Fear is a Liar

When he told you you’re not good enough
When he told you you’re not right
When he told you you’re not strong enough
To put up a good fight
When he told you you’re not worthy
When he told you you’re not loved
When he told you you’re not beautiful
That you’ll never be enough

When he told you were troubled
You’ll forever be alone
When he told you you should run away
You’ll never find a home
When he told you you were dirty
And you should be ashamed
When he told you you could be the one
That grace could never change

Fear, he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
‘Cause fear he is a liar

~Zach Williams

I’ve been listening to too many “red pill” podcasts, lately. The Andrew Tate hitchhikers, of content creators. There is one in particular, who grinds my gears (aka frustrates the hell out of me). While I truly can listen with an open mind, and even agree with some of the things they say, much of what I hear is just inexperienced people, who don’t know how to argue their own shallow opinions. I do believe men need a voice. I understand these are challenging times, for them. Masculinity has been shamed and insulted, to the point that I can see why so many are listening to voices of the “manosphere”, and feeling heard. However, I also feel sad for the people who are following the “advice” that people like this are giving out. Today’s feminist extremists insist that men and boys are the source of all our problems. Today’s “red pill movement”, suggest it’s women and girls who are the problem. What if we all just took a step back? What if everyone logged off their internet connections, and wandered out into the real world? What you find, are individuals who have their own unique experiences. Individuals who actually aren’t walking around with hate and malice for people who don’t look, think, dress, or act the same as they do. I still believe most people are good. Yes, there are some folks among us, who truly do simply seek to sow as much outrage, discord, and destruction possible. Those people generally yell loudest, and protest so confidently, it can appear as if they know what they’re talking about. Sometimes, taking a little time to reacquaint ourselves with the rational, free thinking minds that make up the vast majority of our population, is the most productive way to remind ourselves that the world really isn’t shit. All is not lost. Stepping outside of our own front door, can literally restore your faith in humanity. As an American, we are constantly being sold this idea that everything around us is falling apart. And, the only way to “fix” it, is to vote for the right political candidate. Hate and shame anyone who doesn’t agree with us. To be angry. To live in fear. To accept whatever “truth” the person talking on our TV, computer screen, or radio is telling us. The solutions are not ever going to be found there. As Jordan Peterson has said, we need to first “clean up our own room”, before we attempt to change the world. Focus inside our own home. If that’s in decent order, look to neighbors and community. Work to make positive impacts for those around us. We can do so much more, together, when we just get to know and listen to those around us. Our lives aren’t so terrible, after all. We’re literally all quietly struggling through something tough. Everyone around us is going through something. There is a story worth telling, and many stories worth listening to. We don’t all have to agree on solutions. If we can simply take a moment to have real conversations with one another, we might just come to realize, most people are good. Most of us want the best for our families, our communities, and humanity at large. Most people truly want to make a difference. We don’t have to share the same ideas about exactly how we should go about things. We do need to stop letting hateful rhetoric dominate our conversations, though. Hating each other does absolutely nothing to solve our problems. Anyway, that’s my thoughts today. ❤️