the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates taught his students that
the pursuit of truth can only begin once they start to question and
analyze every belief that they ever held dear. If a certain belief
passes the tests of evidence, deduction, and logic, it should be
kept. If it doesn't, the belief should not only be discarded, but
the thinker must also then question why he was led to believe the
erroneous information in the first place. Not surprisingly, this
type of teaching didn't sit well with the ruling elite of Greece.
Many political leaders throughout history have always sought to
mislead the thinking of the masses. Socrates was tried for
"subversion" and for "corrupting the youth". He was then forced to
take his own life by drinking poison. It's never easy being an
independent thinker. Today, our ruling government/media complex
doesn't kill people for pursuing the truth about the world, They
simply label them as "extremists" or "paranoid", destroying careers
and reputations in the process. For many, that's a fate even worse
than drinking poison hemlock.
Taken individually, each story, quote and event may not amount to a
full case. But when taken collectively, a mountain of facts should
hammer home the truth to even the most skeptical reader. There are
of course those who have fallen under the hypnotic spell of the TV
talking-heads and "experts" whom they worship as authority figures.
Unaccustomed to thinking for themselves, no amount of truth can
sway them from their preconceived prejudices. They will even deny
that which they see with their own eyes. They are victims of a
psychological affliction known as "the lemming effect". Lemmings
are small rodents who have been known to follow each other as they
charge to their deaths into raging rivers or off of cliffs.
Lemminghood is an innate psychological phenomenon, present in most
mammals and observable in common people as well the most
sophisticated and educated elites. Lemminghood is not an
intellectual phenomenon - it is psychological. As such, no
socio-economic class is immune to its strangulating effect. A
grant- seeking university scientist can be a lemming just as much
as a fashion obsessed teen-age girl. One blindly follows the latest
trendy theory while the other blindly follows the latest trendy
clothing style. What's the difference? Neither can resist the force
of nature.
The power to fit in with one's social peers can be irresistible. To
a human lemming, the logic behind an opinion doesn't count as much
as the power and popularity behind an opinion. Man, like lemming,
behaves collectively. And it could be no other way. Naturally, the
individual must be equipped with this trait. Otherwise, the
smallest steps toward civilization could never have been made.
Lemminghood is a survival trait, an inborn instinct in the majority
of people. However, as with all natural phenomena, this tendency
can be manipulated and used for harmful purposes.
It is this lemming effect which enables entire segments of a
society to lose their sense of judgment all at the same time. For
lemmings, denial is a basic psychological defense mechanism used to
not only shield themselves from unpleasant realities, but also to
reassure themselves that they will still fit within the acceptable
range of opinion held by their peer group. Lemmings are absolutely
terrified at the thought of being labeled as an "extremist" or a
"conspiracy theorist". At all costs, their beliefs must always be
on the "right" side of the issue and conform within the boundaries
of their lemming peers. Lemmings simply cannot bear the burden of
responsibility, or the discomfort, which comes with thinking
independently. They'll resist any efforts to change their misguided
beliefs with all their mental energy. We can try to open their
closed minds and free them from their self-imposed blindness, but
its not easy fighting the force of human nature. The chains of
ideological conformity have too strong of a grip, and breaking them
is a difficult task. With the limited resources at our disposal, it
is next to impossible to compete with the media lemming-masters.
Nevertheless, some of us must make the meager attempt, and thus lay
the foundation upon which the truth might one day rise
again.
