I remember too well what it feels like to hold a fear in your heart that drives the way you act and think.
Growing up in Roman Catholicism, it was made clear to us that only Roman Catholics could go to Heaven, and only those Catholics who followed the laws of the church and the teachings of Jesus Christ. Missing Mass on Sunday could land you in Hell.
We used to look across the street toward the kids at the State School and feel sad for them that they would never get to Heaven.
When I was 21, I finally allowed myself to look at the questions agitating my heart. First, why did they tell me I have free will, but I must do what I am told? Second, why did they tell me God loved all people, but only a select few could experience eternal life?
As I contemplated these things, I realized I was drowning in bullshit. So, I walked out of church on a Sunday morning and never went back.
Many years later, following the brilliant teachings and tools of Harry Palmer, I realized experientially that Heaven is not a place. It is a state of being that anyone in this life can acquire if they are prepared to do the work.
It is funny. When you arrive there and then re-read sections of the Bible, you realize, “Ahh! That’s what it means!”
But the fear was there. It made me say no to things that I wanted to explore. It made me constantly second guess myself. And it often left me in a state of shame and guilt for doing the things that I did let myself do.
I’m Too Educated to Be Fooled
The challenge today, of course, is that a huge number of people are very educated. I did not want to put the word “well” before educated because perhaps that would be false.
Filling one’s mind with knowledge is not really education if the person has not first been taught how to manage and operate their own mind. I’m yet to see a university course pop up titled Mind Management 101.
The blunt reality is that there are a lot of educated sheep in the world who have never stopped for a moment to explore their own most tightly held beliefs. The heartbreaking reality is that such people are easily controlled, becoming compliant without a whimper.
But a truly good citizen is one who fights for the benefit of all others — for safety, for the relief of suffering, for the prevention of tyranny, and for the ongoing maintenance of personal freedom.
Binding oneself to the belief that a good citizen is a fully agreeable and compliant person is the ultimate expression of succumbing to fear and playing small.
I watched in horror during the pandemic when highly educated fools became the cruel and draconian enforcement arm of despotic government power.
Power and Control
Power is a thing that few people understand. When people are given power, most often their ego becomes elevated. If it is not kept in check, it soon becomes drunk on that power, basking in its own glory.
Power can be a wonderful thing when used in service to a greater good. We celebrate the extraordinary courage of leaders who resist overwhelming pressure and stay aligned with their moral compass.
To temper power and keep it under control, it must be matched with equal doses of humility and genuine selflessness.
This requires a journey of introspection and self-exploration. It is not a five-minute exercise. Meditation can be a start, but without inquiry, it remains little more than a calming strategy.
What Is Happening in the World Today?
There will always be people who want power. Some seek it because the feeling becomes addictive. Others seek it so that they can do good work in the world.
There are two main paths to power:
- Becoming so inspiring that people want to follow you
- Creating fear so that people crave protection
The first is rare. The second has been used extensively by religions, political systems, and elites throughout history.
A Lust for Status and Power
There is no short path to the achievement of a robust moral compass. You must do the work.
This is not about perfection. Everyone slips up. Nobody is immune to ego. But good people recognize mistakes as fuel for growth rather than justification for denial.
Some people seek status to escape their own internal self-criticism. They signal virtue, criticize others, and cling to moral superiority as a defense mechanism.
Importance becomes the drug. Self-importance becomes the trap.
The Pitfalls of Intellectualism
Great thinkers keep asking questions. They challenge assumptions and explore new ideas.
But alongside them exist those who find comfort in ideology rather than inquiry. Jealousy and the lust for inclusion replace curiosity. Indoctrination replaces education.
Universities, once centers of free thought, become breeding grounds for conformity when moral compasses are undeveloped.
Who Is Yuri Bezmenov?
Former Soviet KGB agent Yuri Bezmenov described a four-stage process of ideological subversion designed to collapse societies from within:
Stage 1: Demoralization
A long-term process that undermines values and belief systems across generations.
Stage 2: Destabilization
Focused on economy, defense, and foreign relations.
Stage 3: Crisis
Fear escalates. People surrender power for perceived safety.
Stage 4: Normalization
Authoritarian control is established under the guise of order and stability.
Where Is the Media?
Corporate and government capture of media is not new. Narratives replace balanced reporting. Ideology replaces journalism.
Criticism is selectively applied. Dissenting voices are marginalized.
About Climate Change
I consider myself an environmentalist. I want clean air, clean water, and healthy ecosystems.
But carbon is not pollution. It is plant food.
Historical data shows that higher carbon levels coincided with greener, more abundant life. Humans adapt. Nature adapts.
The real danger lies not in climate change, but in the politics surrounding it.
Elon Musk
If even part of this analysis is correct, then the restoration of free speech matters enormously.
Exposing censorship, questioning narratives, and allowing open dialogue creates the conditions necessary for truth to emerge.
The Rise of Masculinity
True masculinity is not toxic. It is protective, grounded, and responsible.
It restores order, reduces suffering, and safeguards future generations — without seeking applause or status.
Attempts to erase it have failed.
A Note from the Author
I do not know whether I am right about all of this. I simply believe that exploring possibilities is essential for growth.
If we fail to question, we fail to evolve.
If you found this article useful, please share it. And if you wish to explore inner clarity, peace, and creative potential, I encourage you to explore the Avatar Course.