Take a Stand
Ever since picking up a copy of Stephen King's "The Stand" as a teen in the late 1970's, Bagholder has always had an affinity for "Horror" novels. They provide a conduit to explore, process and rationalize our deepest fears without actual risk, from the comfort of our own home. While horror novels are usually just works of fiction, the fear they tap into within the human psyche is often very real. Learning to confront fear, and not be governed by it - is perhaps the single greatest life lesson the horror genre has to offer. Horror novels demonstrate clearly there are 2 types of people. Those who go through life fearful, avoiding risk, head down, and obedient…And those who go through life fearless, weighing risk, chin up, and carving their own path.
Bagholder can think of nothing in 21st century America which better illuminates the stark differences between the fearful and the fearless, than Covid 19. The fearful are easy to spot. They are the ones driving down the road, alone in a car wearing a mask. They are the ones anxious to take vaccines and boosters without ever looking at the science, or weighing the risks of both the virus and the vaccine. To be fair, thanks to the mainstream media, most of the fearful have no concept of the actual risk presented by the virus, or the vaccine. So when authorities say the vaccine is safe and effective, the fearful believe it...and when authorities say the virus is a grave danger, the fearful believe it...and when the authorities say the pandemic is the fault of the un-vaccinated, they swallow that too.
The fearful, as a group, are submissive to authority. They do what they are told. They do it, because psychologically, they feel absolved of the burden and responsibility of having to engage in critical thought. Theirs is the path of least resistance. They are the proverbial residents of "Plato's Cave", preferring never to go near the light, because the darkness in which they reside is a risk free known quantity.
The fearless, also easy to spot, are not without their issues. Their path is much tougher to navigate, as it requires critical thought. They have to weigh evidence, make decisions, and then accept both the responsibility and consequences of those decisions. They are the proverbial residents of "Plato's Cave" saying lets go check out that light over there; as they are eternally curious, and always wanting to learn. Before taking the irreversible step of getting vaccinated, they do a cost-benefit analysis. As evidence presents itself… like … those under 65 with good Vitamin D levels are more likely to be hit by a bolt of lightening - than die from Covid; they ask themselves, what is the benefit of taking the vaccine.
Two years into the fight against Covid, the evidence is in, and its compelling. There is NO benefit to the vaccines. NONE. They do not stop you from transmitting the virus, they do not stop you from contracting the virus, they do not stop hospitalizations, or deaths. While the fearful are quick to shout the vaccines mitigate symptoms, they are slow to recognize the cost for that mitigation is much too high. To date, according to the CDC, there have been over 18,000 deaths directly attributable to the vaccines in the US alone. 18,000 is just what they admit to, the real number is much higher.
The biggest downside of living in fear and never questioning authority is a complete inability to accurately gauge risk. Only someone without the ability to assess risk for themselves would take an untested experimental drug (with considerable downsides) to hopefully slow a virus killing 1 person in 15,000 - all because some politician and/or the guy on the nightly news said to take it. Only the ignorant, and/or people governed by fear would make that trade. When looking at the demographics, It is no coincidence the biggest group of un-vaxxed in terms of percentages are those with PHD's. The educated among us, know.
While Covid & the vaccines have been quick to divide the fearful from the fearless, they have also been quick to divide those who think, from those who feel. Simply put, there are NO rational reasons for taking the vaccines. The science against them is overwhelming. There are only emotional reasons for taking the vaccines. The problem with the emotional reasons, is they are all designed to alleviate self induced fear. Funny thing is, fear is not even real. It is a fiction inside all of our minds with the sole purpose of destroying rational thought. To the powers that be, your fear is a tool used to enslave, much like actual whips and chains. They tap into peoples fear, and get them to do all kinds of irrational things. How many families turned their back on loved ones during the holidays, because some dwarf on television said to banish the un-vaccinated. It is astonishing what the powers that be can do, when playing on peoples fear.
Do yourself, and society a favor - Learn to confront your fears, head on. Recognize your life belongs to you. Choices are yours to make, nobody else. Life’s possibilities are limitless. As Plato would say, head towards the light and you will never be governed by fear again.
Special thanks to Stephen King for teaching Bagholder about fear.