Nihilism Is a Choice
Segment # 193
The concept of considering options, making a choice, and then accepting the consequential outcome of the decisions seems fundamental. In fact, the simplicity of this concept belies the manner in which pollsters’ word questions or the legislature’s draft bills confuse fellow legislators and the voters. Often, choices are binary; however, they are framed to be presented as more fluid (pardon the contemporary slant). But fluidity can be a convenient smokescreen that conveniently justifies delaying decisions or making a decision that ultimately may have very negative consequences. Binary choices are used as a technique to elicit language from children by giving them two options to choose from. This method helps develop their language skills and decision-making abilities. In many situations, binary choices are presented as simple either/or options.
My premise is that there are decisions that ultimately impact the basic necessities of life that transcend politics or one’s hatred or love for one leader. Meaning that under identical conditions, regardless if you are on the left or right, you can get sick, you can be injured, you can starve, your kids can be drugged etc. There are binary choices. For example:
IF the millions of unvetted migrants entering our country created a possibility that there would be damage to our cities, our kids, our educational system etc. would you be in favor of having an open border?
IF the billions of dollars being directed to support migrants, climate change, and government regulation instead of our educational system, veterans, drug programs for our kids would you be in favor of continuing with the current plan.
IF you were paying more for fuel, housing, food, and clothing than you were three years, would you support continuing.
IF your government through mandates or coercion destroyed 200,000 businesses during COVID by implementing mandates that dictated 6 foot of separation, masking, and vaccines all of which now they are admitting was wrong, would you want to keep the same team in place for the next pandemic?
IF you can impeach a presidential candidate twice and indict a presidential candidate four times, then is it the new standard that any politician in a leadership position should be help accountable in the same fashion?
IF DEI is weakening our military to the point they can’t keep experienced people and they can’t meet recruiting goals, should we continue these policies knowing that we may not be able to fulfill the mission of the military
IF sanctuary cities policy rewards non-citizens at the literal expense of their own citizens, should this policy continue?
And there are more but you get the idea. If you answer yes to these binary choices, you are suicidal.
So What makes you make bad choices
There are several factors that can contribute to making bad choices:
Emotions
When we are feeling strong emotions like anger, fear, or excitement, it can cloud our judgment and lead us to make impulsive decisions without fully considering the consequences. It's important to try to step back and think rationally when emotions are running high.
Lack of information
If we don't have enough information about a situation or the potential outcomes of our choices, it's much harder to make a good decision. Gathering relevant facts and data can help us make more informed choices.
Cognitive biases
We all have unconscious mental blind spots and biases that can lead us astray. For example, the sunk cost fallacy makes us irrationally continue with a bad decision because of money or time already invested. Being aware of common biases can help us correct for them.
Short-term thinking
It's easy to focus on immediate gratification and overlook long-term consequences. But many of the most important choices we make, like career, relationships, health, etc. have major impacts over years or decades. Trying to consider the bigger picture can lead to better choices.
Peer pressure
The desire to fit in and be accepted by our social group is a powerful force. But sometimes it leads us to go along with choices we know aren't right for us. Having the courage to resist peer pressure and make our own choices is key.
Lack of self-awareness
If we don't have a good understanding of our own values, strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies, it's hard to make choices that are truly aligned with who we are. Developing self-awareness through reflection, feedback, and life experience can help us make better choices. The good news is that with practice, we can get better at recognizing these pitfalls and making wiser choices. It takes self-discipline, but it's a skill that can be learned and improved over time.
But historically people make very bad decisions that ultimately destroy the very people that made it happen. Germany is certainly an example as the people blindly followed Hitler. In 2001 Venezuela had 500 independent radio stations and only 2 state sponsored station. Now they score 174th out of all the nations evaluated under Index of Economic Freedom. Brazil has since 2018 been slowly losing its democracy. Loss of freedom and socialism don’t have a very successful
track record of happiness and freedom.
It becomes even more fascinating when binary choices on a state level become binary choices on a national level. This is the power of the media and politicians lying with no accountability. Many Americans believe the termination of Roe v. Wade was the end of abortion. It wasn’t. The Supreme Court said we have business dictating to the American public so they sent it back to the States where about 70% of American voters support abortion in the first trimester. So here’s the data.
States that outlaw abortion: 14 states have banned abortion at any stage of pregnancy, effectively outlawing the procedure. These include: Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia.
States that permit abortion in the third trimester:
Six states and Washington D.C. have no term restrictions on abortion, allowing it throughout pregnancy, including the third trimester
Alaska, Colorado, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington D.C.
14 states allow abortion up to fetal viability, which can extend into the third trimester
California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Montana, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington (among others)
Virginia is the only state that specifically prohibits abortions in the third trimester, which starts around 25 weeks, but allows exceptions.
Four states ban abortions at 24 weeks of pregnancy, which is near the beginning of the third trimester.
Clearly, voters will vote on the abortion question... meaning voters in New Jersey will vote for Biden although Biden has no control over abortion which is now decided on the States. Conversely, voters that see abortion as a primary issue from Alabama will support Trump who correctly notes that this is a State issue beyond his control. Voters incorrectly view this is a choice issue on a national level. It isn’t and these voters should focus on making their changes in their own States. Why do I even take the time to note this? It is important because there are voting issues that exist now that will change life in the U.S. Whether it is migrants, the economy, the military, drugs, or criminal violence, I hope voters are not distracted and focus on issues they can change on a national level. And that is a binary choice.
The world is in the grips of mass formation―a dangerous, collective type of hypnosis―as we bear witness to loneliness, free-floating anxiety, and fear giving way to censorship, loss of privacy, and surrendered freedoms. It is all spurred by a singular, focused crisis narrative that forbids dissident views and relies on destructive groupthink.
Desmet’s work on mass formation theory was brought to the world’s attention on The Joe Rogan Experience and in major alternative news outlets around the globe. Read this book to get beyond the sound bites!
Totalitarianism is not a coincidence and does not form in a vacuum. It arises from a collective psychosis that has followed a predictable script throughout history, its formation gaining strength and speed with each generation―from the Jacobins to the Nazis and Stalinists―as technology advances. Governments, mass media, and other mechanized forces use fear, loneliness, and isolation to demoralize populations and exert control, persuading large groups of people to act against their own interests, always with destructive results.
In The Psychology of Totalitarianism, world-renowned Professor of Clinical Psychology Mattias Desmet deconstructs the societal conditions that allow this collective psychosis to take hold. By looking at our current situation and identifying the phenomenon of “mass formation”―a type of collective hypnosis―he clearly illustrates how close we are to surrendering to totalitarian regimes.