about them...it IS pretty perfect!
yes, i think wanting to see is part of it!
Shrews don't like Kool Aid and shrews, most likely, Have God as their #1.
Excellent essay.
Maybe shrews have a deep curiosity concerning the world around them. I know I question absolutely everything and love thinking and learning. I have a feeling many shrews are similar.
I also am at awe at with the natural world around us. There is so much complexity in the living world. I do believe in a creator (which I call God). I don't think people should 'play god' (which the transhumanists are focused on doing). I do believe in good and evil. And I do strive to be good. I am enjoying reading the Bible.
I did my research when it came to masks, covid, etc. But even before my research, deep down in my being I KNEW that all the covid mandates were wrong and evil on so many levels- which I found interesting because day to day i never feel like I know anything because I am such a questioner. I constantly question myself and my beliefs. But when it comes to good vs evil, moral vs immortal, I feel like the answer is clear. Such clarity must be from God.
Ditto
"Curiosity" is the key, that may be the common denominator...and "interest" and "intuition"...
I think you got a point. I believe there are things that we just "know" (especially good and evil); then we read and do research to confirm what we already know.