can I just say: sometimes the urge to romanticize things in your life can just exacerbate your decision fatigue/exec dys/whatever else is holding back your progress? My journal/to do list/food diary are all contained in one document. It's a google doc and its a pinned tab on my browser window.

Why?

Because I know I'll sink a lot of money and mental anguish over getting just the right gel pens or leatherbound journal or a5 binder or what the fuck ever and probably not write a thing in the end.

Google doc. Pinned. Simple.

Please understand what I'm saying. You should absolutely romanticize your life. Romance yourself. But don't let it become another way to torture yourself and draw out your procrastination.

I'll catch myself filling my cart with things, imagining this grand picture of what I plan to do with all that shit ... then empty it all out when I realize I have everything I need already, and all this shopping and strategizing and whatnot is just a salve for my fear of getting down to business.

This isn't your fault either. Corporations pour billions of dollars into messaging and advertising and social media campaigns to get you to believe that your ability to change your life resides in their product and/or service.

Don't be fooled. Aesthetics are not the be-all end-all. The desire for beauty in all things is a noble one, but it can be hijacked and weaponized against you.

Bad place lessons, and the fear that achieving self-awareness is what signals to the universe that it's time for a person to die

Start time: 1:36a.

In this blog I talk about all sorts of dark stuff- death, drugs… mostly those. Reader beware.

The title of this journal entry is dark but it reverberates. When I allow myself to sit with the bad place and let the spider web of imagined crises play all the way out, I get to the end, which generally is a lesson I need to commit to practice. Even though the crisis spider webs sprout all sorts of alarming content, the insecurity always comes to the surface during the instances where I don’t try to yank myself out of it. The ultimate nugget of fear that’s running the show stems from a good old fashioned fear of not being able to control the manner of my death.

To sum up the next few paragraphs for all the dads in my life reading this, I begrudgingly recognize the lesson: Either I can be scared, or I can be prepared. Yeah. That’s the first half of what this title will circle back to.

I used to add on, “and let go of the things you can’t control,” but I’ve dropped that segment because it seems built-in. I am clever, and I hope that in a situation where I needed to think fast and craft a solution from whatever resources are around me, I would have more of a chance than I give myself credit for. Maybe an unavoidable tragedy will still happen, but maybe I up my chances of survival if I can think quickly and be resourceful under pressure.

If I had it my way, I wouldn’t see my death coming and it would be instantaneous, probably the same as everyone else. I dread the hormones that will pump through me when it is my time, and I have the “Oh my god, this is it,” deer-in-headlights moment. Like if I’m driving, late night, doing everything right, and suddenly a car is coming at me head-on. I have a recurring bad place penultimate scenario that I always end up going to- that I’m driving hurriedly at night while it’s raining. I’m rushing away from something. And suddenly a car comes plowing out of a neighborhood block and smashes right into my driver side. I experience “the moment” and the synesthesia lightning bolt of being startled that I dread so much. This could totally happen and I admit, I get spooked driving in the rain because it feels premonition…ish? I don’t know the adverb for that.

Anyway what’s interesting is, one, that I can’t tell if the car had a stop sign. And two, I get this feeling in my head that I am fucked up somehow. Like, I’m smoking, drinking, or something else, and I experience a home invasion, and decide to drive away from the property to get away from the area. Or, maybe someone I love experiences an emergency and needs a rescue. Good intentions. I get into my car and decide to drive. I know that I shouldn’t because of my intoxication state, but it’s an emergency. Maybe I’m the one that passes a stop sign. All I see is that it’s raining, and suddenly there are a pair of head lights that T-bone me from my left at a high speed.

Thankfully, I can logic my way out of this thinking- before this rainy driving scenario, there have been two other scenarios that I’ve fixated on long-term and each time, was convinced that was the method that I was going to die, and it’s going to happen soon. So I’d better start preparing. I therefore deem the rainy car wreck scenario MANUFACTURED and not to be taken as premonition or truth.

Second thing I take it to mean is, Lauren, if you’re cozy at home thinking all is well and you experience an emergency, do you really want to be fucked up when it happens? Probably no I don’t. It’s so strange how every time I’m sober, I can’t wait for the next time I smoke weed. And then when I smoke, I wish I hadn’t smoked weed and could just switch my mood off and on sober instead of rely on substances to help me feel something different or break me out of a funk. Different blog for some day.

Finally, the third thing I get from these fantasies is, if I experience an emergency no matter if I’m sober or partying, do I feel equipped with the skills to stand a fighting chance? Will I keep my cool or will I freeze? Am I strong and flexible, and do I have endurance, if my adversary is a human? Do I know where to hide if my apartment gets hit by a tornado? Can I recognize the signs of a tsunami and make people pay attention to me if I spot them? Sadly the answer to all of these is no, and it’s a wake-up call. It’s a wake-up call every time I have this discussion with myself (and whenever I allow my thought spider web to progress all the way through the bad place) but the thing about vices, is that the lessons dissipate if we don’t enact them immediately.

So loud note to self, because I know I am impulsive, resist the urge to make exceptions for safety while doing something that could make you a hazard, even for emergencies. And perhaps if I want to try mind-altering substances, I need “being responsible” to include preparations like, knowing by heart what I need to do for common emergencies. Making sure I have someone sober around me so I can enjoy myself. And having a variety of hobbies scattered around to redirect my attention when I feel the cyclical thought pattern starting to suck the happies out of me and defeat whatever my intention was for partying in the first place.

And then, PREPARE. I need to be strong and I need to be flexible. And also, I need to be relaxed in the face of stress. The third one I haven’t had a chance recently to test, but when I got T-boned November ‘22, it was very hard for me to think in the subsequent moments after it happened. Actually not true, it was hard for me to be bothered to spend my energy having a conversation with EMS dispatch. I thought to myself, “I just need a second, the emergency thing that my car just called on my behalf will understand if I’m silent for just a second.” Thank god D totally took charge communicating even though HIS side of the car was hit. He showed real leadership that night while all I felt was a mix of being able to comprehend what was happening, but not being able to words and shaking too much to perform any motor functions. Another different blog for some day.

I need to be physically strong. There’s got to be a sport that’s perfect for me. I need something where I dart around, something where I’m on a team, something that requires hand/eye coordination, and something that requires body strength and flexibility. But NOT something that will dirty up my hands…. (gyms and rock climbing, etc. Two sports I used to love when I was less neurotic). This is the criteria for my perfect sport, avoiding neuroses that will make me not want to work hard, and harnessing the types of moves that I crave doing.

Take a breather! Almost done.

So how does all of this tie into the title?

Well, that’s where self-obsession to the point of borderline-narcissism comes in and it feels a little gross to talk about because if I were an outsider, it would come off a certain way. The last few months, I finally feel like my negative tendencies are sloughing off. I’m listening better, I’m devoted to things, I have direction, I can be myself with anyone, and my fervor for building has returned.

As a result, I’ve been blowing up creatively. Tapping into what I create when I get totally lost in something. For once, FINALLY, not caring how good or bad it is. Not caring if it’s perfect and tidy and curated. With music, I love imperfection and hiccups. And with art, I love “mistakes”. It feels nice to just advocate for that. To not feel like I have to play something 100 times until it’s recorded perfectly cleanly because that’s what everyone else does and what is expected. To not feel like I have to be able to draw objects that already exist, and that it’s okay to be weird with art and to do it because I’m a toddler that likes to color.

As a result of feeling like I’m finally buildling again, up to things in the world, it feels as though my demeanor has changed and that if I really wanted to, I could probably make an enormous difference on the world, either by writing music that moves me, creating art that is unique and special, or writing words that resonate with people. Here I am, about 3 weeks into the whole “making a living doing art” endeavor, and I’m already thinking about how cool of a Christmas present it would be to be able to present my dad some award or contract that means to both of us that I’ve officially “made it” with music. It’s hard to do that without selling out or running into 4th album syndrome. (4th album syndrome: When a band gets privy to their most beloved elements and start chopping out the excess when they write. It really could go either way. The best album yet, or more commonly, a streamlined, curated sound devoid of quirks and space… /rant).

But, what if, now that I can clearly visualize the future that I want, with my ultimate end goal being to help people realize that it’s okay to look inward and as a result, prevent human tragedies and violence, my own life tragically gets cut short by a tragedy or I experience crippling violence before I say the key things that I’d need to say in order to make a major impact on humanity? What if I die before I discover those? What if I have to die for the people that need my brand of relatedness to finally discover my words? What a tragedy that would be.

And that’s why it feels arrogant and narcissistic to think like this. Like I’m THAT important. What hubris. That’s how I think it sounds from the outside, at least. But ultimately, the fear is about not realizing my maximum impact on the world when I finally, after a three-decade wait, feel that I’m on the best path to do so. This is where I get stuck. This is the cause of the bad place, and the cause of my procrastination. If I achieve success sooner, will the universe take me sooner? Hail science and all but sometimes I wish the logic of randomness and coincidence stuck with me through my illogical breakdowns.

So anyway, I’m proud of my progress self-actualizing. It’s not that I want to be famous- in fact, the opposite. I was thinking of making this blog anonymous. And it’s not that I think I have power that other people don’t have- because I’m just journalizing and squeaking out imperfect art. I’m just scared that if I dream too big, my life will be cut short. Or that, because I waited too long to take action in my 20s and early 30s, I made WAY less of an impact before my fated death at age whatever. If I burn too brightly, I will attract an “only the good die young” situation. I question maybe I should always be just a little bit of a prick to ward off the “only the good die young” spirits that work for Murphy and his Law. But also, you know, maybe I’m not that great of a person as I think I am either, and I have no right to question whether the universe has sentience, makes decisions, and would be out to get me once I’ve just started to to get a taste of my “full potential”.

Stuff to think about.

Do other people deal with this? I have to stop writing for today. Time of end, 3:38a.

Source, my official blog: www.todaysthinks.com/blog

How to get out of your own way in 2023

I’m sure the stationery is out and you’re busy snipping and putting images, resembling your goals and mission on your vision board for the new year. Well, as you snip, paste and collect, I would like you to consider how you will get out of the way so you can live the life you’ve always dreamed of. A life you are thinking of right now. Right this minute. Why aren’t you living this life, if it’s…

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I am perfectionist that hasn't perfected anything

Object Relations: Fear Of Success Pt. 7-5

Artificial Intelligence

As jarring as the quickly expanding abilities of artificial intelligence (A.I.) are, one consistent thread is how economics and economic theory has changed along with technology. Libertarianism for example was very thoughtful for a time when machines failed to take over in the Jetsons cartoon style as predicted in the 1950s, but now with more advanced A.I. to be released in 2024, technology is moving faster than ethical human thought can get a grip on. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, as well as many other speakers, talked to the U.S. Congress about the 2024 ChatGPT and provided mixed testimony full of unknowns, but also lots of positive predictions. "There will be a significant impact on jobs, what that impact looks like is very difficult to predict...I believe that there will be far greater jobs on the other side of this and the jobs of today will get better." The new 2024 A.I. is "good at doing tasks, not jobs, and so I see already people using GPT 4 to do their job much more efficiently, by helping them with tasks. GPT 4 will, I think, entirely automate away some jobs, and it will create new ones we believe will be much better...There will be an impact on jobs. We try to be very clear about that and I think it will require partnership between industry and government, but mostly action by government to figure out how we want to mitigate that but I'm very optimistic about how great the jobs of the future will be."

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn-W41hC764

AI eliminated nearly 4,000 jobs in May, report says - CBS: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ai-job-losses-artificial-intelligence-challenger-report/

AI anxiety as computers get super smart - RTL: https://today.rtl.lu/news/world/a/2132837.html

One of the ways that will trigger needs for government intervention is how the distribution of wealth changes with each job displacement. In an article on RTL, it was ironic that "computer coders and writers [critiqued] AI creators for 'training' software on their work, enabling it to replicate their styles or skills without permission or compensation." When A.I. replaces a wage completely, or even partially, a lot of that labor cost is now rewarding computer engineers and suppliers of the materials for the computers, robots, and A.I. software PLUS the ownership. Each displacement requires a new inventory on what transferrable skills are still relevant for that candidate. As stated in the U.S. congress, there are already plans for retraining services, which will also require a lot of resources. Without a tax to transfer the profit of that labor to a human being who lost their job, it can't be ignored that consumers today need to be producers in order earn currency to access consumption. What is also often not talked about is the complexity of these new jobs. I remember talking to a Japanese A.I. expert about this and he was generally irritated with my line of questioning. "I think people will have to move to more complex jobs...Let's change the subject." I later was in a restaurant and bumped into the Alberta provincial New Democratic Party, which is the name for the main socialist party in Canada. The leader was there head-bobbing and chin-wagging with party members and supporters. I took the advantage to talk to some of them and found an economics expert in the bunch. He said for some reason "I am biased," which ultimately everyone is, but he showed that because we are a conservative province the NDP has been steadily moving to the right and has already replaced the Liberal party to appear as the moderate choice on the left side of the political spectrum. This is so much so that they could get former conservatives to vote for them. I asked him if manufacturing jobs could return. He responded that "we are not setup well for that...We can instead develop higher technological value-added jobs." Continuing with the prior thread, his solution still leaves out the high school diploma worker, part-time artist, and hobbyists. Also falling through the cracks would be people who have chosen the wrong field for their personality type and are struggling to make a career change. Where many researchers and economists feel those types of individuals will end up is on a Universal Basic Income.

Already people are getting nostalgic for the times before the pandemic and after the roll out of technocratic control during COVID lockdowns. That nostalgia is key into understanding human emotion. The problem with social engineers in bureaucratic and corporate environments is that they are essentially unelected. When they foist new technology onto the population, governments are always scrambling to understand the consequences. The consequences usually have to happen first so that the complaints can help to create a regulatory response, much like a beta software. This is assuming that there is enough freedom of association and a galvanized population to bring about changes to government policy. The worry is always about people lacking power, being helpless, dehumanized, while working longer hours in low paying jobs alongside a lack of insurance from the government. Joe Allen from Dark Aeon, worries that the Golden rule "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," will devolve and "worldly powers will do to us what they would never have done to them." If people are gradually sent to a Universal Basic Income their leverage in the workforce will disappear and worldly powers will now have control over the resources for their survival. People cannot go on strike if they have no job. Then if you compound the desire that oligarchs have to use Climate Change as a tool to ration resources, meaning REWARDS, a very constrained two-tier system will clarify things where those leaders will predictably have enormous freedom to do what they want, to reward themselves, while they at the same time repress everyone else with a false sense of morality. I already argued this when the pandemic was starting in the episode on Narcissistic Supply and how one can be addicted to a downward comparison with others and despite what many leaders say, in practice they are not interested in the equality of outcomes. This can be seen with pop stars who live a high lifestyle while supporting rationing systems for their audience. It can be seen with climate activists using fossil fuels on tap while shaming everyone else. The ultimate conclusion of a system like this is to emulate the Chinese 15-minute city where a person is supposed to live within a 15 min walking distance and not go beyond it. If this is implemented in a harsh way it would mean living in a technological version of the parochial medieval town.

Narcissistic Supply - Freud and Beyond - WNAAD: https://rumble.com/v1gveop-narcissistic-supply-freud-and-beyond-wnaad.html

Life Circle Construction in China under the Idea of Collaborative Governance: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/geogrevjapanb/90/1/90_900103/_article

Klaus Schwab: Whoever Masters AI Will Rule the World: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvkRj80H96s

Massive Protest in Oxford Against 15-Minute Cities - Rebel News UK: https://rumble.com/v2a6oy4-massive-protest-in-oxford-against-15-minute-cities.html

MEP Christine Anderson Issues Wake-Up Call: “You Cannot Comply Your Way Out of a Tyranny”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93qGEqJnBwo

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi pointed out the dangers for psychic entropy, when there is too much regulatory control, and this is what would happen on a mass scale if you have a class of dependent people with no leverage in society. For those unaware of this blog, because it's the most common topic, Flow is the ability to gain pleasure by exercising your sense of self on the environment to master a skill, some form of leisure, or endeavor. "In a research on the effects of 'flow deprivation' we have asked subjects to go through their normal daily routines, but to stop doing anything that was not necessary, any act or thought that was done for its own sake. After only 48h of this regime subjects reported severe changes in their psychic functioning. They felt more impatient, irritable, careless, depressed...Performance on creativity tests dropped significantly. [A common] reason for the ill effects of deprivation by the subjects was 'the act of stopping myself from doing what I wanted to do.' Apparently the experimental interference with the freedom of attention may have been one of the causes for the near-pathological disruption of behavior and experience."

If there's an area that requires massive improvement it would have to be in the area of socialism, because that has been the catch-all solution in politics for so long. That problem is that any kind of dependencies can be exploited or over-regulated. This new socialism would have to be super-decentralized so that corruption would be close to impossible. Since that doesn't exist yet, there's a lot of work for the left to do. Good examples were provided by the apostate of the U.S. left, Naomi Wolf, who was shunned after criticizing the COVID19 vaccine rollout and mandates. In an interview with Peter McIlvenna of Hearts of Oak, she recounted her experience of Britain and Europe and some of the dangers of dependency she found there. "...People get so many benefits from the state, in Europe and in Britain, and that's messaged AS benefits and it's very tempting. I have this free this and free that, and I love it and I used to be thoroughly on board with free healthcare and free universities and everything, why not? The dark side is the discourse of individualism, and individual rights becomes very theoretical. Once they give you all these good things, then when they say 'but you can't drive your car from here to here,' it's very hard to realize that that was a poisoned gift." Naomi's struggle is similar to Zhao Ziyang's, as described above, on how to balance human freedoms with leverage, power and responsibility. You can almost imagine some mediation system that is bogged down in committees, or a punishment system that punishes for every small infraction. The reality is that what most western countries have, is already much better than ill-thought-out abstract theories coming from the powerful today. Peter: "It is subtle. [15 minute cities are] for our good, for our health, for our convenience. Convenience comes up often...Often you can point out these issues, '15 minute cities, being local is good.' No it's about restriction or controlling you. Despite what's happened in the last 3 years, they cannot see past the government propaganda." Naomi: "[15 minute cities] may seem 'convenient' or 'green' but it's really going to enslave you and your children forever."

Hearts of Oak - Naomi Wolf - Facing the Beast: Courage, Faith and Resistance in a New Dark Age: https://rumble.com/v3tbcwj-hearts-of-oak-naomi-wolf-facing-the-beast-courage-faith-and-resistance-in-a.html

Star Trek TNG -- Crime and Punishment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7XqGiwfUyI

A vast area of study like A.I. can be confusing and distracting, but the nostalgia that people have for the past often has to do with the freedom they had to pursue their interests, especially those pristine experiences where there was a lack of conflict with others. It can be a way to cut through the noise and complexity. Certainly the past shouldn't be treated like a golden age, but it will if attention spans get ever more controlled and rewards are progressively removed. A peaceful exertion of creativity on the environment without endless coercion has to be the litmus test. If A.I. is to truly succeed people will have to feel less fear, and enjoy more peace. There must be as much freedom of choice as in the past, if not more, and very importantly, there must be access to REWARDS. People don't just want to exist. They want to thrive.

Ikigai: https://rumble.com/v1gvo41-ikigai.html

Object Relations: Fear Of Success Pt. 2: https://rumble.com/v1gvuql-object-relations-fear-of-success-pt.-2.html

Patterson, N., Richter, D., Gnerre, S. et al. Genetic evidence for complex speciation of humans and chimpanzees. Nature 441, 1103–1108 (2006).

Moorjani P, Amorim CE, Arndt PF, Przeworski M. Variation in the molecular clock of primates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 Sep 20;113(38):10607-12.

Domínguez-Rodrigo, M., Baquedano, E., Organista, E. et al. Early Pleistocene faunivorous hominins were not kleptoparasitic, and this impacted the evolution of human anatomy and socio-ecology. Sci Rep 11, 16135 (2021).

Lahr, M. M., Rivera, F., Power, R. K., Mounier, A., Copsey, B., Crivellaro, F., … Foley, R. A. (2016). Inter-group violence among early Holocene hunter-gatherers of West Turkana, Kenya. Nature, 529(7586), 394–398.

Violence and the Sacred by René Girard: https://www.isbns.net/isbn/9780801822186/

Evolution of the Human Diet: The Known, the Unknown, and the Unknowable by Peter S. Ungar: https://www.isbns.net/isbn/9780195183474/

General History of Africa - Vol. 1 by Joseph Ki-Zerbo, Unesco Staff, Mokhtar: https://www.isbns.net/isbn/9780520039124/

Projection and Personality Development via the Eight-function Model by Carol Shumate: https://www.isbns.net/isbn/9780367341381/

Transference And Projection by Jan Grant, Jim Crawley: https://www.isbns.net/isbn/9780335203147/

Projection and re-collection in Jungian psychology by Marie Louise von Franz: https://www.isbns.net/isbn/9780875484174/

Newman, Leonard & Duff, Kimberly & Baumeister, Roy. (1997). A new look at defensive projection: Thought suppression, accessibility, and biased person perception. Journal of personality and social psychology. 72. 980-1001.

Identity and Identification by Ken Arnold, James Peto, Mick Gordon, Chris Wilkinson, Hugh Aldersey-Williams, The Wellcome Trust: https://www.isbns.net/isbn/9781906155865/

Brodey WM. On the dynamics of narcissism. I. Externalization and early ego development. Psychoanal Study Child. 1965;20:165-93.

Marcus, Kenneth L., Accusation in a Mirror (2012). Loyola University Chicago Law Journal, Vol. 43, No. 2, pp. 357 - 393, 2012

Atrocity Speech Law by Gregory S. Gordon, Benjamin Ferencz: https://www.isbns.net/isbn/9780190612689/

A World Transformed by George Bush, Brent Scowcroft: https://www.isbns.net/isbn/9780679752592/

No Trade Is Free - Robert Lighthizer: https://www.isbns.net/isbn/9780063282131/

The People's Republic of Amnesia: Tiananmen Revisited by Louisa Lim: https://www.isbns.net/isbn/9780199347704/

Prisoner of the State - Zhao Ziyang: https://www.isbns.net/isbn/9781439149393/

Dark Aeon : Transhumanism and the War Against Humanity by Joe Allen: https://www.isbns.net/isbn/9781648210105/

HOU Lulu, LIU Yungang, Life Circle Construction in China under the Idea of Collaborative Governance: A Comparative Study of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, Geographical review of Japan series B, 2017, Volume 90, Issue 1, Pages 2-16

Psychology: http://psychreviews.org/category/psychology01/

Fear of Success Pt. 1: https://psychreviews.org/fear-of-success/

Fear of Success Pt. 2: https://psychreviews.org/object-relations-fear-of-success-pt-2/

Fear of Success Pt. 3: https://psychreviews.org/object-relations-fear-of-success-pt-3/

Fear of Success Pt. 4: https://psychreviews.org/object-relations-fear-of-success-pt-4/

Fear of Success Pt. 5: https://psychreviews.org/object-relations-fear-of-success-pt-5/

Fear of Success Pt. 6: https://psychreviews.org/object-relations-fear-of-success-pt-6/

“She was always holding herself back. She was cocaptain, not captain. She could’ve dated the quarterback, but she dated his brother instead. She could’ve been top in her class, but she’d purposefully turn in a paper late or miss an assignment so she’d fall closer to the middle. She would know about Mauna Kea, but she would say Everest because winning would bring too much attention.”― Karin Slaughter, Pretty Girls

Embracing Success: The Power of a Positive Mindset in Wealth Creation

In the world of personal development and financial success, one book stands out as a guiding light— “Secrets of a Millionaire Mind” by T. Harv Eker. This transformative book delves into the mindset of the wealthy and imparts valuable lessons on how our thoughts and beliefs can shape our financial destiny. One striking statement from the book encapsulates a profound truth: “If you hate rich and…

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October 30, 2023: Fear of Success and how to get to the next level!

Hello October, are you having any form of anxiety when you throw Halloween parties and gatherings? Just saying… To be honest, after my intensive last week and its successful organisation, I feel a low energy and mood, a kind of “hangover”. It might be normal for performers (is it? ) but why do I almost get sick after succeeding in something? Why worry that much -both that it might go wrong and…

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New Moon in Libra Spread Using Bohemian Gothic Tarot

https://labyrinthos.co/blogs/learn-tarot-with-labyrinthos-academy/a-new-moon-in-libra-tarot-spread Where am I most fearful of conflict? – What part of my life am I acting out of avoidance? Knight of Cups Rx How does my fear of conflict affect my life? – How does my choice to avoid conflict affect my situation? What does it do to me? Queen of Cups Rx What am I afraid of confronting? – What is…

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Understanding the Fear of Success: Overcoming Psychological Barriers to Achieve Your Full Potential

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New Post has been published on Books by Caroline Miller

New Post has been published on https://www.booksbycarolinemiller.com/musings/on-international-womens-day/

On International Women's Day

The 1972 film, The Candidate starred Robert Redford as a neophyte California politician running for the U. S. Senate. Scripted in documentary format, viewers get an up-close look at the twists, turns, and disappointments of running for public office. Fortunately, Redford’s character is putty in the hands of his seasoned campaign managers, so after much skullduggery and nail-biting, the candidate from California wins.  The film’s ending may be predictable, but its closing catches the viewer by the heels.  It’s a closeup shot of Redford staring wide-eyed into the camera and looking like an alley cat that’s been thrown into a cage with pit bulls. His supporters in the background cheer and pop balloons while the candidate asks of no one in particular, “What do we do now?” Most of us know about the fear of failure, but a fear of success is equally debilitating. According to experts, the reasons are threefold. Success means change. Success means taking on responsibility.  Success means unwanted exposure.  Barrack Obama as U. S. President captured headlines the day he appeared at a press conference where he’d replaced his customary dark suit with a tan one.  What did it mean, the journalists speculated.  Some women may submit to patriarchy because they fear success. Subservient roles give them a place in society without having to compete.  Statistically, this reticence can be expected. What isn’t expected is a growing number of young people who think women’s rights have gone too far.  One market researcher, Kelly Beaver, thinks this longing to take a step backward arises from the achievements of the women’s movement.  Change, he points out, can leave people feeling uncomfortable and resistant. Setting aside women’s status in the third world and theocracies, it’s fair to ask if the benefits women are experiencing in western cultures come at a cost to men. Are our brothers, fathers, and husbands falling behind? Most western cultures don’t think so.  When First Lady Jill Biden presented a transgender woman with the Women’s Day International Award for Courage, some criticized her for honoring a biological man instead of a female. They also pointed out the women’s movement continues to struggle to ensure reproductive rights, including the right to contraception, as well as affordable childcare, equal pay and paid sick leave. In addition, women are underrepresented in Congress and have few seats at the table of corporate power.  Given the data, these critics question why a premature concern for the rights of men exists.   With little data to settle the matter, I’m left to speculate.  Knowing that the environment can alter gene expression, could women, after centuries of repression, be genetically disposed to subservience?  Do Eve’s daughters fear equality?   Before the Woman’s Movement, a few females dared to grapple with the same uncertainty. Simone de Beauvoir was one. In those nascent times, she was canny enough to see the impediments women built for themselves. It is perfectly natural for the future woman to feel indignant at the limitations posed upon her by her sex. The real question is not why she should reject them: the problem is rather to understand why she accepts them. 

Journal Entry #12 - Fearing the Beneficial (Discomfort Challenge Journal)

You wanna know what I think is silly? The fact that we often fear things that can be beneficial to us. Things such as success, money, relationships, being alone (different from loneliness), ambitious goals and dreams, happiness, et cetera et cetera. Writing that out and reading it back, they all seem pretty counterintuitive. These are all things people desire, right?

Well, it seems that the things we want to succeed in most tend to be the things we fear the most. Frankly I think it’s down to the fear of the unknown and the fear of change, and if you’ve never gotten comfortable with those things it makes sense to avoid it. Humans don’t usually like to be uncomfortable. It’s a survival mechanism.

So, what does someone do if they put down “socialize more and make new friends” as a goal, but avoid achieving the goal they desire? My solution: Get over it. Let me explain. 

As part of one of my discomfort challenges, I wanted to face my fear of social gatherings. I am a very sociable guy, I actually greatly enjoy talking to and meeting new people. For some odd reason, my fear of rejection stops me from pursuing the very thing that I want. The easiest method? Make myself go to the gathering. Just do it and get over it by proving to myself it wasn’t as big of a deal as my mind was making it out to be.

My original plan was to go find some sort of group based event surrounding one of my hobbies or interests. However, one of my old friends was having a party and I said yes before letting myself overthink it. Luckily, it was on one of the days I had off of school so that worked out. The thing about parties is I tend to get pretty socially anxious about them - Especially if there’s plenty of strangers.

As expected, my feelings going in were a mixture of excitement and anxiety. “This will be fun!” then all of a sudden, “What if it’s awkward as hell and I end up just sitting in a corner feeling all pointless and bored? What if people find me odd or weird or uninteresting?” General self-deprecating social anxiety stuff, basically. I arrived early mainly to help set things up, and was promptly introduced to some strangers my friend knew.

My response was simple: A “Hi, I’m Eissac.” with a wave and a bit of a smile. Not exactly the “I want to be here” greeting. I did come around eventually though, and ended up relaxing after starting a few conversations with some of the strangers (who oddly enough, were the guys I stuck around chatting with most in the party) then just allowed myself to be more myself while playing a game.

It was insanely fun, actually. It would have been stupid of me to decline something I would enjoy simply because of some irrational negative thoughts and fears. It would have been sad to miss out on the social opportunity I was looking for. 

Realistically, a lot of the things we become anxious and scared of are irrational. The situation itself often turns out nothing like the big bad wolf of a scenario you conjured up in your mind. Saying yes and going for it regardless of your “what ifs” and “maybe laters” proves one thing: The thing you feared isn’t even that scary.

That’s what courage is. Facing your fears head on while still being afraid of them. Having courage opens quite a few doors, and you just may stop fearing or worrying about the thing all together with enough practice. 

I think I might try going out more often, even though it still kinda scares me. You probably should try it too, honestly.

Secrets of Successful People: (20 Step to Success) 

Introduction 

Want to know about the secret of success which is followed by every winning person? Successful people do and unsuccessful people don't. why more than 99% of people fail, and why only 1% of people become highly rich, wealthy, and successful: Financially, professionally and personally. If you are also excited to know about the law of success, and how it works? And you also apply and can become more successful. Then you are in the right place. 

Keep reading and today you will learn the secrets of success by Napoleon Hill, the most famous author who wrote a book "the law of success" in 1925. Learn how to achieve wealth and personal success with this timeless masterpiece, written based on interviews with the 500 most important millionaires of the time.

Which can apply to everyone easily and become highly successful. One more thing, I personally followed these laws of success in my life, and got amazing results as I expected. Now it's your time to do something extraordinary in life, so people start respecting you in your society and Even your family members can feel proud of you, and to achieve success people can share your success story to them. That's the real meaning of success. 

Here are the list of 20 laws of success that can help you to achieve a higher level of success, whatever you want. 

Don't be afraid to Start Over

Don’t be afraid to Start Over

Yesterday, I came across this motivational quote on LinkedIn (here). It was a beautiful reminder of the opportunity we have each day to have a “do-over.” Today, I find myself focused on these words again as I consider the notion of mistakes. We all make them (except for certain people who shall remain unnamed 😉) and if you are like me, you have a multiplicity of negative feelings that can…

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Object Relations: Fear Of Success Pt. 7-4

For Lighthizer, there has to be trade negotiations that think of trade balance and mutual advantages so that there isn't a carte blanche situation. If results on the ground show unfair trade practices, like dumping, currency manipulation, or a lack of access, there has to be a reassessment of any trade deal. "All the great economies were built behind a wall of protection and often with government money. The British industrial revolution was aided by a wall of tariffs. Likewise, the late-nineteenth-century explosion of American industry was the product of protectionism and often subsidies. Can anyone imagine the great American railroads being built without the grant of free land per mile? Similarly, the manufacturing countries of Japan, Germany, and now China all benefited during their development from tariffs, other barriers, and subsidies of one kind or another. It is important to remember that no country became great by consuming. They became great by producing...Our trade deficit grew by a factor of fourteen, while our GDP grew by a factor of four. The win-win situation promised by advocates of free trade has never materialized...It is not my position that all trade deficits are harmful. Clearly, if a country runs a deficit one year and a surplus the next, no harm is done. The surplus will offset the deficit, and all is good. Likewise, for one country to run a bilateral trade deficit with a second country and a surplus with a third is fine. They offset each other. Indeed, all three countries could benefit by increasing efficiency and maximizing the allocation of resources among them. What concerns me is running huge trade deficits with the entire world year after year for decades...The second exception to the principle that bilateral deficits don’t matter is that running up gigantic trade deficits with one’s geopolitical adversary is particularly stupid. In our case, the United States ships hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of our wealth to China every year. This helps them build up their economy, build up their military, and have leverage over the political situation in the United States. It makes them more powerful in the eyes of all world leaders. I’m not sure there’s an example in world history in which two rivals—indeed, some would say enemies—have had such a lopsided economic relationship. It is fair to say China is challenging us because we gave them the money to do it. Clearly, during the Cold War with the Soviet Union, we never transferred such money. Had we done so, we might have lost to them...Tariffs don’t necessarily prompt trade wars, and removing tariffs often does little to prevent actual war."

There is also "...negative compounding. The people in the foreign country who buy our assets own those assets forever, with the obvious effect that they get the profit from those assets year after year. That profit compounds, and the effects of even one year’s trade deficit multiply over time as profits continue. Added to this is the fact that we have seen huge $500 billion to $1 trillion trade deficits year after year, so we have both an accumulation of trade deficits and a compounding negative multiplier on each trade deficit." Theory then assumed that it would still balance out because "...if a country that ran large trade deficits for a few years [they] would find less demand for their currency and their currency’s value would drop. This would then make it very difficult for that country to import and easy for it to export in terms of its domestic currency. Therefore, the weak currency would help correct the trade imbalance. Indeed, we see this occurring regularly around the world." Lighthizer then found that this didn't work for the U.S. because of the currency's demand in the world as a reserve currency, and the devaluation that other trade partners had done with their currencies. With a threat of a new BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) currency with developing countries dropping the dollar, there would then be a reduction of demand for the U.S. dollar, but this may be a long way off. According to Reuters "the [U.S.] dollar still dominates global trade. It is on one side of almost 90% of global forex transactions, according to Bank of International Settlements Data." The danger would be the mounting U.S. debt because you need people to buy your debt and if there's a sell off, there may not be enough buyers to avoid the U.S. government from having to print excess money to buy back the investments. The increased inflation would be damaging to U.S. dollar purchasing power, even if domestic manufacturing could restart from the high import cost environment.

Economist Sounds Alarm on US Dollar Losing Reserve Currency Status: https://news.bitcoin.com/economist-sounds-alarm-on-us-dollar-losing-reserve-currency-status/

The Path To Hyperinflation with EJ Antoni - TFTC: https://rumble.com/v3r7vlp-456-the-path-to-hyperinflation-with-ej-antoni.html

A lot of these unfair trade practices were also ignored for fear of stoking a trade war. "Trade liberalization came to be seen not just as a tool of economic policy but also as a path to perpetual peace." Lighthizer's book does come after COVID19, but the origin of the pandemic has yet to be investigated with enough thoroughness to prove that it was a lab accident only. Many people still feel intuitively that the release of COVID19 was intentional and a form of escalation in response to Trump's tariffs on China. It certainly doesn't help that China declared a People's War in 2019 before the pandemic. Chinese state media said that, "the Chinese side is fighting back to protect its legitimate interests. The trade war in the US is the creation of one person and one administration, but it affects that country’s entire population...In China, the entire country and all its people are being threatened. For us, this is a real 'people’s war.'" In the Strong Country blog one poster said "[The U.S. is] sucking the blood of the Chinese..." Another comment on the site said, "Why are Chinese people bullied? Because our hearts are too soft!" This would be an argument for peace advocates in the United States to allow mercantilism to continue in China, but Lighthizer would counter that not all wars are stopped by liberal trade policies. "Economic ties between the North and the South did not prevent the Civil War...It would be hard to argue that the rise of Germany as a major exporter in the late nineteenth century helped pacify that country in the first half of the twentieth. Japan’s dependence on raw materials from the United States motivated its attack on Pearl Harbor...China’s accession to the WTO in 2001—which was supposed to make the country a model global citizen—was followed by massive investments in its military capabilities and territorial expansion in the South China Sea. And certainly the great trade between Ukraine and Russia did not stop Putin’s invasion in 2022." Deep down, military situations are more accurately predicted based on the weakness of a target. The easier it is to attack a target, the more enticing it is to do so, like in the pattern of scapegoating described above. Attacking a strong target means that one has to assess casualties and ponder what a loss would look like to one's own sovereignty. A deterrence. Initial attacks are usually on weak targets or on military that are unprepared for the kind of attack planned. Even further, the new slave wage system became a draw down on wages for all world markets so sooner or later the same system would knock on every door and demand entry into all countries.

Chinese state media calls for ‘people’s war’ as US trade conflict escalates: https://nypost.com/2019/05/14/chinese-state-media-calls-for-peoples-war-as-us-trade-conflict-escalates/

China declares a ‘people’s war’ after Trump’s latest tariff hikes: https://thechinaproject.com/2019/05/15/china-declares-a-peoples-war-after-trumps-latest-tariff-hikes/

Chinese scientists discover EIGHT never-before-seen viruses... and now they plan to experiment with them: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-12665249/Chinas-discovered-EIGHT-never-seen-viruses-plan-experiment-them.html

REP. ROSENDALE REACTS TO REPORTS THAT WUHAN LAB SHIPPED CORONAVIRUS TO FAUCI-RUN LAB IN HAMILTON PRIOR TO PANDEMIC: https://rosendale.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=691

Increasingly, there have been complaints from populist political commentators worldwide, and a shift between the typical left and right has created strange alliances where now it has become a political a divide between oligarchs and the workers who feel exploited by them. Ex-democrats like Donald Trump, Kari Lake, and Steven Bannon are now in the Republican camp. Big business leaders and big government Marxists have now allied on the side of China and want a continuing of the current mercantilist policies. Populists compare the China One Belt One Road initiative to that of being not a partner with China but a colony with a negative trade balance to match. Part of being a colony means importing the empire politics which then influences local politicians. The original expectation after the fall of the Soviet Union was the countries like China would reform into a representative government like in the west, but in the end it went in the opposite direction.

'Let Me Finish!' Johnny Rotten Makes His Views on Donald Trump Heard | Good Morning Britain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1uOwz_UrQ0

China Girl - David Bowie: https://youtu.be/imSPZt77sKo?si=GqTBSUfKxb5HlCIt

When the money goes from the exporters to the importers, it takes a foreign turn. Your home is where the money is and with globalism, the borders vanish, and as reported above, national values related to constitutions, and human rights are disregarded if the mercantilist country doesn't cherish them. It's just about naked money and power. The O'Keefe Media Group (OMG), for example, got an inside scoop on the giant investment group BlackRock and it became clear the view that people have when they have this much concentrated power.

"All of these financial institutions, they buy politicians."

"How do they run the world?"

"You acquire stuff. You diversify, you acquire, you keep acquiring. You spend whatever you make in acquiring more and at a certain point your risk level is super low...You own a little bit of everything and that little bit everything gives you so much money on a yearly basis, that you can take this big fuck-ton of money, and then you can start to buy people...We have a system in place. First there's the senators. These guys are fucking cheap. You got ten grand? You can buy a senator. It doesn't matter who wins. They're in my pocket at this point."

"Does everybody do that? Does BlackRock do that?"

"Everybody does that."

OMG Blackrock exposé: https://rumble.com/v2vg7ie-blackrock.html

More exposés from Steve Bannon showed the power of lobbyists in the same vein as the HR guy above described during the recent fight for a new GOP speaker. Typically in a representative government it matters who wins and different parties provide a check and balance to each other, but if there's an angle to win personally at the expense of a country then the balance begins to vanish. While watching politics for some time recently since the 2020 election, a certain narcissistic tactic was starting to appear again and again that I recognized by terms like "love bombing" which is a euphemism for the Trojan Horse. Like in the ancient Greek story, it's all about using niceties to bring down the defenses of an enemy and then you attack them at a weak spot. This is used everywhere and there's a long list in politics that never ends. In this context of corrupt politicians it works like this: The politician tells an electorate that wants reform whatever it wants to hear. Then when they are in power they look to lobbyists for directions in order to get more financial rewards. Typically, this leads to retribution at the polls when the politician is grilled on their bad voting record and primaried by another candidate from the same party. The problem is that they've found out how to win even when they lose. Lobbyists can provide job offers and lucrative media contracts so that if they have to leave being a politician they are forgotten about, regain their anonymity, and have increased their prospects. During the fight for a new speaker, because Kevin McCarthy didn't achieve any objectives he agreed to after the election with Rep. Matt Gaetz and other holdouts, Bannon talked about how you "never give the apparatus a second to collect themselves, because they are going to come up and they're going to be spreading money around and cutting deals and bring in more people to their cause. Right? That's where the K-Street lobbyists come in...but I have spies everywhere...The lobbyists were literally walking around cutting deals with people at the tables...to vote against [Jim] Jordan."

Jenny Beth Martin: "Honestly Steve, do you think they are worried if they lose their seat? They're going to have a job lined up with one of those firms. They're going to get some book deal. They'll get a gig on CNN or MSNBC or wherever else they can go to bash all of us, so they know either way they will at least get to keep power and keep access to money and that's what they care about." The divide in the GOP between globalism and populism became very clear with the boos and the criticism of Rep. Matt Gaetz for taking small donations from the general public. "When it comes to how those raise money, I take no lecture on asking patriotic Americans to weigh in and contribute in this fight from those who would grovel and bend for the lobbyists and special interests who own our leadership. Oh boo all  you want! Who have hollowed out this town and borrowed against the future of our future generations. I'll be happy to fund my political operation through the work of hardworking Americans, $10 and $20 and $30 dollars at a time and you all keep showing up at the lobbyist fundraisers and see how that goes for you."

Martin Explains The Establishment's Radical Resolution To Install McHenry As The Speaker Permanently: https://rumble.com/v3q5f4v-martin-explains-the-establishments-radical-resolution-to-install-mchenry-as.html

Bannon: "This is the early morning hours of 2016 all over again": https://rumble.com/v3ms086-bannon-this-is-the-early-morning-hours-of-2016-all-over-again.html

The Faux-Right Infiltrating The Republican Party, Destroying Our Nation - Jack Posobiec: https://rumble.com/v3todsd-jack-posobiec-the-faux-right-infiltrating-the-republican-party-destroying-o.html

Many of these lobbyists are all a part of the importing lobby and closely connected with China. Another exposé, this time by Tucker Carlson, unearthed a video from a Chinese economics professor that openly talks about CCP influence in the U.S., what political commentators call Elite Capture, or Pay For Play, where the strategy is to corrupt those who have power and leverage so that even if the population is aware of what's going on, they don't have enough power to do anything about it. The professor explained to an amused audience about how China and the U.S. were able to resolve problems quickly before Trump, it was "because we have people at the top. At the top of America's core inner circle of power & influence."

Tucker Carlson: Our elites' collusion with China is real and widespread: https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlson-elites-china-collusion-di-dongsheng

Of course lobbyists will use all kinds of arguments in their favor and the value of their businesses and what contributions they make to society but usually with important information about their personal interests left out because owners can't really feel the same feelings that workers feel, and they are not likely to drop their contracts and fortunes if they suddenly feel a pang of shame. If ineligible organizations can make social policy without the say so of voters, then the conversion to a one-party state is complete, even if it isn't expressed openly. This also means that the psychological impacts resulting from these policies will continue on because they can't be addressed without upsetting the power balance. Lighthizer connected the emotional component of self-esteem, a recurring theme, that is crucial in all understanding of economics beyond abstraction. "A big part of the elites’ misunderstanding of the situation is that they have no appreciation for the social component of work. Those obsessed with efficiency tend to see employment simply as a means of allocating resources and ensuring production. In so doing, they greatly undervalue the personal dignity that individuals derive from meaningful work. Commentators from Pope Leo XIII in the nineteenth century to Arthur Brooks and Oren Cass today have written eloquently about the central role of work in a well-ordered society. Doing honest work for a decent wage instills feelings of self-worth that come from being needed and contributing to society. Stable, remunerative employment reinforces good habits and discourages bad ones. That makes human beings into better spouses, parents, neighbors, and citizens. By contrast, the loss of personal dignity that comes from the absence of stable, well-paying employment is not something that can be compensated for either by increased consumption of low-cost imported goods or by welfare checks."

Counter arguments from the globalization side would put onus on workers to find retraining and enter more lucrative areas of the free market. "Those that claim that the benefits of interdependence or efficiency justify the costs free trade places on the American working class often argue this negative impact can be offset by retraining that helps workers move into new service sector or technology jobs. In theory, retraining may sound attractive, but this phenomenon has failed to materialize. Compared with those who lost their jobs in earlier periods of economic change, displaced workers in modern, developed economies typically have fewer and less attractive options. Historically speaking, this was not always the case. In the United Kingdom in the nineteenth century, for example, the repeal of the protectionist Corn Laws prompted agricultural workers to flee the countryside for industrializing urban areas where factory jobs were waiting. By contrast, the American factory workers who were displaced beginning in the 1990s either had nowhere to go or ended up working in low-skill, low-paying service jobs...The technology sector, for all its virtues, is not a source of high-paying jobs for working people. Over half of the United States’ roughly 250 million adults lack a college diploma. Historically, manufacturing jobs have been the best source of stable, well-paying employment for this cohort. Perhaps with massive new investments in education, former autoworkers could be taught to code. Even so, there probably wouldn’t be enough jobs to employ them all. Apple, Facebook, Google, and Netflix collectively employ just over 300,000 people—less than half the number that General Motors alone employed in the 1960s...Moreover, the service and technology jobs most accessible to working people, such as data entry and call center jobs, are themselves vulnerable to offshoring. Economists have estimated that nearly forty million service sector jobs in the United States could eventually be sent overseas. That’s more than three times the number of current manufacturing jobs in the country. People without college degrees face increasingly steep obstacles to obtaining stable, well-paying jobs. In sum, the United States has not taken adequate measures to put its own workers first...No great economy in the world has ever given up on manufacturing. To the contrary, they are all for the most part based on it. The vast majority of international trade is in manufactured goods and agriculture. The best jobs for high school graduates are in manufacturing. Most innovation in our economy is in this area. A prosperous, successful future needs a flourishing manufacturing sector...Losing manufacturing jobs, the United States also 'broke the chain of experience that is so important in technological evolution. As happened with batteries, abandoning today’s ‘commodity’ manufacturing can lock you out of tomorrow’s emerging industry.' In every economy, a great deal of innovation comes from manufacturing, and this innovation usually takes place very close to the place of manufacturing. The engineers on the ground are the ones who incorporate much of what we call productivity gains."

For Lighthizer, the response to mercantilist policies is to use tariff leverage to open up markets. "...We should just go to the countries keeping our competitive products out and demand more access. This was our approach in the Trump administration. Countries with enormous trade surpluses with the United States have a lot more to lose from our taking concessions away. We have leverage and should use it...We [also] need to create value to buy things from importers. Of course, some services are exportable, such as banking or professional services, but most are not (think food services or health care)."

The consequences of leaving those without advanced degrees behind is one of an inability to make ends meet, save money, and enter the ownership economy, which allows for more independent political views. If wages are made to be as low as possible then those workers will be unable to invest and the profits earned from lowering wages will just coalesce with a smaller group of owners. Victor Davis Hanson reminds the reader that "we need [the Middle Class] to be present, because without this present, you do not have these independent voices...Unfortunately in our generation it's eroding and we can see it erode in a variety of contexts. The first is, for ten years average wages of the middle class did not rise. Fifty-percent of the country dies with less than $10,000 in aggregate wealth. Over half of Americans die with credit card debt. Their buying options are limited and their choices on how they live are limited. Their chances of home ownership decline simply because they owe a lot of debt. Nowhere is this more dramatic than in student loans. When the student graduates, the average loan is somewhere between $30,000 and $40,000. We have an entire generation of students that are graduating, often with therapeutic degrees and are not able to find jobs that would allow them to pay off this enormous debt. If we came from Mars and looked at the situation, we would just simply say 'you have tens of thousands of serfs or indentured servants. If they are not beholden to their credit card, they are beholden to the federal government and the universities."

The Middle Class and Why Its Disappearing | Victor Davis Hanson: https://youtu.be/r8GeHGQK6fU?si=63QxelPH_gp0yfTt

The sensitive topic of illegal immigration also factors in big when it comes to whether people have a chance to enter the middle class. Labor, like anything in the market, falls under the forces of supply and demand. Wages are dear when employers have to compete for skilled labor that is scarce. Now that the U.S. southern border since 2021 has been opened to millions of illegal immigrants in the United States the pressure is always to renegotiate wages down, including those illegal immigrants who ironically have to compete with each other in the same bottleneck, keeping all of them out of a savings and ownership economy. The divide between the America First and George W. Bush influenced GOP became clear. Since retiring, Bush Jr. has been painting, including portraits of immigrants, and he provided his critique. "It's a beautiful country we have and yet it's not beautiful when we condemn and call people names and scare people about immigration. It's an easy issue to frighten some of the electorate, and I'm trying to have a different kind of voice. I would describe [the current Republican party] as isolationist, protectionist, and to a certain extent nativist." Nativist being a euphemism for racist. One can infer that there's a self-hatred going along with this line of reasoning, but it also ignores the parallel development in psychology to counter co-dependency, where it's common to hear healthcare workers admonished to take care of themselves better, say no, and have boundaries because you can't help others if you can't help yourself. One wonders when politicians around the world will catch on. Bush's view on immigration isn't a completely open border but it should be "pro-enforcement with a compassionate touch." He hinted a bit that he may also be out of touch in the Today interview when he conceded that "[the current Republican view] is not exactly my vision, but I'm just an old guy they put out to pasture, just a simple painter."

George W. Bush: Immigration System 'Needs To Be Reformed' | TODAY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqJDPSPUZ44

Former President George W. Bush releases new book about America's immigrants: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y1L-ZGDTuk

The quiet comfortable interview unfortunately blurred details and was also dated since the new administration has allowed unprecedented numbers of illegal immigrants undocumented into the country, including in the years up to now. Bush's idea of having more courts and a new vetting system is just another thing that is imaginary but not actually a reality, like his ownership society, which ended up being a debtor society. Lower wages means slave wages, but all politicians would raise their hand if asked if they were against slavery. The topic of having people of different ethnic backgrounds working for cheap is hardly an image to advertise for immigrants who also want to be in the middle class. Bush's view goes back to the old story that certain jobs won't be filled because the wages are too low. "We need to change the work visas. There's a lot of jobs that are empty, and there's a lot of jobs that need to be filled, and there are people willing to work hard to do so." The plight of the middle class is ignored. Biden whispering "pay them more" is not going to magically raise the wages, especially when he opened the border wide open. The negative trade balance was also ignored in this interview. Illegal voting with easy-t0-get driver's licenses was not broached, including changes done in 2019 before the 2020 election. Illegal immigration, especially in the U.S. led to an increase in drug and human trafficking. There are also worries now after the war for Israel has begun that there maybe terrorists that have crossed the open border, which evaporated the entire purpose of Bush's Homeland Security initiatives. The Biden Administration even went further with a trial balloon to just merge the former NAFTA countries into an E.U. style regional government showing how settled their globalist view is.

Biden on Work Shortages, Tells Employers to Pay Workers More: https://youtu.be/h9wANPpPL98?si=5AvnKKKdCWzjRBf9

Governor Josh Shapiro announces switch to Automatic Voter Registration: https://twitter.com/GovernorShapiro/status/1704095982193877181

Lara Logan claims migrants are part of a globalist plot for a unified North American government: https://www.mediamatters.org/one-america-news-network/oan-lara-logan-claims-migrants-are-part-globalist-plan-unified-government

Trial Balloon Merger With Canada Mexico and the U.S - Tucker Carlson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jy1pIrWP44

Donald Trump upset this current establishment which responded with their fear of what reform meant for them and projected it onto the population, except for the fact the establishment didn't have, and still doesn't have, anything the general public would find exciting from them. Who wants debt slavery? Who wants stagflation? Who wants endless wars? In an emotional false-start resignation letter, General Milley made an assumption that Trump was "ruining the international order..." which he misinterpreted as being connected to the Greatest Generation in WWII, which I think would have a bone to pick with this current international order. I'm sure some did support the U.N., the Marshall Plan, etc., but I'm sure that many, if not most, were fighting for their country, and their children, not some nebulous and shifting international order with faceless bureaucrats that resist reforms. Regardless of political labels, this craven behavior should now be expected in any situation where there is a power differential and there's a threat of reform, meaning that people will lose their money and position with said reforms. Each side that reforms another side has a hatred of the people who are gumming up the works and wants them gone. Those who are to be fired feel castrated and mortified. The success or failure of any reform will have to rest with how many people it frees up and helps to thrive while at the same time removes obvious corruption, which always requires vigilance because for many people, corruption is a way of life and it seems unconscionable that enough money can be made with goods and services alone.

‘Your husband is the worst president. You owe us gas money’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQv5cMSFkdE

Dick Cheney calls Trump a coward "He Lost. He Knows It": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6Nq9SpGzic 

😂 Posobiec: I present to you, my dramatic reading of the General Milley resignation letter: https://rumble.com/v1fmezx--posobiec-i-present-to-you-my-dramatic-reading-of-the-general-milley-resign.html

Gen Mark Milley: I Had My Resignation Letter Ready for Trump: https://rumble.com/v3ih4ck-gen-mark-milley-i-had-my-resignation-letter-ready-for-trump.html

When you have a weak population that is like a colony, under taxation without representation, what would it look like? We already covered what it looks like now, which is very compromised, but what would it look like if all dissident reformers are put in jail? The world got a taste of that when the former President of the PRC Hu Jintao was escorted out in a way that looked disconcerting and humiliating to western audiences. Chinese media stated that "When [Hu] was not feeling well during the session, his staff, for his health, accompanied him to a room next to the meeting venue for a rest. Now, he is much better." Some commentators joked that his aids told him "death is a serious condition if you're not careful." Other commentators felt it was more of a middle ground. "What we just saw was the making of an All Xi's Men team, the breaking of decade-long rules, and the birth of an unlimited supreme leader...He is now a truly modern emperor." Hu Jintao did make another appearance later at Jiang Zemin's funeral with Xi Jinping in Dec 2022 showing that at least he wasn't dead. I talked to one Chinese woman who immigrated to Canada about it and she said "we [were] not allowed to talk about that." She found it surprising in Canada when looking at Twitter and all the aggressive back and forth between debaters of different political stripes and how it was possible to criticize top leaders with unlimited sarcasm and derision. This would be a hint that complete freedom of speech would have to end in order to consolidate power to one political aim. Dissent would have to be hidden and kept in closed door meetings and each prospective leader would have to be subservient and then make power grabs at all the right times before ascending to leadership, usually when the prior dictator has gotten too old. Any missteps could lead to expulsion, house arrest or execution.

For example, Zhao Ziyang, the leader who was more favorable to the students at the Tiananmen, lived under house arrest and was allowed some freedoms while being watched intently. His views on Communism grew more towards freedom as time passed. "We needed to establish multiple channels for dialogue—with various social factions, forces, and interests. Decisions on major issues should be made with ongoing consultation and dialogue with various social groups, not just within the Communist Party, and not only after merely consulting once with key figures of other political parties...We had to permit social groups to exist; otherwise, how could dialogue be conducted? Most important, we needed to change the situation in which all social groups—including workers’ unions, youth organizations, women’s organizations, chambers of commerce, and others—were all in monotonous unity with the Communist Party. They should not be treated like the Party’s royal instruments. They have to be able to truly represent the people they are meant to represent. Only dialogue conducted with groups of this kind would carry any real meaning. In other words, their function as intermediate organizations should be fully developed. The Communist Party should not take control of everything or interfere so much in their affairs, and should give them room for independent activities...We must establish laws that guarantee the protection of specific aspects, for example, freedom of association, assembly, demonstrations, petitions, and strikes. All these should be protected by specific laws." Of course these reforms never came to pass. His son Zhao Wujun said that "Zhao lived to see the consequences of rapid, unfettered economic growth in the absence of checks on government powers–rampant corruption, crony capitalism, one of the widest wealth gaps in the world and widespread social discontent...The things he wanted to do were abandoned…more than a decade of his sweat and blood was ruined in an instant...We have missed a huge historical opportunity to transform society. I don’t know if history will give us another chance."

Hu Jintao's Removal - CCP 20th National Congress: https://archive.ph/20221022153634/https://twitter.com/XHNews/status/1583829797297598465

Xi Jinping and Hu Jintao were on hand to bid farewell to Jiang Zemin: https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/china/story20221205-1340592

Son of purged reformer Zhao Ziyang tells of China's 'shame', 25 years after Tiananmen: https://chinadigitaltimes.net/2014/05/son-purged-zhao-ziyang-tells-chinas-shame/

AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY - Official Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MYFOzP6Xns

Getting centralized control to give up power is one of the most difficult knots to untie for any reformers in any country, and this was not lost on presidential candidate Javier Milei who described leftist politics in his country as being seduced by Antonio Gramsci. Tucker in a couple of episodes also interviewed an Argentine economist and a business owner about what the economy is like in Argentina, before getting Javier's take on the situation. "We are 47 million people, out of which 11 million people have what you call a job. Slightly under 3.5 million people work for government, and 7 million people work in the private sector. So 10 to 11 million people out of 47, 25% of the people, [if you take out government workers], 1/7th of the population will have a private job...7 million people are working to support the other 40 million people. 60% of the children are poor...In Argentina the incentives now are so perversely inverted that many people decide that it's not worth working. They can make more money sitting home idle." To a restaurant owner this was due to high taxes and expensive union dues. The psychological impact of this kind of system was described by Javier like the typical Cycle of Abuse and The Battered Wife, where "politicians are kind of sociopaths. They want to believe that we are mentally disabled, disabled in every way, because we cannot live without them. In fact, they are the ones who cannot live without us." One of the ideas he warned Tucker about was "the idea that where there is a need there is a right. It's a problem because there can be infinite needs but someone always has to pay for those rights, and the resources for that are finite. That sparks a conflict between infinite needs and finite resources...Under my administration...they should have no reason to complain. There won't be any layoffs in the first round of reforms, and when the second round of reforms takes place, they will be able to leave behind their public sector jobs, because they will have an incentive to do so, and they will be paid better." Considering that Bolsonaro in Brazil and Donald Trump in the U.S. are currently under lawfare by their opponents, I think Javier will have to put on his seatbelt if he thinks the opposition will make it easy for him to just walk in and make changes.

Argentina's economy - Tucker Carlson: https://twitter.com/TuckerCarlson/status/1702079713622299100

Javier Milei. Who is he? - Tucker Carlson: https://twitter.com/TuckerCarlson/status/1702442099814342725

Bolsonaro Again Ruled Ineligible to Hold Public Office by Brazil Electoral Court: https://news.yahoo.com/bolsonaro-again-ruled-ineligible-hold-232806102.html

Trump’s presidential ballot eligibility on trial in Colorado and Minnesota: https://www.axios.com/2023/10/31/trump-14th-amendment-trials-colorado-minnesota

Prosecutor files case against Argentina’s frontrunner Javier Milei days before presidential election: https://apnews.com/article/milei-picardi-peso-fernandez-argentina-02db52be25b493ca0f1d10fec9d6f017

It's best not to forget that when you trade with people, or if you are involved with people in friendships or intimate relationships, you are receiving strong signals from people who need repeated confirmations that they are respected. Many others need confirmations that they are special and superior. China expert Jack Posobiec worked in China and remembered how focused the Chinese were in wanting to turn the tables on the U.S. "I'll never forget this one. These are people I worked with by the way, and they weren't saying this in a hateful way or an angry way. They were just saying it matter of fact. They said 'we want to see a world where Chinese parents are one day adopting American babies.'" It's safe to assume that when you deal with people there are always hidden concerns in the background about power, self-esteem, envy, jealousy, and resentment.

China is going to eat our lunch - Jack Posobiec: https://rumble.com/v2r7ocg-jack-posobiec-chinas-going-to-eat-our-lunch..html

Even if reforms seem clear that there should be more work and production, with a reducing of some government spending, along with a reduction of interest rates, and how that will resurrect an economy, some of these economic principles are going to be challenged by the incoming developments of Artificial Intelligence (A.I). If the technology develops as quickly as developers contend it will, you'll have a situation of overproduction when the newly unemployed can't buy any products produced by the A.I. that replaced them. If there's a minimum income introduced, and if taxes are implemented to replace all the wages lost, what will life be like? Will a universal basic income allow the same human freedoms as before? What would psychology look like if one just pursued hobbies and didn't have to go to work? Would the lack of power when there are no wages or labor to negotiate with lead to another form of slavery?

Don't Be Afraid of Success

Don’t Be Afraid of Success

Many are looking for success and financial freedom, and it seems like a difficult journey, but there are some simple things that you can do which might help you get where you want to go. They are simple, but they are not accessible. Like all things, we are at the center of our choices, and our decisions will determine not only what we achieve but also the style and manner in which we achieve it.…

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