Finding Out What Works for You

Most people have been conditioned to believe that whatever the majority thinks, makes it true -- which is an egregious error.  The fact of the matter is that most people will usually be wrong -- and only a rare few will be right.  The majority, or might, does not make it right -- but is usually an indication of error -- that should be investigated more deeply and thoroughly for the truth of the matter, from the appeal of the false.

That is to say, that what people wish to believe, is unerringly what they believe -- in preference to the actual truth of the matter.    Often, it is because it seems more complicated than it is -- because those who explain it, are not certain of what they speak, and misunderstand it themselves -- which doesn't stop them from assuming an air of authority that they know what they are talking about.  In fact, the less they know and are certain, the more they try to hide that fact -- and particularly, allow others to question their authority.

Most will encounter that somewhere along the line -- frequently early in their lives -- in people who have nothing of merit to say, but will insist on saying it incessantly, and unnecessarily, so that astute minds know to tune them out -- even at the risk of seeming inattentive and difficult -- because they simply are reluctant or refuse to go along with the crowd.  Primitive societies often regard such lack of adherence to the majority will, as a major breach of the social contract -- that the senior citizens have a right to impose on its junior members.

Most learn to simply go along to get along -- and never learn to think for themselves on any matter, but simply go with whatever others tell them is the truth -- even if they know it is outrageously false.  The prevailing thought is that the majority, makes it right -- and there is no higher truth than that, or their lives will be arduous and difficult.  But rather than being the easy way, it eventually makes life exceedingly difficult -- fin everything they do -- because they never develop the critical skill of thinking for themselves.

As a result, they will always need others to do all their thinking for them -- which a few, are always happy to do -- but that may not serve them the best.  It may in fact, be the cause of most of their problems -- as they become tools for other's self-aggrandizing lives.  It's not like there are many of the latter, but it often seems like it because they have to go through everybody, to find the few who are vulnerable to their exploitation and manipulations.  But we don't know that for a fact unless we first give them the benefit of the doubt -- that they are simply mistaken, rather than that the deception is deliberate and intentional -- and there is no correcting that.

At that point, one learns to avoid further contact and influence -- rather than waste more time, energy and other resources -- setting them straight.  Usually, such predators, run into a more ruthless one -- as their just desserts, and eliminate each other.  One hopes not to be around when such outbursts occur -- which is the major reason to avoid such contact.  But in so doing, one creates space for more positive contacts and influence -- rather than being entrapped in those vicious circles and cycles.

That is inevitably part of every life -- but the degree of success in dealing with them -- determines how far they go on in life, and quickly assess the dangers, risks and rewards.  One can't win them all -- nor should one try.  Those lessons are usually learned with age and experience -- while an unfortunate few, make a fatal error, that compromises and disables the rest of their lives.  Thus the advantage and wisdom of learning from experience -- and not just thinking to be able to do everything one could do as a young person yet to experience any major setbacks -- and skills for handling them.

That's how defeat and failure prepare one better to deal with life -- and not that one should only and always win -- hoping that will serve them unfailingly in life.  Thus, many arrive at a point and challenge they are ill-prepared to handle, and never recover, and go into endless decline -- at any age.  They think it is enough just to run with the crowd (mob), until the mob turns and abandons them -- and then they are lost, by themselves -- with no idea of what to do anymore.  And so they languish and perish, because the steady presence of others telling them what to do, no longer guides them.

Unfortunately, many "retire" to such a fate -- and implode in such a vacuum -- endlessly filling their days with as much entertainment and diversions that others present for them.  Everything they do, just becomes their entertainment -- whether that is eating or exercising, seeing the skills of others, or learning what they'll never use.  Meanwhile, they are distracted from all that they could be doing productively, and usefully in their own lives.  Eventually, they are mystified and baffled when everything goes wrong -- and they feel there is nothing they can do about it.

Nothing in life, has conditioned and prepared them for the moment.  It may be a health challenge, or a financial challenge, or even a physical one -- requiring them to think for themselves -- with no explanation by others on what is happening, and what to do.  Those are the moments of truth everyone must eventually face -- and are the tests of how much further one will go on.  That is the ultimate test of one's conditioning and fitness.   It will be unique for every individual.  No standardized test.  And that truly, is what life is -- and must be prepared for.