There Is Nothing Positive About Willful Ignorance (Selection From My Book)

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If you find yourself dissatisfied with the status quo, you may begin to research ways to improve the world. Once you find a few ideas or issues that resonate with you, you might have tried to discuss these feelings with your closest friends and/or family. Chances are, at one time or another you been told things like “stop being so negative,” or “can’t you just focus on the more positive things in life?”

We can all probably think back on at least one of those frustrating moments where our peers have expected us to share in their blissful ignorance, as they choose to evade reality. Unfortunately, the longer that we ignore the problems that face our species, the worse our predicament becomes. At first glimpse these issues may seem overwhelming and insurmountable but acknowledging the problem is the first step towards freeing your mind and creating a better world for all of us.

In this book we have focused on more positive discussions, but we cannot deny the unpleasant realities of the world that we have to live in. If you had a debilitating illness that could be cured, wouldn’t you want to get a diagnosis and immediately start doing what was needed in order to begin healing yourself? Or would you rather do nothing and ignore the disease because it was “negative”? Sadly, we have been led to believe that ignorance is bliss, while it is actually the reason for the majority of the suffering that has taken place throughout history.

If we are not fully aware of the problem, then there is no way that we can possibly improve the quality of life on this Earth. There is simply no excuse for ignoring legitimate problems that need to be fixed, and we certainly should not allow crimes to be committed before our very eyes. Would you allow an attacker to commit murder in front of you without (at the least) calling for help? Would you stand by and wait for someone else to offer their assistance or would you take control of your own life and do what needed to be done?

This is the same situation we find ourselves in. Except the attacker is the institutionalized violence and theft that is the result of Statism. The State does a great job of compartmentalizing the theft and violence so that the average person is unaware that it’s even taking place. But once you become aware of injustice, the greatest mistake you can make is to stand by and do nothing.

With the exception of a few radicals every generation, the majority of the human species has remained unwilling, or unable to stand up and challenge the status quo. For centuries, the buck has been passed down the line, and our species has continued to ride this roller coaster of confusion and oppression. In many ways we have come so far and learned so much.

While much of modern civilization still unquestionably accepts slavery, racism, war, and authoritarianism as simple facts of life, many of us are finally beginning to shed some of these neuroses and are starting to consider the fact that a better path may exist. By considering new ideas for governance and law, we can help break ourselves from chains of past dogma. We must now push further into learning, understanding, and teaching these concepts, and then move towards actually building communities that are living examples of these philosophies.

The fact that questioning the status quo is looked at as socially unacceptable allows the population to go on thinking that they are alone in their dissatisfaction. This isolation can lead to feeling weak and powerless. After being discouraged from pursuing change, some people will create justifications for what’s going on around them, telling themselves this is the only world that’s possible. They may even come to ridicule anyone who challenges their unconsciously created facade. Simply put, the fear of alienation from peers can lead to accepting standards which do not meet our needs or represent our values. Push on, do not be discouraged by people who can not handle reality.

Have compassion and remember that many people are just afraid and are not ready to come to terms with the truth. Like a battered child who cries when being taken away from the "safety" of their abusive parents, you may feel comfort in unacceptable situations simply because you are familiar with them. Much like the child, we need to break free from the familiar confines of our abuse and oppression.

This condition is known as "Stockholm syndrome." Stockholm syndrome is typically used to describe hostages who develop positive feelings for their kidnapper because they are dependent upon them for sustenance. When we apply this concept to the macrocosm of our civilization, we find that people living under a system of authoritarianism exhibit these same characteristics. This concept has been illustrated many times in the past, such as the allegory of the cave from Plato’s Republic.

There is nothing positive about running away from freedom and putting off peace. One of the most important steps you can take is to learn as much as you can about how to fix the problems that you see taking place in our world. Sheltering ourselves from the harshness of our reality will only foster a more toxic and oppressive world for future generations. Embrace the opportunity to create a better vision for tomorrow by changing your thoughts and actions today.

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This was a selction from my book with Derrick Broze "Finding Freedom in an Age of Confusion" which can be found on Amazon, or at the link in my bio below.

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AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY:

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My name is John Vibes and I am an author and researcher who organizes a number of large events including the Free Your Mind Conference. I write for numerous alternative media websites, including The Free Thought Project @tftproject and The Mind Unleashed. In addition to my first book, Alchemy of the Timeless Renaissance, I have also co-authored three books with Derrick Broze @dbroze : The Conscious Resistance: Reflections on Anarchy and Spirituality, Finding Freedom in an Age of Confusion and Manifesto of the Free Humans

I just won a 3-year-long battle with cancer, and will be working to help others through my experience, if you wish to contribute to my medical bills, consider subscribing to my podcast on Patreon. 

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