The Age of the Mantra

Those who know me will know that I’m a skeptic on CO2 being the primary driver around climate change. I’m called a ‘climate change denier’ despite the fact that I embrace the fact the climate changes. My ‘sin’ is to have some other opinions about why climate changes and despite, the mantras, there is a lot (and increasing) of scientists that share this view. However, this blog isn’t about climate change, it’s about mantras. You see, as soon as my position on climate change is known then I’m seen as a right winger. Again, those that know me will know that this isn’t at all true either. I’m a critical thinker and I have the confidence to hold my own options on almost every topic around which I have some degree of ability for discernment. I don’t belong in any of the ‘gangs’, groups or ‘isms thank you.

In the last decade or so, the world has been dumbed down. It’s all about mantras now. Everyone feels entitled to hold an opinion whether they actually have the ability to discern anything at all. Everything is black and white. If you are a climate change skeptic, you are right wing. If you are against nationalism, you are a liberal and so on. The only way to understand the modern world is to think that people feel the need to belong to an identity – either black or white – and so everyone must also fit that description. Perhaps I’m just getting old but I yearn for the days when you could have a debate or a conversation without the labels, without the politically-charged statements like ‘climate change denier’, and where individuality was something to be admired and respected.

I’m no expert in social sciences but I do wonder is it the fault of social media with its ability to REACT to every silly meme and statement going without ever having to actually think? The social media’s algorithm that shows you news you want to see (ie. confirms your mistaken opinions and reinforces your bias) and shows you the comments only of those you already agree with? Isn’t this part of the issue?

The only way to escape from this is to start thinking again. Stop reacting and think instead.

I’m in the beginnings of a course right now that is essentially attempting to teach me how to go with the flow and live in the moment. How to find my true self and be happy and content with it while working steadily to improve. I find it interesting how REACTING is dealt with in the course materials. Social media reinforces reactions and it does it by reinforcing them. It’s rather insidious and I too have fallen for it far too often. I am also guilty of reacting to the people around me in predictable ways and then being played by these people who have fun at my expense. On the net we call it trolling but I am surrounded by real-life trolls and all of those mantras.

I worry about the mantras – how people just follow things because its part of being in the club. I don’t know where this really cam from but…. remember that everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact and everything we see is a perspective, not the truth. Even this blog post!