Bullshit 101… one man’s sincere attempt to deconstruct and rise above the racket of superstitious, partisan, nationalistic, materialistic, and tribal nonsense that plagues us all…
Table of Contents
Preface
Given our species’ capacity for strife, injustice, and cruelty in the name of so many patent falsehoods, the separation of fact from fiction is an urgent and deadly serious matter.
To that end, Bullshit 101 is one man’s sincere attempt to deconstruct and rise above the racket of superstitious, partisan, nationalistic, materialistic, and tribal nonsense that plagues us all.
Think of these pages as a crash course in reclaiming your humanity in a world full of lies.
First, as a penetrating examination of the nature of the beast: the insidious ways that falsehoods infiltrate our daily lives… the psychology behind its creation, acceptance, and spread… an exposé of the perpetrators and their sinister tactics… the widespread damage done as a result of false belief… and why bullshit is such a tough nut to crack.
Second, as a how-to manual for inoculating yourself against being duped, manipulated, and exploited by bullshit and dozens of empowering ways to fight back.
And third, as a celebration of the good, the true, and the beautiful along with words of hope and encouragement for people of goodwill who struggle every day to self-actualize and contribute to a more rational, honest, and compassionate society.
Introduction
Nonsense, rubbish, bunk, hooey, drivel, baloney, piffle, jive, claptrap, hogwash, bollocks, tripe, horse hockey, flim-flam, balderdash, malarkey, poppycock, gobbledygook, and mumbo-jumbo…
… each a colorful and poetic keeper that has its place, but there’s one word that rings head and shoulders above them all: bullshit.
BULL-SHIT… two yummy syllables that pop and flow with just the right tone.
By the way, I make no apologies if the “vulgarity” of such a word offends your ears. For the razor’s edge of such “vulgarity” is precisely what’s needed to cut through the madness in a way that politeness never can. But mostly because such “vulgarity” is nothing compared to the damage done by the toxic sludge of superstitious, partisan, nationalistic, materialistic, and tribal lies that continue to breed confusion, division, injustice, and violence everywhere.
What you are about to read is not some lame attempt at humor or a cheap shot at stupid people. It’s one man’s sincere attempt to call out and escape from the insane asylum of delusions, deceit, and disingenuity that engulfs us all.
Categories of Bullshit
Bullshit takes many forms and falls on a broad spectrum–ranging from silly and harmless to divisive and deadly…
Here for your consideration is a provisional list of such categories, presented in no particular order…
1
Bold-Faced Lies (Politicians excel at delivering these, shamelessly).
2
Harmless Exaggerations (fish stories, tall tales)
3
White Lies & Lame Excuses (“My dog ate my homework.”)
4
Meaningless Small Talk (“Let’s do Lunch.”)
5
Hearsay, Rumors, & Gossip (that could damage someone’s reputation, relationships, or career.)
6
Uninformed Opinions (almost everything that comes out of a typical American’s mouth)
7
False Advertising (Click Bait, Infomercials, the Fine Print, Bogus Claims, Gimmicks, Celebrity Endorsements, Promises of Overnight Success, Bait and Switch Tactics)
8
Misinformation & Disinformation (the charge of fake news, actual fake news, trillions of Tweets and Facebook posts)
9
Harmless Hoaxes (alien abduction, bigfoot, Loch Ness monster, the Yeti, Amityville Horror, Chariots of the Gods, Crop Circles, the Bermuda Triangle, Nostradamus’s “Prophecies”, Doomsday Predictions, Perpetual Motion Machines, Spontaneous Human Combustion, Chain Letters)
10
Harmful Hoaxes (The Big Lie, Claim that the MMR Vaccine causes autism, Medical Quackery, Healing Pilgrimage Sites)
11
Superstitious Nonsense (Karma, Lucky Numbers, Omens, Ouija Boards, Rabbits Feet, Hex Signs, Rosary Beads)
12
The Supernatural (Supreme Beings, Angels, Devils, Heavens, Hells, Eternal Souls, Demonic Possession, Exorcism, Virgin Birth, Reincarnation, Resurrection, the Divine Plan, Divine Intervention)
13
The Paranormal (Clairvoyance, Poltergeists, Haunted Houses, Ghosts, Mind Reading, Astral Projection, Remote Viewing, Telepathy, Pyramid Power, Out of Body Experiences)
14
The Occult (Astrology, Horoscopes, Tarot, Palm Reading, Numerology, Witchcraft, Voodoo)
15
Junk Science / Pseudo Science (Dianetics, Chakras, Reiki, Feng Shui, Human Auras, Energy Work, Extra Sensory Perception, Creation Science, Intelligent Design)
16
Alternative Medicine (Ayurvedic “medicine”, Chinese “medicine”, Osteopathic “medicine”, Reflexology, Homeopathy, Acupuncture, Phrenology, Applied Kinesiology)
17
Mysticism (“Spiritual but not Religious”, New Age whatever, The Law of Attraction, Synchronicity, Enlightenment, Quantum Woo Woo, Nirvana)
18
Deep Fakes (photo, audio, and video manipulation)
19
Political Rhetoric, Spin, & Propaganda (The Big Lie, fake outrage, empty campaign promises, almost everything that comes out of a politician’s mouth)
20
Political “Debates” (typically just partisan hacks spouting lies, making empty promises, pretending to care, demonizing the opposition, and talking right past each other.)
21
Diplomacy as practiced by most “diplomats” (The United Nations–largely a bunch of champagne toasting aristocrats pretending to care and paying lip service to the news of the day.)
22
Political Correctness (leads to censorship about important matters)
23
Identity Politics (used to stereotype and divide people)
24
Stereotyping (the demonization and dehumanization of “those” people)
25
Mindless Clichés (“I’m okay. You’re okay.”)
26
Empty Platitudes (“Everything happens for a reason.”)
27
Dismissive Platitudes (“Happiness is a choice”, “God never gives us more than we can handle.”)
28
Deceptive Language used to confuse, manipulate, and intimidate.
29
Euphemisms (“collateral damage”).
30
Flattery (Blarney, Brown Nosing).
31
Bogus Reviews (on Trip Advisor, Yelp, Airbnb, Amazon, etc.)
32
Hypocrisy (conservative “family values”)
33
Coded Language (racist dog whistles).
34
Pretense (false piety, fake outrage, virtue signaling, “thoughts and prayers”, patriotism as “practiced” by most.)
35
Pointless, Wasteful Activity (boondoggles, busy work, bureaucratic red tape, The United Nations, summit meetings, most legislative sessions)
36
Disingenuity (Ulterior Motives, giving pro-social reasons to justify selfish interests.)
37
Insincerity (lip service, crocodile tears)
38
The Phony & Inauthentic (quite a bit of popular “culture”, public images)
39
Anything that lacks seriousness (The Occupy Movement)
40
Oaths that Few Take Seriously (Oaths of Office, Marriage Oaths)
41
Disingenuous Debate Tactics (Gish galloping, straw manning, moving the goal posts–shamelessly used by politicians and religious apologists)
42
Slander, False Accusations (whisper campaigns, The McCarthy Hearings)
43
Conspiracy Theories (The Big Lie, The Deep State, The New World Order, The Sandy Hook mass shooting was a “false flag”, NASA faked the moon landing, the FDA suppresses natural cures for cancer because of drug company pressure, The Roswell Incident, Area 51, Chem Trails, Flat Earth Society)
44
Lies of Omission (cherry-picking evidence that supports a position while ignoring or intentionally hiding evidence that refutes it.)
45
Priesthoods (The mere notion that special men exist who have supernatural knowledge and magic powers.)
46
Honorific Titles (Your Majesty, Your Holiness, etc.)
47
National Myths (American Exceptionalism, Manifest Destiny, MAGA, The Good Old Days, Rugged Individualism, Meritocracy, Self-Made Man, In God We Trust, The Invisible Hand, Volunteer Military, Justice for All, No One Above the Law, Give us Your Tired Your Poor)
48
Misplaced Admiration (Things that lots of people are emotionally and physically aroused by that are, in fact, quite trivial: sports fanaticism, celebrity worship, supermodels, status symbols, “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.”)
49
The Just Not Right (Things that are quite real, but patently unfair, unethical, and immoral: authoritarianism, corruption, nepotism, racism, sexism, diplomatic immunity, police brutality, obscene concentrations of wealth and coercive power)
Can you think of some other categories and illustrative examples?
Meet the Amateur Bullshitter
You know who he is: the know-it-all bending your ear at the office, bar, or coffee shop…
… Confidently spouting his uniformed opinions.
… Pretending to be a knowledgeable and concerned citizen.
… Parroting something he’s heard in his social media echo chamber.
… Hiding behind ready-made slogans that validate his prejudices.
… Fancying himself quite the expert in matters he knows almost nothing about.
… Beaming with unjustified pride in things he’s not earned in the least.
… Oblivious to his biases and preconceptions.
… Oblivious to the fact that he even has biases and preconceptions.
… And particularly vocal about matters for which he has no skin in the game.
He’s doing all the talking and you’re doing all the listening–sincerely trying to make sense of the nonsense he’s broadcasting (or just seeing the futility of doing so and wanting to get away).
Why does he do it? I suspect to seem more knowledgeable, wise, virtuous, and important than he really is. To that extent he has my pity.
But unlike the teller of tall tales whose harmless exaggerations are easily dismissed with a sympathetic smile, the amateur bullshitter is a real problem… for at least ten huge reasons:
- He has lots of literal and figurative drinking buddies who resonate with his uninformed views of the world.
- His identity is not derived from what he does, but by his membership in some inherently divisive religious or political group.
- Such membership often compels him to lend his moral and financial support to the professional bullshitters (preachers and politicians) who profit from his loyalty, allowing them to continue preying upon the desperate and vulnerable.
- His need to belong unites locally by dividing globally, automatically creating an “us” versus “them”.
- Naturally, his tribe must be lionized and glorified while competing tribes must be demonized and dehumanized.
- Eminently uncurious and lacking self-awareness, he’s quick to judge. For he’s never read anything, done anything, or met anyone who might challenge his preconceptions and prejudices.
- He may have reproduced… and it’s likely that he’s indoctrinated his offspring into his narrow-minded, divisive view of the world.
- His worldview is so deeply enmeshed with his identity and self-esteem that it cannot be penetrated by facts and logic.
- He has no more freedom or dignity than Pavlov’s salivating dogs or Skinner’s pecking pigeons, yet has the power to do lots of damage with his words and actions.
- He votes. And his vote counts just as much as yours.
Meet the Professional Bullshitters
Shysters, hucksters, conmen, grifters, charlatans, chiselers, scammers, posers, frauds, finaglers, hypocrites, imposters, phonies, blowhards, hustlers, cheaters, whitewashers, propagandists, flatterers, playactors, counterfeiters, plagiarists, swindlers, double-dealers, hoodwinkers, bamboozlers, malingerers, freeloaders, stonewallers, slanderers, obstructionists, trolls, shills, hoaxers, confidence tricksters, gas lighters, suck ups, grandstanders, brainwashers, virtue signalers, panderers, opportunists, operators, pretenders, fear mongers, ass kissers, smear merchants, hypnotists, demigods, mud slingers, blame shifters, yes men, sophists, touts, indoctrinators, image managers, spin doctors, flip floppers, racketeers, and demagogues.
Quite a list of scoundrels… lying, cheating, stealing, deceiving, scapegoating, evading, deflecting, concealing, manipulating, and posturing their way to fame, power, and fortune.
Things wouldn’t be such a concern except that such criminals exist by the millions and hold positions of coercive authority.
So who are the professional bullshitters? (People whose actual job is to bullshit you).
Here, for your consideration, is a partial list of careers available to anyone willing to deny reality, reject common decency, and who has no qualms about exploiting desperate and vulnerable people to suit their selfish ends…
Anti-Vaxxer, Astrologer, Cheating Athlete, Bureaucrat, Creation Scientist, Climate Change Denier, Conspiracy Theorist, Cult Leader, Curandero, Dictator, Diplomat, Faith Healer, Fortune Teller, New Age Guru, Holocaust Denier, Imam, Internet Troll, Investment Guru, Lawyer, Life Coach, Lobbyist, Marketer, Medium, Mentalist, Mind Reader, Minister, Motivational Speaker, Medical Quack, Palm Reader, Pastor, Priest, Prosperity Preacher, Psychic, Partisan Pundit, Politician, Public Relations Manager, Publisher, Rabbi, Shaman, Social Justice Warrior, Telemarketer, Televangelist, Reality TV Producer, Witch Doctor.
Can you think of some others?
The Bullshit Artist: A Psych Evaluation
A key feature of the bullshit artist’s psychological profile is that he doesn’t care about what’s true and false…
What matters is the effect his words and actions have on his audiences–sometimes with sinister intent.
What matters to the bullshitter is how his words or actions “play”.
I repeat: The bullshitter doesn’t care if something is true or not. In fact, he may not even know if something is true of not.
He may have no concept of right and wrong.
He may not even be aware of his motivations.
Yet he’ll say almost anything to get what he wants. If it suits his selfish ends, he’ll make bad things sound good and good things sound bad… false things sound true and true things sound false… fake things sound real and real things sound fake… beautiful things sound ugly and ugly things sound beautiful.
He may not even be conscious that he’s doing it. Bullshitting, that is.
Being knowledgeable, wise, virtuous, and important is irrelevant. Seeming knowledgeable, wise, virtuous, and important is everything.
He lies with what he says. He also lies with what he doesn’t say.
He doesn’t care about the truth because the truth is bad for business. Unless, of course, it’s good for business. Are you catching on now?
Again, truth or falsity DOES NOT MATTER.
I repeat: What matters to the bullshitter is how IT “plays”… IT being what the bullshitter wants to sell… and typically what their congregations, constituents, and customers want to hear.
Does that make sense now?
Do you see how bullshit works?
And do you see why bullshit is such a tough nut to crack?
back to… Table of Contents
The Professional Bullshitter’s Playbook
The professional bullshitter has an enormous arsenal of ingenious methods for separating vulnerable humans from their minds, hearts, and hard-earned money…
Let us count the ways…
1
Lying through their teeth.
2
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
3
Highlighting anything that’s good for their image and ignoring everything that’s bad.
4
Exploiting their mark’s natural respect for, trust in, and fear of authority figures.
5
Convincing their marks that obedience to authority and conformity with the in-group are virtuous and praiseworthy.
6
Exploiting the vanity, fear, greed, and bigotry of their marks.
7
Implanting vanity, fear, greed, and bigotry in their marks.
8
Lionizing themselves while demonizing the opposition.
9
Censoring anything that might challenge the bullshitter in any way.
10
Distracting their congregations and constituents away from “dangerous thoughts”.
11
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
12
Training children to remain silent until they’ve been trained to parrot the unexamined professions of their masters.
13
Discouraging curiosity and initiative.
14
Charging dissenters with disloyalty.
15
Charging doubters with the sin of pride.
16
Celebrating the virtues of being a follower (not a leader).
17
Repeating a lie again and again and again (a remarkably effective tactic on people already primed to accept anything that validates their preconceptions and prejudices.)
18
Mixing dangerous lies with enough truth so they can accuse their critics of being baby-killers whenever they challenge the bathwater.
19
Claiming that they are the answer to all your problems.
20
Deflecting and shifting blame.
21
Convincing their marks that they cannot possibly know right from wrong without the tutelage and sanction of “the authorities”.
22
Answering a simple yes/no question with a rambling answer.
23
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
24
Being so specific so that their words are literally not a lie.
25
Making simple things seem too complicated for their marks to understand.
26
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
27
Attacking the opposition, rather than addressing the problem.
28
Repeating a lie again and again and again.
29
Answering an inconvenient question by attacking the questioner.
30
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
31
Hiding behind legality when it suits them.
32
Hiding behind the diplomatic immunity conferred by their badge, title, or position.
33
Selling an easy answer to a hard problem.
34
Deflecting the conversation away from inconvenient facts and questions.
35
Doubling down when caught in lie. And repeating the lie like it’s no big deal.
36
Demonstrating a total lack of empathy and compassion.
37
Repeating a lie again and again and again.
38
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
39
Exaggerating their accomplishments, qualifications, and credentials.
40
Accusing the opposition of the very thing the bullshitter himself is most guilty of.
41
Straw manning (intentionally misrepresenting an opponents argument in order to make it easier to refute.)
42
Putting down the accomplishments of their opponents.
43
Repeating a lie again and again and again.
44
Pretending to have all the answers.
45
Pretending to be the smartest person in the room.
46
Using words as weapons… in order to hypnotize, tranquilize, and terrorize vulnerable people.
47
Using hypnotic language: word salad, dog whistles, empty platitudes, and mind-numbing slogans.
48
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
49
Convincing their marks that special humans exist (almost always men) who have supernatural knowledge and magic powers.
50
Convincing “the faithful” that believing in unbelievable things makes them special, not stupid.
51
Convincing their congregations and constituents that servitude is a good thing– and that only a select few are worthy of being the masters.
52
Making things up and presenting them matter-of-fact like they know what they’re talking about.
53
Repeating a lie again and again and again.
54
Half-Truthing (Lying by not lying, but by not telling the whole truth either.)
55
Lying with their words.
56
Lying with their silences.
57
Lying with their actions.
58
Lying with their inactions.
59
Training their marks to put their faith and trust in the bullshitters and to lose faith and trust in themselves.
60
Entertaining their marks to death in order to keep them busy and distract them away from “dangerous” thoughts.
61
Inventing and training their marks to fear monsters that don’t exist.
62
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
63
Shouting down the opposition.
64
Censoring the opposition.
65
Censoring “dangerous” ideas.
66
Repeating a lie again and again and again.
67
Criticizing without offering any solutions.
68
Threatening their marks with punishment for disobedience.
69
Spreading rumors, gossip, hearsay, and fake news.
70
Engaging in double-dealing, double-talk, and double-standards.
71
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
72
Taking the credit for something they never did.
73
Euphemizing (“collateral damage”).
74
Demonizing the opposition, out-groups, non-believers, truth-tellers, and “those” people.
75
Slandering the opposition, out-groups, non-believers, truth-tellers, and “those” people.
76
Stereotyping the opposition, out-groups, non-believers, truth-tellers, and “those” people.
77
Scapegoating the opposition, out-groups, non-believers, truth-tellers, and “those” people.
78
Dehumanizing the opposition, out-groups, non-believers, truth-tellers, and “those” people.
79
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
80
Playing the victim (when the bullshitters themselves are the oppressors).
81
Blaming the victim.
82
Repeating a lie again and again and again.
83
Confusing their marks with nonsensical doctrines, indecipherable scriptures, untestable claims, and baffling sacraments.
84
Making imaginary threats (of eternal hell, for example).
85
Making empty promises.
86
Denying facts and evidence.
87
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
88
Talking so fast that their marks have no time to think about what is being said.
89
Telling so many lies per minute (Gish Galloping) that even the most intelligent person in the world hasn’t got enough time in the day to rebuff them all.
90
Avoiding an honest answer by giving a long rambling response (when a simple Yes or No will do.)
91
Ignoring the question and merely making a speech of talking points.
92
Repeating a lie again and again and again.
93
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
94
Cultivating a group identity in their marks based on “us” versus “them”.
95
Cultivating ideologies based on what they’re against, not what they are for.
96
Declaring something in such a matter-of-fact way that most people will just accept its existence or truthfulness without question.
97
Creating a problem that doesn’t exist… with the goal of selling (profiting from) the solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.
98
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
99
Repeating a lie again and again and again.
100
Using stirring images, fiery sermons, beautiful people, and rousing music to induce vulnerable human brains to make unconscious associations between each intoxicating stimulus and each empty promise… of success, health, wealth, beauty, and salvation.
101
Speaking in code that conceals their true, sinister intentions.
102
Claiming they’ve been ordained by “god”.
103
Instilling a perverse inferiority/superiority complex in their marks–inferior with respect to the powers that be but superior with respect to the marginalized humans beings they scapegoat.
104
Charging non-believers with blasphemy.
105
Charging political opponents with treason.
106
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
Telling their marks exactly what they want to hear.
Can you think of some others?
back to… Table of Contents
The Damage Done
The damage done by bullshit, bullshitters, and bullshitting goes far beyond the spreading of harmless falsehoods…
Let us count the ways and victims of the superstitious and nationalistic nonsense and outright lies than engulf us all…
1
Distorts what people embrace as good, true, and beautiful.
2
Creates fear where there is no danger (and that fear creates danger that’s quite real.)
3
Destroys trust between human beings who would otherwise be friends.
4
Destroys the self-worth, self-confidence, and self-efficacy of vulnerable human beings.
5
Ruins relationships by driving artificial wedges between families, friends, neighbors, and countries.
6
Drives otherwise decent people to fight each other instead of fighting the real culprits, namely the greedy powers that be.
7
Stifles the intellectual and moral development of individual human beings (How can anybody learn and grow if they don’t even know what’s true and false?)
8
Stifles material and moral progress of society as a whole (How can any progress be made if we can’t agree on the facts?).
9
Compels vulnerable humans to shoot first (sometimes literally) and ask questions later (if they even ask at all).
10
Normalizes nationalism, racism, and sexism.
11
Denies billions of innocent trusting children the right not to be indoctrinated into the ridiculous beliefs of their ignorant elders.
12
Breeds unjustified fear of people you know almost nothing about—a fear that easily escalates to disgust and hatred.
13
Terrorizes vulnerable human beings with the fear of supernatural agents.
14
Terrorizes vulnerable humans with the fear of what’s going to happen to them after they die.
15
Adds confusion and distrust to a world that has more than enough confusion and distrust already.
16
Prevents individuals from making informed decisions in their daily lives. (How can anyone make a rational and ethical choice about anything without knowing the truth about things?)
17
Takes a toll on the physical and emotional well being of individuals. (Addiction, depression, anxiety, and other “disorders” are predictable outcomes for anyone trying to find sanity in an insane environment).
18
Enables ambitious evil doers to seize and consolidate wealth and coercive power.
19
Cultivates blind obedience to self-proclaimed “authority” figures (the professional bullshitters).
20
Unites locally by dividing globally.
21
Generates even more bullshit (In order to keep the superstitious, partisan, nationalistic, materialistic racket going).
22
Inspires “true believers” to fear, possibly hate, and commit violence against people who’ve done them no harm.
23
Rationalizes the dirty huge secret known as “collateral damage”.
24
Manipulates vulnerable human beings into actually voting against their own interests.
25
Crowds out honest discussion and therefore prevents humane and evidence-based solutions to serious public health problems (drug abuse, poverty, homelessness, crime, education, human rights, immigration, abortion, medical ethics, etc.)
26
Creates a neural net in vulnerable human brains called a “side”, an inherently divisive abstraction implanted there by bullshitters who profit from such division.
27
Harms and kills vulnerable humans who fear and refuse effective vaccines, practices, and medical treatments.
28
Harms and kills vulnerable humans who believe in and accept ineffective and even dangerous medical treatments.
29
Undermines democracy and rational evidence based policy-making.
30
Stifles individual freedom and self-actualization. (How is anyone supposed to make good decisions if their whole sense of self is distorted by superstitious and nationalistic nonsense?)
31
Erodes trust in legitimate public and government institutions.
32
Breaks down social order for lack of trust in each other. (It’s hard to know who to trust when there’s so much lying, cheating, stealing, corruption, and injustice)
33
Creates cynicism that discourages pro-social acts like charitable giving and community service.
34
Encourages lying, cheating, and stealing in kind… not necessarily because someone is dishonest, but because they feel compelled to level the playing field. (A particularly common practice in professional sports and politics.)
35
Alienates vulnerable humans from their own minds and hearts. (Authenticity is always at odds with inauthentic societal norms)
36
Pressures vulnerable humans into saying Yes when they mean No and No when they mean Yes.
37
Perpetuates ignorance about almost every important aspect of life: money, work, love, sex, drugs, race, marriage, religion, patriotism, and war.
38
Threatens to turn stereotyped human beings (“those” people) into becoming exactly what they are falsely accused of being.
39
Trains vulnerable humans to fear monsters that don’t exist… and to revere the monsters that do exist (the professional bullshitters).
40
Squanders a staggering amount of time, treasure, and talent as humans invent and worship so many false gods.
41
Squanders a staggering amount of time, treasure, and talent as desperate humans chase booby prizes, vicarious experiences, and effortless salvation.
42
Causes people to choose sides about life and death issues they know almost nothing about.
43
Creates a “society” where people are allowed to believe anything they want—no matter how bogus, vile, and destructive that belief might be.
44
Creates a “society” where people are shunned, imprisoned, tortured, and killed merely for being an other-believer or non-believer.
45
Creates a “society” where people are shunned, imprisoned, tortured, and killed for victimless crimes.
46
Creates a “society” where people are shunned, imprisoned, tortured, and killed merely for the way they were born (namely female, black, or queer).
47
Whitewashes history.
48
Destroys democratic institutions.
49
Creates a sense of impotence, hopelessness, and resignation in the masses.
50
Threatens freedom of religion and freedom from religion.
51
Stifles individuality, creativity, and community.
52
Encourages chauvinism.
53
Fosters anti-science sentiments.
54
Normalizes corruption.
55
Rationalizes all manner of immoral and unethical behavior.
56
Encourages unhealthy dependency on authority figures and discourages self-reliance.
57
Disorients the moral compass of an entire society.
58
Fosters rigid sex and gender roles (rather than a healthy integration of male and female, masculine and feminine virtues and values.)
59
Discourages and devalues critical thinking.
60
Encourages “the faithful” to pray rather than do.
61
Concentrates power in the hands of a few who use that power to exploit and abuse those without such power.
62
Perpetuates caste systems and the shunning, victim-blaming, and social inequalities such systems promote.
63
Desensitizes otherwise decent humans to violence and cruelty.
64
Normalizes discrimination and even violence against marginalized human beings. (Once you dehumanize a group of people, it’s a small step to rationalize doing so not just as acceptable but as a morally righteous duty.)
65
Traumatizes those who are stereotyped, marginalized, stigmatized, scapegoated, shunned, and dehumanized.
66
Provides the “justification” for hot wars, cold wars, civil wars, culture wars, apartheids, genocides, ethnic cleansings, witch hunts, lynchings, inquisitions, crusades, colonialism, slavery, killing fields, and ground zeros.
Can you think of some others?
back to… Table of Contents
Why Bullshit is Such a Tough Nut to Crack
There are at least a hundred reasons why bullshit is so hard to eradicate from the neural nets in vulnerable human brains…
1
Bullshit is so pervasive that most humans don’t even recognize it’s there.
2
Bullshit is an easy sell. The truth rarely is.
3
Most people have a large capacity for self-deception (a nice way to say they lie to themselves).
4
Superstitious and nationalistic myths are so deeply embedded in some cultures that nobody dares to question their legitimacy.
5
The professional bullshitters are just telling (and selling) people exactly what they want to hear.
6
The marketplace for selling people what they want to hear is enormous. And so, huge concentrations of wealth and power reward the professional bullshitters.
7
The bullshitters have convinced their congregations and constituents that believing is superior to thinking.
8
Mass media is full of hypnotic distractions expertly designed to separate vulnerable humans from their hearts, minds, and hard-earned money.
9
Mainstream media and news outlets are under extreme pressure to cave to the bottom line.
10
Bad actors are everywhere–shamelessly lying, cheating, and stealing to get what they want. (This may be hard for decent people to accept).
11
The professional bullshitters don’t merely spread falsehoods. They create them.
12
The professional bullshitters don’t merely create falsehoods. They sell them.
13
The professional bullshitters have us fearing and fighting each other rather than the real culprits: the bullshitters themselves. (divide & conquer)
14
In the age of social media, it’s fast, cheap and easy for millions of “stupid” people to be manipulated by one “smart” person with sinister intent.
15
Social media does more than give bullshitters a free platform to spread their lies. Social media give them a free platform to monetize their lies.
16
Belief in superstitious nonsense is almost never a totally private affair. (People sometimes do dangerous and destructive things with their unjustifiable beliefs.)
17
Belief in superstitious nonsense without evidence or moral argument is not merely tolerated, but actually celebrated and glorified.
18
Humans enjoy gossiping (typically a failed attempt to preserve self-esteem). Because of this, they easily become carriers and spreaders of falsehoods.
19
Most humans readily jump to self-serving conclusions based on limited or bogus evidence.
20
Most humans are primed to accept the first easy answer-–even if it’s the wrong answer.
21
Most human beings are swift to accept the evidence that validates their preconceptions and to ignore, reject, or deny the evidence that doesn’t.
22
Most human beings easily stereotype others based on their most visible characteristics.
23
Most humans readily stigmatize and scapegoat the innocent and defenseless in order to justify their own shortcomings.
24
Most humans greatly underestimate the ways and degrees to which the presence of other humans affects their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
25
Most human beings tend to mimic the behaviors of the herd that engulfs them.
26
Most human beings look first to others, not to themselves, for cues about right and wrong.
27
Most humans are more apt to base their self-worth on what others think of them, not what they think of themselves.
28
Most humans are more inclined to do something immoral or stupid than to disobey “authority”.
29
Most humans are more inclined to do something immoral or stupid than to risk becoming unpopular.
30
Most humans are more inclined to embrace a comforting falsehood over an inconvenient truth.
31
In order to preserve their self-esteem, humans have an enormous capacity to rationalize their unjustifiable beliefs and prejudices, even in the presence of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
32
Professional bullshitters are experts at tapping into human fear, greed, and vanity.
33
There is so much noise and so little signal on the internet that even sincere seekers of the truth have difficulty finding the complete and accurate information needed for making an informed decision.
34
In market cultures “the truth” is bought, sold, and owned by those with the deepest pockets.
35
In celebrity worship cultures, “the truth” is bought, sold, and owned by those with the biggest platforms.
36
In sensationalist cultures, “the truth” is bought, sold, and owned by those with the loudest mouths.
37
In authoritarian cultures, “the truth” is bought, sold, and owned by those with the biggest guns.
38
In theocratic cultures, “the truth” is bought, sold, and owned by those who use “god” to terrorize the masses into submission.
39
In entertainment cultures “the truth” becomes something nobody really cares about because they’re too busy being entertained to death.
40
The majority of things people hear and see at home, church, school, work, and the mass media are not food for your soul (I’m being kind here).
41
Human beings who sincerely love their neighbors are easily taken advantage of by those who don’t.
42
The preachers, politicians, and other snake oil salesmen have transformed deceit from a character flaw into an admirable talent and marketable skill.
43
Most people can’t handle the truth.
44
The professional bullshitters are experts in telling vulnerable people exactly what they want to hear.
45
Billions of desperate humans are hungry for anything to relieve them of the burdens of freedom and responsibility.
46
Popularity has a sneaky way of making things popular. This gives clever and well-funded bullshitters a huge advantage in the marketplace of ideas.
47
Most humans are easy marks for promises of effortless salvation and overnight success.
48
People don’t care who the messenger is (no matter how much they lack character and integrity) as long as the message is something the people want to hear.
49
Some bullshitters may actually believe what they’re peddling.
50
The bullshitters themselves may be victims of other more clever bullshitters—like puppets working puppets working puppets all the way up and down the dominance hierarchy. (Raising the terrifying possibility that nobody is in charge.)
51
The bullshitters themselves may be guilty of bullshitting themselves.
52
Most humans are easily trained to think, believe, feel, and do this or that by the system of rewards and punishments that define their environment.
53
Most people can’t handle the truth.
54
The professional bullshitters go well beyond indoctrinating their marks like trained animals. They also train their marks to believe that they haven’t been trained at all.
55
Superstitious and nationalistic nonsense is bred into the gene pool… by centuries of indoctrinations, reformations, counter-reformations, inquisitions, colonialisms, and genocides.
56
We don’t just live in the MIS-information and DIS-information age. We live in the MAL-information age.
57
It’s far more profitable for the powers that be to keep societal problems festering than it is to solve them.
58
The system isn’t broken. It’s fixed. Rigged. By the powers that be who make the laws and control the levers of coercive power.
59
Bullshit is almost always delivered with a mix of truths. Even the presence of a single baby makes it extremely difficult to throw out the bath water without being labeled a baby killer.
60
People are perfectly okay with being lied to if it’s something they want to hear.
61
Bullshitters hide in plain sight, occupying seats of power and “authority” in revered institutions such as governments, churches, schools, and corporations.
62
Bullshitters have actual occupations with honorific titles. Besides giving them coercive power, it gives the illusion that they are deserved gatekeepers of truth and virtue.
63
It’s the professional bullshitter’s job to tell you what you want to hear. In other words, bullshitting isn’t their fault; it’s their job.
64
The better the professional bullshitter is at bullshitting, the more successful they are.
65
Most humans are passive, not proactive learners… leaving them forever vulnerable to the “influencers” who define the bubble they live in.
66
Most humans care more about what people think of them than they think of themselves.
67
Most people can’t handle the truth.
68
Nobody goes to church, attends a political rally, or watches television to be told how selfish, self-righteous, greedy, lazy, and cowardly they are.
69
Superstitious, partisan, and nationalistic nonsense is easily passed from one generation to the next by ignorant parents who are allowed to indoctrinate their children.
70
Partisanship crowds out honest discussion about deadly serious societal problems.
71
Religiosity crowds out honest discussion about deadly serious societal problems.
72
Political correctness crowds out honest discussion about deadly serious societal problems.
73
The diplomatic immunity from criticism and criminal prosecution enjoyed by the mainstream churches and clergy.
74
“Justice for all” and “No one is above the law” are laughable. (It’s more about how much justice you can afford.)
75
Most people can’t handle the truth.
76
Belief in superstitious and nationalistic nonsense creates never ending cycles of tit-for-tat violence.
77
Every day, people are shunned, imprisoned, tortured, and killed merely for speaking the truth.
78
Teachers in public schools are hamstrung by political correctness.
79
Teachers in public schools are hamstrung by religious-partisan school boards and policies.
80
Teachers in public schools are afraid to speak the truth for fear of backlash from parents (on the left, right, and middle).
81
Teachers in public schools are afraid to speak the truth for fear of losing their jobs.
82
The professional bullshitters are quite skilled at exploiting the psychological vulnerabilities of their marks. Like shooting fish in a barrel.
83
In order to avoid the burdens of responsibility and decision making, people readily relinquish their power to “authority” figures.
84
Most humans never ask why.
85
People don’t learn want they don’t want to know.
86
People don’t want to know the truth. Because knowing the truth might render them responsible for doing something more than blame and complain.
87
Most people easily succumb to peer pressure and go along with the crowd.
88
The least competent humans overestimate their competence while the most competent humans tend to underestimate their competence. (The Dunning-Kruger effect)
89
Most humans are eager to believe almost anything that validates their biases and preconceptions.
90
The bad guys have a huge advantage over the good guys because the bad guys don’t play by the rules of fair play, honesty, and common decency.
91
Accepting bullshit is effortless. Challenging bullshit requires work—something that most humans don’t enjoy.
92
Most people don’t think. This makes them easy marks for people who do think.
93
Ignorance and arrogance fester as both causes and effects of each other in vicious never ending cycles.
94
Most people can’t handle the truth.
95
Failure of our education system to encourage and cultivate critical thinking.
96
Most humans are extremely poor students.
97
Lack of basic education in how human brains work—especially how profoundly vulnerable we are to self-serving biases
98
The Bullshit Asymmetry Principle (Brandolini’s Law): “The amount of energy required to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude greater than the amount of energy required to produce it.” (In other words, honest and decent people need to work ten times harder than the bullshitters just to break even in the marketplace of ideas).
99
Social media enables bullshit to be tweeted, retweeted, TikTok-ed, Facebook-ed, and Instagram-ed around the globe at the speed of light without any consideration for the consequences.
100
Bullshitting is big business and the social media companies know it… raking in billions of dollars a day providing world-wide platforms for professional bullshitters to prey upon vulnerable humans.
101
In an effort to preserve their self-esteem, most humans are eager to accept anything (bullshit included) that makes them feel good about themselves.
102
When faced with a difficult decision between doing something and doing nothing, most humans will default to doing nothing. This has the effect of paralyzing even people of good will.
103
The professional bullshitters are quite skilled at telling vulnerable humans exactly what they want to hear.
104
Some humans are so depraved that they actually enjoy lying, cheating, stealing, manipulating, and committing violence against other human beings.
105
Bullshit tends to attract even more bullshit.
106
Preachers, politicians, and other snake oil salesmen do not merely exploit the fears and insecurities of their marks. They implant such fears and insecurities in their marks.
107
The professional liars—preachers, politicians, and marketers—are quite skilled at making their self-serving falsehoods not just seem believable, but desirable.
108
The truth is a huge threat to the status quo… and therefore a threat to the powers that be. So, calling bullshit and calling out the bullshitters is not without risk of backlash.
109
Vulnerable humans keep clicking on click bait.
110
Internet searches and social media algorithms (legalized spying) keep people trapped in their echo chambers, preventing them from being exposed to alternative views and reliable evidence that might sway their minds and hearts.
111
The patriarchal “values” and “virtues” of obedience and conformity dominate the structures, practices, and “leadership” of revered social institutions: churches, schools, governments, political parties, industries, economies, militaries, etc.
112
Most people can’t handle the truth.
Most people can’t handle the truth.
Most people can’t handle the truth.
Most people can’t handle the truth.
Most people can’t handle the truth.
Most people can’t handle the truth.
Most people can’t handle the truth.
Most people can’t handle the truth.
Most people can’t handle the truth.
Can you think of some others? (I bet you can!)
back to… Table of Contents
Ways to Inoculate Yourself
One reason the world is so jacked up is that billions of humans continue to think, believe, feel, and do… exactly what the preachers, politicians, and marketers have trained them to think, believe, feel, and do.
Here, for your consideration, is a collection of simple but effective ways to NOT be one of them.
1
Realize that sincere doubt is more than just a right. Sincere doubt is a sacred responsibility… and the only thing that makes sincere belief even possible.
2
Listen carefully, but don’t believe everything you hear.
3
Watch carefully, but don’t believe everything you see.
4
Before accepting or rejecting anything, ask yourself: “Do I have a vested interest in adopting one position over another?”
5
Scrutinize anything that demands little of you with even more skepticism than something that demands much.
6
Beware anyone who’s trying to sell you something.
7
Learn the many ways that your unthinking brain is vulnerable to self-serving biases. (see “Psych 101: A Crash Course in Human Behavior”)
8
Challenge your own beliefs and behaviors with as much or even more vigor than you challenge the beliefs and behaviors of others.
9
Live above the fray… of competition, contention, culture wars, identity politics, militarism, religiosity, partisanship, nationalism, and every other form of “us” versus “them” tribalism.
10
Realize that obedience to “authority” is the least reliable way to know the truth.
11
Realize that direct experience is the most reliable way to know the truth.
12
Have the wisdom to recognize and the honesty and courage to admit your profound ignorance regarding most matters.
13
Don’t believe every thought that you think.
14
Don’t believe every feeling that you feel.
15
Never accept anything anyone tells you without putting it to the tests of love and logic for yourself.
16
Trust your own eyes, ears, and innate moral compass. Such is not the sin of pride but a form of self-respect and the acceptance of deep responsibility.
17
Realize that the right answer is almost never found by choosing sides.
18
Educate yourself in the liberal arts and in the methods of science. Doing so will inoculate you from self-deception—and also from being deceived by others.
19
Don’t be quick to accept or reject a belief, idea, or position.
20
Stop basing your worldview on partial truths. (People demonize, act, vote, and even kill over partial truths all the time.)
21
Accept the responsibility to find the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
22
Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know.”
23
Put the truthfulness and spirit of everything you see and hear on trial.
24
Be a student of the entire world, not just the bubble you were born to.
25
Realize that ignorance may be bliss for some, but don’t allow ignorance to become bliss for you.
26
Survey the world’s religions, not just for their doctrines, but for their historical roots and impacts on the world, both good and bad.
27
Get to know people who are “different”.
28
Seek knowledge and wisdom from the sacred and secular, conservative and liberal, masculine and feminine, ancient and modern, eastern and western, mainstream and fringe.
29
Do honorable things that scare you.
30
Keep your worldview forever open to revision as new evidence and moral arguments present themselves.
31
Before taking a position on a deadly serious matter, ask yourself: “Would I bet my life on it?”
32
Dedicate yourself forever to the truth, no matter how inconvenient or humbling that truth might be.
33
Challenge a convenient answer with even more vigor and skepticism than an inconvenient answer.
34
Realize that the words of others can steer you down many blind alleys, but direct experience will never distance you from the truth.
35
Realize that popularity is not a reliable indicator of goodness, truth, or beauty.
36
Realize that knowledge, truth, and wisdom are found by emulating the great doers, not by flocking around the fancy talkers.
37
Ask why and keep on asking why until you get an honest and satisfactory answer.
38
Realize that you are always being targeted by the professional bullshitters.
39
Realize that if something’s too easy, simple, or good to be true it probably is.
40
Realize that preachers, politicians, and marketers do not profit by making their congregations, constituents, and consumers comfortable in their own skins. In fact, the least suggestion that you can see, hear, think, feel, and do anything without them threatens their very existence.
41
Realize that peer pressure is quite real… and that following the crowd is almost never the right thing to do.
42
Realize that what passes for “balanced reporting” is little more than two partisan hacks being allowed to spout lies, avoid the issues, attack the opposition, and talk right past each other.
43
Realize that what passes for “news” these days is nothing more than advertising.
44
Realize that the internet is expertly designed to distract you as much as possible (and to encourage you to “share” your distraction with your circle of family and friends) in order to infiltrate all your lives with manipulative advertising.
45
Realize that your attention is always under siege. If you don’t direct your own attention the politicians, preachers, and marketers will direct it for you.
46
Learn to direct your own attention. Doing so is like a superpower in a world full of hypnotic distractions expertly designed to separate you from your heart, mind, and hard-earned money.
47
Never allow yourself to be distracted by the petty, vulgar, or trivial.
48
When someone makes a fantastic or divisive claim, question the credibility of the source.
49
When someone makes a fantastic or divisive claim, ask for evidence and check its reliability.
50
When someone makes a fantastic or divisive claim, consider their motives for doing so.
51
When someone makes any fantastic or divisive claim, ask yourself: “What are they selling (literally) or who are they funded by?”
52
Don’t just think once. Think twice, maybe even thrice or more before speaking or sharing something on social media. (Alas, most people don’t even think once.)
53
Approach any fantastic or divisive claim with skepticism, not acceptance.
54
Don’t vilify someone based on a partial truth.
55
Don’t get too full of yourself based on a partial truth.
56
Realize that we are all vulnerable to confirmation bias. So, seek out sources with opposing views to your own and be able to steelman their position.
57
The more sensational the claim, the more it should be met with skepticism.
58
Seek multiple sources along the political spectrum.
59
Exercise click restraint when on the internet. Stop clicking on the first page of an internet search. Go at least three pages deep, maybe more.
60
Stop clicking on click bait links.
61
Realize that what you see on the internet is effectively censored because the highest-ranking search goes to dumbed down content that caters to the least common denominator, clever marketers, bottom lines, and highest bidders.
62
Stop liking, sharing, and commenting on questionable content.
63
Most conspiracy theorists and partisan hacks are already well known because having their names out there is part of their business model. Google their names before blindly accepting what they say.
64
Beware any “authority”, creed, or enterprise that comes bearing flattery.
65
Beware any “authority”, creed, or enterprise that teaches you that it’s okay to feel better without having to be better.
66
Beware any “authority”, creed, or enterprise that allows you to feel special without having to do special.
67
Beware any “authority”, creed, or enterprise that puts salvation in a can and sells it.
68
Beware the Bible thumpers and flag wavers. Beware the most conspicuously “pious” and “patriotic”. For they are likely the biggest hypocrites.
69
Realize that the filthy rich and filthy powerful are not to be admired but pitied.
70
Reconsider who your heroes are. Hint: The real heroes are the many “ordinary” people who bring food, water, shelter, peace, justice, freedom, knowledge, health, comfort, safety, opportunity, joy, hope, and kindness to others every day–sometimes at great personal sacrifice and risk.
Can you think of some others?
back to… Table of Contents
Ways to Fight Back
What is any reasonable and decent person to do to confront the toxic sludge of stifling, blinding, and divisive bullshit that engulfs us all?
Here, for your consideration, is a collection of simple (not to be confused with easy) ways to help eradicate bullshit and put the bullshitters out of business…
1
Never pretend to be something you’re not.
2
Give honest answers to sincere questions.
3
Never allow your silence to grant your consent in the face of bigotry, racism, sexism, and injustice.
4
Purify your speech of all deceit, conceit, hypocrisy, self-righteousness, and cowardice.
5
Say what you mean and mean what you say.
6
Say Yes when you mean Yes and No when you mean No.
7
Eradicate greed, vanity, and prejudices from your own psyche.
8
Never allow anyone to tell you who you are.
9
Never relinquish the responsibility and privilege of setting your own standards.
10
Reject superstition, partisanship, nationalism, and tribalism in all forms.
11
Never allow yourself to be defined by membership in any group that is other than.
12
Reject all memberships, alliances, and allegiances that are neither good, nor true, nor beautiful.
13
When confronted by someone who holds a misguided and mistaken view, try appealing to their virtues. If that doesn’t work, quietly move on without attacking them.
14
When confronted by someone who holds a misguided and mistaken view, try asking some simple questions that will immediately expose their mistake. If that doesn’t work, quietly move on without attacking them.
15
Be skeptical, wary, and prudent… but don’t succumb to cynicism.
16
Teach your children never to accept anything anyone tells them (you included) without putting it to the tests of love and logic for themselves.
17
Challenge the amateur bullshitter and powers that be anytime they stereotype “those” people–the marginalized, oppressed, and exploited.
18
Never allow identity politics to trump your humanity, sanity, and sense of decency.
19
Don’t censor the bullshitters. Keep them talking. They’ll eventually paint themselves into a logical or moral corner.
20
Never deflect responsibility by hiding behind the rules. (“Not my job” is not a reason. “I was just following orders” is not a reason.)
21
No matter the pressure from above, below, left, or right, never do anything stupid, mean, or cowardly.
22
If you’re on social media, be a model of honesty, accuracy, and decency.
23
Realize that sometimes force is required to protect the innocent in the face of humans who have no conscience, no empathy, and no remorse. (This is often a difficult truth for any decent person to accept.)
24
Call out the professional bullshitters–the politicians, preachers, and marketers–not just for their lies but also for their disingenuous tactics and sinister intent.
25
Vote your conscience in the ballot box.
26
Vote your conscience in the jury room.
27
Be a visible ally to the oppressed and marginalized.
28
Come out as a non-believer in superstitious nonsense.
29
Pledge your allegiance to one thing only: your innate sense of right and wrong.
30
Stop being polite in the presence of ignorance, arrogance, injustice, and stupidity.
31
Stop sending the professional bullshitters your hard-earned money.
32
Reject obedience to authority as a measure of morality.
33
Reject approval with the herd as your standard for the right thing to do.
34
Never let the bullshitters live rent free in your head. Challenge them or move on to something constructive.
35
Come out and be out for secular humanist values.
36
Come out and be out for LOVE and LOGIC.
37
Boycott greedy and unethical businesses.
38
Own your mistakes and make amends to those you’ve wronged—completely and without blame or excuses.
39
Live an honest life.
40
Be the kind of person that gives other people something to believe in.
Can you think of some others?
back to… Table of Contents
The NOT Bullshit List
No primer on bullshit would be complete without a celebration of things that aren’t bullshit… and worthy of everyone’s reverence and trust…
Affection… Authenticity… Character… Community… Compassion… Cooperation… Courage… Creativity… Curiosity… Diversity… Empathy… Equity… Evidence… Fairness… Forgiveness… Freedom… Friendship… Generosity… Gratitude… Honesty… Human Rights & Responsibilities… Humility… Inclusion… Integrity… Justice… Kindness… The Laws of the Nature… Logic… Love… Mathematics… Responsibility… The Methods and Virtues of Science… and Work that brings food, water, shelter, peace, justice, freedom, knowledge, health, comfort, safety, opportunity, joy, hope, and kindness to others…
… each and every one of the above capable of standing on its own merits, without belief in the unbelievable and without sanction from any “authority,” earthly or divine.
back to… Table of Contents
Going Forward: Words of Hope & Encouragement
A life lived with radical honesty and purpose is not for the selfish or faint of heart…
For there’s no shortage of reasons to become disillusioned in a world full of manufactured lies… to succumb to cynicism in a world where the guilty prosper and innocent suffer… to withdraw from a world where no good deed goes unpunished… and to despair of a world where greed, fear, and hate are often stronger forces than LOVE.
And the resistance does not end there. For your sincere and noble efforts at authentic living are always a threat to the powers that be and to the cowardly herds that surround you… all so eager to shun, criticize, and ostracize anyone who refuses to think, believe, feel and do as they are told. But please don’t lose heart. Realize that the reasons for quitting are often the very same reasons you must keep on trying.
And never underestimate how much power you have to change the world. Never stop believing in yourself. Know that you are on a righteous path of responsible freedom that most people never dare to tread.
And know that every act of honesty, kindness, generosity, and courage in a world full of greed, bigotry, fear, and hate scores a victory for all humankind… today and for all time to come. And no contribution is too small.
Just in case you need a little nudge to become a cause: Consider it a great gift to know better… and a great privilege, not a burden, to have the precious opportunity to do better.
*** The End ***
Now Available on Kindle…
Special Note: Frank has never aspired to be an author. He’s too busy doing more important things than marketing himself and chasing fame and fortune. So if Kindle’s not your thing, please email booksbyfrank@frankjpeter.com. He’d be happy to send you a PDF version of this post for free, no strings attached.
back to… Table of Contents
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