The Power of Fear

Fear is one of the most powerful controlling forces.

Frank Herbert was right when he wrote in Dune, "Fear is the mind-killer."

Certainly fear has it's place. But we need to be mind-full not mind-less with our fear.

Most of the time fear is used by those in power and positions of influence to push some agenda. And most of the people who listen allow their minds to be effectively killed (or at least numbed) to what is actually happening. The lose mindfulness as they let fear manipulate them.

Watching and listening to some news is what inspired this post.

Has anyone else noticed "news" changes over the summer?

In the spring and early summer, s COVID cases decreased, reports of mass shootings increased. Then as summer progressed and COVID cases started to increase the reporting started shifting back to COVID. 

I haven't heard of a mass shooting in weeks. 

Fear is a way to move people in a desired direction. 

Fear is used to mold and shape your perception, opinion, and beliefs.

Guess what? Shootings haven't stopped, it's just that the people aren't as fearful of shootings as they are of COVID. As I mentioned in another post (https://fulnessoftimes.blogspot.com/2021/06/more-gun-violence-propaganda-using-cnns.html) the majority of the shootings were more gang related and a mass shooter.

Going back to the foundations of this earth, in the grand council of heaven, Lucifer used fear to get people to follow him. Fear of not returning to Father. Fear of failing. Fear of making bad choices. Fear of others making bad choices that would affect them. Then he coupled that fear with more pleasurable ideas: you won't have to choose, you'll be protected from bad, you'll be secure in your life and you'll be guaranteed to return to heaven if his plan was chosen.

The same tactics are used today to control people. Fear is used to scare people to move in support, and, "feel good" talking points are used to manipulate people into feeling good about supporting the agenda.

Dictators use fear to control their people.

Politicians use fear to get people to act in certain ways, to accept legislative/regulatory efforts. The cunning ones couple fear with things like "we need to protect the health and safety of everyone", "it's worth it if it saves one life", "we need this to protect our children", "this is needed to ensure the safety of our children/schools/community/state/country".

Employees may be managed by fear of bad reviews, firing, etc.

The media, both left and right (although most of the big media outlets are left to very left oriented) also use fear to manipulate their viewers. They will often use similar "feel good" tactics like politicians to further convince people of the manipulated message.

Interesting, as people are getting tired of the regular barrage of COVID-fear, CNN has been pushing some  more anti-Trump reporting today. Not sure why except that the left is fearful of Trump and wants to make sure that fear is instilled and fanned among the Democrats and liberals of the country.

Whenever fear is pushed, my inner radar goes on alert. Is the fear reasonable? Is it acceptable?

For me, politicians and the media use fear to push COVID.

Yes, COVID is real. It has potentially serious and even deadly consequences. Without existing medical/health conditions the death rate is very low. Even with pre-existing conditions the mortality rate is low.

COVID is not Ebola which has an average fatality rate of around 50%. Ebola case fatalities range from 25-90%. If COVID was like Ebola, then it would warrant the type of fear some people have of it. But if you listen to most media, like CNN, you could easily think COVID is almost this bad.

And there are certain politicians and health departments who are using this fear to push controls and mandates. And there are others who just believe they're doing what's right with the controls and mandates.

When I had COVID in August there was a single day that had things gotten any worse it could've gotten serious. I think if I'd been fearful of it the added mental and emotional stress would very likely have made things worse. Having had it I still believe the common-sense precautions are the best: wash your hands, don't touch your face, stay away from others if you don't know health conditions, wash you hands (more), wear a mask if you're not feeling well and you have to be out among others, and if you're sick stay home and keep away from others.

The vast majority of COVID cases are like mine in that they require no advanced care or hospitalizations. But, if you listen to politicians and the media that's not what's pushed. 

Watch as more regulations, mandates, legislations, etc. are increasingly pushed with fear as the main reason, but there will be some token "feel good" talking points. Again, the "feel good" points are to help people feel good about freedoms being taken away or restricted and these points are used to attack anyone who is against the mandates, restrictions, regulations, legislation.

Fear is, and will be, used to limit, restrict, and even take away Constitutional freedoms and rights. The justification will be for the protection and safety of others. It will be the backbone of efforts to that will erode away rights and liberties of free speech, freedom of religion, freedom to bear arms, the right of being innocent until proven guilty, the right of property, freedom from un-Constitutional search and seizure, etc.

Be mindful of what you fear or the fear will kill your mind and control you.