I love your correlation with lack of curiosity. I think this has filled in a blank for me. It is interesting how all the people I know on our side of the fence are curious people....very interesting...they are "into other things"...history buffs, gardeners, love to travel...they are curious about things. And conversely, most of the sheep people I know are not really curious about anything (except maybe instant gratification and consumption....there ARE exceptions...so this analysis doesn't ring true 100%).
I actually had a sheep person I was trying to explain something to say "I really don't care! I don't care if you are right, it doesn't matter to me! I am just not interested!!"
I may write an article on this! And of course credit you with the idea and link to your article!!
The absence of curiosity has risen to the forefront for me as the unifying shared quality among all the sheep. The pursuit of hedonism does not qualify as curiosity! In fact, I think it's just the opposite--a form of escape. There is no risk in it. Being open and interested in truly new experience is a form of risk-taking. The sheep are ultra risk-averse. Looking forward to your article!
There was a joke I heard years ago. A man comes in for treatment with a psychiatrist and it's a little hard to listen to him because he keeps interrupting to snap his fingers. The psychiatrist asks him, "I notice you are often snapping your fingers. Is there some reason for you to be doing that?" The man replies, "I have to. It keeps the snakes away!" (or the Nazis, or the werewolves, or the burglars, or the coronavirus--or any other credible (or incredible) threat you can name.)
The psychiatrist: "But there are no snakes!"
The patient: "Exactly! Snapping works!" (Continues to snap his fingers)
The psychiatrist: "What would happen if you were to stop snapping your fingers?"
The patient: (Recoils in horror! Snaps fingers rapidly rapidly without talking and withdrawing physically also by curling back in his chair to avoid such a horrible suggestion.) "No No No!! Are you crazy? Do you want to kill us? Do you want us to become envenomated--poisoned?!!!!"
The psychiatrist: "Don't stop snapping, but look around. Do you see these black boxes all around the door and windows of my office?"
The patient: (Snaps as usual) "Yes, so what?"
The psychiatrist: "They are special boxes. They are sending out ultrasonic snapping sounds that repel all snakes. I have to make sure my office is completely protected."
The patient: "Good. But I don't know if I can trust you."
The psychiatrist: "I'm concerned about you. As your physician I want to help you, and I want you to be completely safe. May I ask, do you ever stop snapping? Like what happens when you sleep?"
The patient: "I haven't been able to sleep for the past 3 days. Ever since I read that a black mamba escaped from the zoo!!"
The psychiatrist: "I can lend you one of my boxes, because it's very important that you keep safe. It's impossible for you to stay awake 24/7--although I respect your heroic efforts to protect me and protect grandma."
The patient: "Now you're mocking me!"
The psychiatrist: "Not at all. It's well known that the frail elderly are much more susceptible to snake venom."
We will leave them to their discussion. How is it relevant? Snapping is like a defense mechanism. It works, like masks, to keep fear and anxiety at bay. As soon as the defense mechanism is threatened--the patient becomes flooded with fear and anxiety. The psychologist Sylvan Tomkins who specialized in affect theory stated that emotions are self validating--you don't need any proof--you just act. Because the amygdala operates to immediately force fight or flight and so ensured survival of the fittest. Most of us humans are therefore wired to obey their emotions. Tomkins wrote: "To the angry man, the world is a scoundrel." And if you argue with an angry man, then you, too, deserve his wrath.
Of course the masks work! They know it! When they put them on, their fear decreases. If they take them off, their fear increases. In this way, they experience the efficacy of their protection. Of course, they do have to take off the masks to eat, drink, and sleep. But otherwise they would be wearing them 24/7.
Almost as frustrating are those around who aren't wearing masks, who don't seem to see anything wrong with those still wearing them!! Everyone acts as if this is just the way things are. I wonder to myself how many see this as an illness as we do. I doubt many. Sadly the mask has just become "normal" for all to see and no one seems to care. If more pressure were put on the ones still sick and wearing a mask, perhaps we would see less and less of them.
We discussed this on Informed Dissent with Brownstone Institute founder Jeffrey Tucker (episode to be released within the next two weeks). I agree. In fact, I am now more disturbed by the normalization of this behavior by those who observe it than I am by the behavior itself. Until we all reject it as sick, it will not end. Americans now pursue a co-dependent relationship with mental illness.
Those who continue to wear masks are far too gone mentally in brainwashing by Dr Death, aka, Fauci, and the govt. Don't waste time speaking of these people as they are kaput.
I love your correlation with lack of curiosity. I think this has filled in a blank for me. It is interesting how all the people I know on our side of the fence are curious people....very interesting...they are "into other things"...history buffs, gardeners, love to travel...they are curious about things. And conversely, most of the sheep people I know are not really curious about anything (except maybe instant gratification and consumption....there ARE exceptions...so this analysis doesn't ring true 100%).
I actually had a sheep person I was trying to explain something to say "I really don't care! I don't care if you are right, it doesn't matter to me! I am just not interested!!"
I may write an article on this! And of course credit you with the idea and link to your article!!
The absence of curiosity has risen to the forefront for me as the unifying shared quality among all the sheep. The pursuit of hedonism does not qualify as curiosity! In fact, I think it's just the opposite--a form of escape. There is no risk in it. Being open and interested in truly new experience is a form of risk-taking. The sheep are ultra risk-averse. Looking forward to your article!
There was a joke I heard years ago. A man comes in for treatment with a psychiatrist and it's a little hard to listen to him because he keeps interrupting to snap his fingers. The psychiatrist asks him, "I notice you are often snapping your fingers. Is there some reason for you to be doing that?" The man replies, "I have to. It keeps the snakes away!" (or the Nazis, or the werewolves, or the burglars, or the coronavirus--or any other credible (or incredible) threat you can name.)
The psychiatrist: "But there are no snakes!"
The patient: "Exactly! Snapping works!" (Continues to snap his fingers)
The psychiatrist: "What would happen if you were to stop snapping your fingers?"
The patient: (Recoils in horror! Snaps fingers rapidly rapidly without talking and withdrawing physically also by curling back in his chair to avoid such a horrible suggestion.) "No No No!! Are you crazy? Do you want to kill us? Do you want us to become envenomated--poisoned?!!!!"
The psychiatrist: "Don't stop snapping, but look around. Do you see these black boxes all around the door and windows of my office?"
The patient: (Snaps as usual) "Yes, so what?"
The psychiatrist: "They are special boxes. They are sending out ultrasonic snapping sounds that repel all snakes. I have to make sure my office is completely protected."
The patient: "Good. But I don't know if I can trust you."
The psychiatrist: "I'm concerned about you. As your physician I want to help you, and I want you to be completely safe. May I ask, do you ever stop snapping? Like what happens when you sleep?"
The patient: "I haven't been able to sleep for the past 3 days. Ever since I read that a black mamba escaped from the zoo!!"
The psychiatrist: "I can lend you one of my boxes, because it's very important that you keep safe. It's impossible for you to stay awake 24/7--although I respect your heroic efforts to protect me and protect grandma."
The patient: "Now you're mocking me!"
The psychiatrist: "Not at all. It's well known that the frail elderly are much more susceptible to snake venom."
We will leave them to their discussion. How is it relevant? Snapping is like a defense mechanism. It works, like masks, to keep fear and anxiety at bay. As soon as the defense mechanism is threatened--the patient becomes flooded with fear and anxiety. The psychologist Sylvan Tomkins who specialized in affect theory stated that emotions are self validating--you don't need any proof--you just act. Because the amygdala operates to immediately force fight or flight and so ensured survival of the fittest. Most of us humans are therefore wired to obey their emotions. Tomkins wrote: "To the angry man, the world is a scoundrel." And if you argue with an angry man, then you, too, deserve his wrath.
Of course the masks work! They know it! When they put them on, their fear decreases. If they take them off, their fear increases. In this way, they experience the efficacy of their protection. Of course, they do have to take off the masks to eat, drink, and sleep. But otherwise they would be wearing them 24/7.
Almost as frustrating are those around who aren't wearing masks, who don't seem to see anything wrong with those still wearing them!! Everyone acts as if this is just the way things are. I wonder to myself how many see this as an illness as we do. I doubt many. Sadly the mask has just become "normal" for all to see and no one seems to care. If more pressure were put on the ones still sick and wearing a mask, perhaps we would see less and less of them.
We discussed this on Informed Dissent with Brownstone Institute founder Jeffrey Tucker (episode to be released within the next two weeks). I agree. In fact, I am now more disturbed by the normalization of this behavior by those who observe it than I am by the behavior itself. Until we all reject it as sick, it will not end. Americans now pursue a co-dependent relationship with mental illness.
"Not everyone" 😂. I love Dennis Prager!
Those who continue to wear masks are far too gone mentally in brainwashing by Dr Death, aka, Fauci, and the govt. Don't waste time speaking of these people as they are kaput.
I frequently share your sentiment.