”Man is like a pool of water that is disturbed by every wind that blows. The winds are the false beliefs and opinions of the (race) world. Suggestions of sickness, failure, and evil of all kinds are continually impinging upon his mind.”
These words were spoken by Ervin Seale in 1946 and stand truer today than ever before!
You’re Sick…Right?
Healthcare & Big Pharma spend approximately $17 billion dollars a year on advertising. You cannot watch a television show without being bombarded by multiple ads telling you that you might be ill and to…“ask your doctor!”
Reward Deficiency Syndrome, Stendahl Syndrome, Female Hysteria, Wind Turbine Syndrome, Adrenal Fatigue, Restless Leg Syndrome, Cooties, and on and on and on. If people keep telling you you’re sick, eventually you will believe them.
At the writing of this blog, victims of the drug OxyContin are asking the Supreme Court to not allow legal protection for the Sackler family from future lawsuits after they pay their $6 billion dollar fine for intentionally wreaking abuse, addiction, and death. The Sackler Family and Purdue Pharma were the driving force behind the marketing of this drug for bigger profits, regardless of the damage it was doing. Their net worth collectively as a result of owning a controlling share of Purdue Pharma in 2021 was $11 billion dollars.
For a brutal look into their story, watch Dopesick
One last point here: The United States and New Zealand are the only countries that allow pharmaceutical companies to advertise. Can you say lobbyist?
Failure & Tragedy = Revenue
You cannot watch the news without being bludgeoned by stories of death, crime, and the failure of human beings. It is how media companies generate ad revenue. A mentor of mine, Dr. Nido Qubein, use to tell me, “Joe, without the why, the how and the what don’t matter!”
So why do we see so much failure and tragedy in the media?
- The Why = Ad Revenue $$$$$$$
- The How = Driving Fear
- The What = Information and stories of catastrophe, pain, crime, tragedy, & dis-ease.
Social media has created algorithms to do everything machine-ly possible to keep you engaged on their sites. I wonder just how much was created by Artificial Intelligence.
Tik-Tok, Google (who owns YouTube), Facebook (who also owns WhatsApp & Instagram) are some of the largest. If we ask the same questions we might arrive at similar results.
- Why? Same reason as above.
- How? Same reason as above.
- What? Same reason as above.
For a more detailed explanation read Max Fisher’s book: The Chaos Machine: The Inside Story How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and Our World:
Time to Learn?
What can we learn from all of this? Maybe it is more about remembering what we forgot.
We humans have the incredible ability to reprogram our brains. There has and continues to be a tremendous amount of research in the field of neuroplasticity.
Simply put, neuroplasticity is how the human brain can learn new skills, store information, and adapt to stimuli in a new or different way, a healthy way. Basically, it is a way to help you stop following the herd, fear-based, winds that are blowing across the surface of your mind and it is fascinating!
We now have scientific research to show us that you can teach all dogs new tricks, if you’re open, willing, and have a desire to change!
How Do I Start?
There is an old adage, “Garbage in, garbage out!”
Here are just a few ideas to begin rewiring your brain:
- Start by taking out the trash and replacing it with the truth.
- Remove yourself or at least begin to wean yourself off of the news and social media even if it is just for 10 days.
- Learn to focus on what is good, what is right, what is true, and what is kind.
- Start practicing mindfulness – Yoga, exercise, breathing exercises, meditation, or contemplative prayer.
- Learn a new skill, a new language, anything that teaches you something you currently do not know.
- Here is an article that might help – What Is Neuroplasticity?
- Here is one more that is a little more in depth: What Is Neuroplasticity? A Psychologist Explains [+14 Tools]
In Summary
I have always found that simple truths withstand the test of time. It is fascinating to me that what Ervin Seale wrote over 77 years ago, is more true today. But we have choices to reverse the trend.
The dumbing down of America is evident everywhere, just watch, The Real Housewives of Atlanta or Potomac or Miami or Dallas or New Jersey, Dating Naked, FBoy Island, Love Island, Peoples Court, Judge Judy, or any other c*** on television – STOP WATCHING!
The idea that you are chronically ill, and the cure is “Big Pharma” is absolute insanity, just ask yourself and not your doctor – STOP LISTENING!
To believe that those who cannot balance a budget, come to a decision on common-sense policies, or who defy the truth when caught committing crimes know better than you what is right for you, is even more ludicrous – STOP FOLLOWING BLINDLY!
To change, you have to go to the very beginning, and it all begins with your thoughts – START CHANGING YOUR THOUGHTS!
And that’s all I have to say about that…..
