Sometimes I’ll hear folks ranting about enlightenment virtues, stoic philosophy, or religious belief but their spine vaporizes on contact with reality. They’ll emote over freedom of speech and rule of law and consent of the governed and then fold over lame shit.
If you think your moral and intellectual and spiritual world is on edge, then act like it. If a person considers what their friends will say on F***book more than their relationship to God or themselves aren’t fully engaged. That’s fine (and I might even envy that world) but actions matter and don’t think you’re something you’re not.
I think of this scene from the movie Brazil. Dude’s about to experience total hell and they slip in a jab about credit rating. Nice writing!
Consider our little Nuremberg experiment that officially ended just this week. How many people bellowed like they were ready to go to Valhalla yet submitted just to shut people up? Many unwillingly got the jab in anticipation of their inescapable fate.
If they’d held the line a few more months perhaps then… well whoops… that boat sailed and they weren’t on it. See how preemptive surrender works?
Note: none of this is to hold it against you if your back was against the wall. Nobody can know what’s in another man’s soul. If you were going to relinquish custody of your kids that day or get fired that day… well sometimes even the bravest man will chose to lose. But that’s a different thing than “there’s a memo going around that the boss will be pissed in a few more weeks” or “my girlfriend won’t stop bitching about it” or “I really want to go to my favorite bowling alley”. (Also, if you wanted the vaccine. Good on you. Mental anguish spared. Enjoy your good fortune.)
As for the guy in Brazil? He went all the way. He knew where the path went. When they strap you in the chair it’s to late to worry about your next loan to buy a Toyota!
