There’s a clinical term in psychology, which in the vernacular would be described with the phrase, “I think I am going crazy.” This is “cognitive dissonance.” I have actually seen this term show up in casual reading more often in the past couple of years than in all the years before. It seems to have become a rather common utterance.
I am not sure if I will be using the term correctly in this article because in its purest form it describes a cognitive malfunction which occurs when a person creates a story in their mind that doesn’t match reality.
There is an assumption in this definition that there is an objective reality to compare it to, and that reality, as defined here, is stable and not subject to multiple interpretations. Although this isn’t really important because you can still experience cognitive dissonance if both the “story” and what is perceived as “reality” is illusory. Thus cognitive dissonance verges on another clinical term, psychosis.
Despite these nuances in definitions, cognitive dissonance, as well as psychosis, supposedly (according to the folks in white coats) causes internal psychic problems. I don’t necessarily have a problem with this assumption, although if left alone I am not sure if psychotic people really have psychic problems. It is more likely that the people around them have the problems.
I digress.
Most definitions of cognitive dissonance describe it as a “tension” felt if a person behaves differently from a belief system they resonate with, such as an overweight person who eats cookies all day but believes they would be happier if healthier and at a lower weight. I would venture to extend this description to a person who fundamentally believes that a government of smiling, sweet-talking, elected politicians should be honest and caring but end up being liars and willfully hurtful toward their constituents.
The official definition also states that when someone encounters cognitive dissonance they will adjust whatever they have access to adjust in order to relieve the discomfort. In the above examples, a person eating cookies might deny that they are doing something that isn’t conducive to good health and weight loss, saying things like, “I didn’t eat that many!” or “these cookies are not really fattening.” The latter example might find those experiencing cognitive dissonance denying completely the lies of their smooth talking politicians, or justify them in some odd way: “he didn’t really mean it” or “she is only human, she just made a mistake.”
That, though, is “sheep side cognitive dissonance” and I am not as concerned about that in this article—(in general I am personally very concerned about it). Sheep do seem to be in a perpetual form of cognitive dissonance, but I am not sure if many of them know it yet. Their “beliefs” seem to match up with their perceived reality for the most part, so they don’t, at the moment, experience any dissonance. Possibly unconsciously they may, but have plunged themselves into a deep denial. But clinically, to this particular clinician, it doesn’t seem that way. I see no obvious resulting tension—not yet.
Those of us on this side of the fence, however, grapple with this every day because we are more conscious. Everyone’s world has been turned upside down. In fact, the world has basically been upside down, from what most of us perceived as being “right side up,” for quite some time—maybe even the chief dude Neanderthal king was a lying son-of-a-bitch, who knows. Depending on what particular time in history you “woke up”—meaning when did you first see through the fog and understand you had been fed a story your whole life—you are either a “long time truther,” or a rather “short time truther.” Fact is you were not born seeing the truth, unless you were born a soothsayer. Yes, there probably are a few outliers out there who popped out of the womb totally impervious to brainwashing—if you are one of these then more power to you.
However, it is human nature to believe the world, and other humans in it, are benevolent. What I mean by “human nature” is that babies are born to trust. They have to be taught otherwise, and if they grow up in the West, which in the past was fundamentally benign (compared to other rather traumatic areas of the world) they can easily live a life believing, for example, that their government is not going to intentionally hurt them. (Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, but as we see, most people seem to believe this.)
It is all part of our indoctrination to remain loyal to this “human nature” sort of benevolence. Since it is fundamentally our nature to believe in the benevolence of our world, when we learn that it is essentially false and a fabrication, then we will begin to experience this cognitive dissonance. This comes when we begin seeing that our experiences just don’t fit the story we were born believing.
Each time something crazy happens we have to shake our head…much like characters do in a cartoon, along with that “booooiiinnng” sound. “What the f—k???” Even though we know intellectually that nothing is really as it seems, most of the time when we actually experience an example of this insanity it takes a second for it to sink in, “Are you kidding? Really???”
Now, I know some of you out there are hard-core veterans and don’t shake your head, and don’t hear that “booooiiinnng” sound when something fishy happens. You may instead give a little smirk and think, “here we go again.” Well, I am not one of you, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the majority of people out there reading this are not in your group either.
And when we see things like Universities still demanding their students wear masks, or places of employment still demanding vaccinations to be employed, or hear the talk of digital IDs and a no cash world, and 15 minute cities, and leaders telling their constituents they will hunt down the unvaccinated and make sure they get jabbed, we shake our head and hear “boooiiinnng.” I know I do.
This is the sort of cognitive dissonance I am talking about, and it is pretty much constant. I know for me a day doesn’t go by that I am not shaking my head. It truly is the Chicken Little story, the sky perpetually falling on our melons and all of us running around screaming about the impending doom, “Can’t you see it!? Can’t you see it!?” Nothing ever seems right; nothing ever seems to be properly aligned with basic human expectations. If we were all literal prisoners in the gulag, we would at least match up our internal beliefs with our external reality. We would know we were in prison. Right now, we have little literal reason to believe what we believe, other than pretty clear signs of it being planned.
Yes, those of us unvaccinated see the persecution, and the aforementioned mandates still in place. What we see indicates clearly to us that what we believe is really happening, at least part of it is. But we are constantly being told, “All is fine, nothing to worry about, we love you, we will take care of you, you should be happy you live in a free country, look at my shiny white smile, relax, all is safe…”
Booooiiinnng.
Article cross-posted from Off-Guardian.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
