With the expansion of communication at warp speed and a slight click of a button, we are bombarded with information 24/7. Unfortunately, a lot of it is disinformation and misinformation. And, of course, some of it is all out false. The internet has turned into the information highway from hell. Of all times, it is imperative that we learn how to discern and differentiate fact from fiction. I find conspiracy theorist and their theories amusing. However, it is just that, for amusement purposes. Unfortunately, I am seeing far too many people embracing these things as truth and facts. Worse, they spread the ignorance and disinformation to others. It starts to affect the minds of people and their ability to think clearly; to sort out fact from fiction. People start to see lies as truth and truth as lies; wrong becomes right and right becomes wrong. Understand that this is how brainwashing works. This is how abusers turn their prey into a complacent victim that doesn’t leave. This is how Stockholm Syndrome and trauma bonds are created. If you tell someone something long enough, or you are subjected enough times repeatedly to something you will begin to believe it as truth. At some point, people lose all ability to discern and think for themselves. What’s more, once a person’s mind has been conditioned to receive poison as clean water, cognitive dissonance takes hold. This is when no matter how much truth or facts exist to refute a person’s “held belief,” they will refuse to see anything other than what they want to see or believe and will hold onto the illusion with fierce intensity. We become robots and puppets that will just mindlessly follow the Pied Piper right over a cliff to our own demise. On the extreme end this can be seen in cults, Stockholm Syndrome – the abused will actually defend and protect its abuser. On a more subtle but expansive field, this is what is happening every day to the minds of people via social media, news media, with politics and so on. So many people are lost in the darkness and manipulation that they refuse to see the truth through the illusion even when it is clearly pointed out. Hence, why it is of vital importance to be aware and conscious of the things we continually input into our minds that influence us. News, media, books, music, movies, etc. All these things have the power to influence our thought life. Helloooooo, there is a reason that the media and advertising industry is rolling in billion-dollar profits. If media and advertising (what we see and hear) did not have the power to influence our thoughts and decisions, the profitability would not exist.
We all need to wake up! We also need to realize that people who are manipulators and liars know how to build a “false narrative” around a portion of truth or facts to make it appear believable. Their motives for this vary. Nonetheless, conspiracy theorist among other types of people (sociopaths, narcissists) are masters of manipulating facts. They build information around bits of truth, but they are actually telling a false or fictitious narrative to dupe people. This is where discernment and critical thinking becomes imperative. I observe so many people on social media just re-posting information and engaging in an intense debate, discussion, arguments or comments about something as if it is factual and/or worthy of further input. Never did anyone even stop to question whether the information is real or if it is true. Nope, just blindly post and others follow by engaging via commenting and/or re-posting. Of course, the more the engagement the higher it shows up at the top of a feed, more people see it and more get sucked into the game. This is how ignorance and misinformation spreads so rampantly and at warp speed. This, in part, is what I have come to refer to as the dumbing down of society and de-evolution of mankind. There is not only a lack of critical thinking occurring in the minds of many humans there appears to be a lack of thinking whatsoever. People just mindlessly sharing and posting information regardless of how incorrect, in factual, wrong or even hurtful it might be. It’s as if many people have lost their sense of consciousness and awareness —Sleepwalking through their lives and not even being aware or accountable for what they are doing. I call it being asleep in the arms of the enemy. I have watched the darkness grow exponentially over the last seven years, sucking more and more into the abyss. People unknowingly becoming its minions in service and blindly doing the enemy’s bidding.
Seriously, who do you think creates this stuff that you find circulating online and in social media. Who initially posted it? It has an original source – where did it come from, who was it and why did (s)he put it out there to start with? What is their motive? And, why are you going to share or re-post it WITHOUT FACT CHECKING?
Part of the problem is that we have become a society of attention-seekers gaining our sense of self-worth through social media validation. How many followers/friends do we have, how many likes did we get on a post. Oh no, my numbers are dropping; relevance /importance is fading. Got do something to shake it up and garner more attention. Or, I am bored/lonely and need someone to talk to and engage with. Unfortunately, at times, this attention-seeking behavior results in posting something stupid or hateful for the purpose of shocking people to get them to engage with us. Many people are doing this subconsciously and mindlessly not even realizing what is driving their behavior. Well, now you know . . . So, the question becomes, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to continue sleepwalking and just keep following the Pied Piper over a cliff or are you going to awaken? How do you awaken? By conscious thought, awareness and action. One way to apply this is as follows: Before posting or re-posting something, at the very least, ask yourself these quick questions: - Why do I want to post this?
- What do I hope to gain?
- What purpose does it serve?
- Is what I am sharing TRUE/FACTUAL?
- Did I actually fact check it or am I at least willing to include a statement that I didn’t?
Sharing this in the light of love, truth, wisdom and greater understanding. Rise up and shine on, my friends. Kathy the IronButterfly
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