How do you know that a given idea, or movement, is a psychological operation, or a false campaign of some kind? How do you know wisdom when it presents itself? How does one proactively defend oneself against folly when it presents itself as wisdom?
As many of us know, disinformation works because it masquerades as if it were the truth. Obvious lies are easy to spot and dismiss; but when a lie has been mixed with the truth, it is much harder to detect, especially in real time as its being made/communicated. Due to the mass proliferation of half-truths throughout media and culture, it is essential that we definitively learn certain benchmarks of truth—that is to say, irrefutable operations of logic, and universally applicable arguments.
Of course, some folks believe that the human mind is not capable of knowing any absolute truths, but I would say to such folks that to assert the unknowability of truth is to make a statement about the truth. It’s no different from saying “I know that I can’t know,” which, of course, invites the question, “how do you know that you can’t know?” In other words, how can one make a definitive statement about the limits of knowledge while making said statement from a position self-admitted nescience?
That answer is: you can’t.
It is not possible to ascribe limitations to the human capacity for knowing absolute truth without making statements of absolute truth.
So… keeping that in mind, what are some truths that we can identify that may make us immune to certain psy-ops, false flags, false gurus, false movements, etc.?
In the video below, Jordan Peterson and Ben Shapiro touch upon two of those truths, being the existence of Natural Law, as well as the true relationship between rights and responsibilities. In the former case, it is clearly evident that creation is governed by rules, and the sum total set of those rules may be referred to as Natural Law. While us humanoids may or may not know the full set ourselves, we nonetheless can observe and identify a good number of them via experimentation. And we can also point out the fact that the very proposition of creation itself implies the proposition of a set of rules, for without rules creation would be like an amorphous blob—a dimensionless void of uniform nothingness. This point alone is proof of the existence of Natural Law, though solipsists (even while operating under the disguise of “materialist scientist”) often like to claim otherwise.
Related Mark Passio’s Natural Law Seminar: the Real Law of Attraction
The second truth, that rights and responsibilities are connected to each other, is of paramount importance, for ignorance of this fact has made possible a great variety of illegitimate and destructive false social movements. Sure, we may say that rights are a human construct, and therefore not a part of “reality”, as it were. Yet if we abandon the concept of rights, then so too do we abandon civilization itself; furthermore, if we abandon the concept of responsibility, then all our “rights” become empty entitlements which can only be procured through slavery and barbarism.
Do you have a “right” to drive a car? As long as you don’t use it to run over innocent people, nor operate it while black-out drunk, then yes. But if you insist on driving recklessly, then no. Do you have the right to demand people believe the things you say? Generally, no; however, if you are an expert in something and your expertise has been solicited, or you happen to definitively know something that can save someone’s life, then yes.
Do you have the right to hurt or kill people? Generally, no. But if someone is trying to hurt or kill you, then it’s quite possible you may hurt or kill them – even accidentally – while exercising your right to self-defense. Of course, you need to be able to correctly identify when you are under attack, otherwise such “self-defense” could actually be an act of unprovoked aggression. Violent protest groups such as Antifa love to claim “self-defense” when they attack peaceful people at random, and it goes without saying that such actions have nothing to do with the responsible exercise of one’s right to self-defense. Indeed, such behavior often betrays a sadism looking to justify itself.
The idea that rights and responsibilities are connected may not be a “law of science” in the same vein as the formula for gravity. And yet it cannot be refuted that civilization ceases when either rights or responsibilities become downplayed as concepts, and especially when they are de-pegged from each other.
Many people propagate and contribute to psychological operations because they themselves have been tricked – most people try to be good while satisfying their needs. We should think twice before ascribing bad faith to people with whom we disagree; we need not condemn people for being nescient with regard to the irrevocable connection between rights and responsibilities. Nonetheless, we can be certain without fail, that when a person or group or movement claims to champion “rights” without a corresponding championing of responsibility, then we are witnessing folly trying to present itself as wisdom.
Related What is Sovereignty? Why is it Important? How do You Earn it? | Debunking False Sovereignty
We should also not forget that some of the worst propagandists of history made themselves to appear as vehement champions of “equal rights”. Maybe we should ask ourselves: is it possible that “equal rights” actually means “equally enslaved” or “equally beaten and hungry” when touted by certain politicians and cultural figures? I say, the burden of proof is on he who claims, not he who questions; let the touter of “equal rights” define his terms before we make the mistake of thinking that we know what he’s really saying.
Buy Dr. Jordan Peterson’s Books:
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About The Author
I am nothing more than an example of someone who decided to make an honest effort to become accountable to the Truth, and to see what I could do to help improve my life and the conditions of the world beyond myself. One fateful day, roughly a decade ago, I realized that I knew absolutely nothing about the world or myself and decided that this was unacceptable. I began amassing a pile of books on every subject I considered important to the world and to myself. I have been reading, experimenting, and contemplating ever since, having categorically rejected the premise that it is “good enough” for other people to be “smart on my behalf.” Today I possess somewhat extensive knowledge on subjects as diverse as Law, Music, Hypnosis, Ecology, the Occult, Theology, and Politics, and do the best I can to synthesize this knowledge into articles and presentations for the benefit of all knowledge-seekers, self-helpers, and world-healers who may, from time to time, stumble upon my work.
If you’d like to reach me, you can email me at [email protected], though unfortunately I cannot promise I’ll respond since my time is very limited.
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This article (Dr. Jordan Peterson and Ben Shapiro: Telos, Responsibility and Cultivation (Video)) by Conscious Optimist originally appeared on StillnessintheStorm.com and is free and open source. You have permission to share or republish this article in full so long as attribution to the author and stillnessinthestorm.com are provided. If you spot a typo, email [email protected].
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