The longer I am involved with "The Liberty Movement TM" the more apparent certain things become. Mainly people's blatant hypocrisies & lack of integrity. This is not directed at any one person or incident. This is a general critique not exclusive to the liberty movement but, in my opinion, a byproduct of modern temperaments that all of us have been guilty of at some point.
Criticism is typically used to discredit or disparage, in an attempt to weaken a potential competitor. Determining the intended value of a criticism is dependent upon the motive of the criticizer. If you are reading this I'd like you to know that I believe in your potential to rise to the top. The truth is anyone who challenges the system is going to be held to a much higher standard on every level. Whether it be mentally, emotionally, physically or any combination thereof. Those who speak reason in unreasonable times are placing a target on their back. So start making improvements in the areas you might be lacking. The goal isn't to be perfect, the goal is to always be improving.
When I changed from small "l" to big "L" libertarian, I eventually came face to face with a well-known but largely disliked libertarian figure. Starting from a place of good faith & wishful thinking that what I had heard was just social embellishment. So I introduced myself. The interaction was, interesting. It rapidly dissolved proving that maybe the things being said were more true than untrue. There was one thing this person said that stuck out to me. It wasn't an original idea. It wasn't my first time hearing the concept & in the context of the conversation, it was not delivered as if it were a friend giving me advice. It was some odd dismissal tactic attempting to discredit me & discourage me at the same time, very strange. So this person stated that (& I'm paraphrasing), I should become the person I intend on portraying while telling other people what to be. it’s not bad advice. It’s pretty standard and lame. Nobody wants to buy a weight loss plan from someone not in shape. So yes, become what you intend to portray to others before you do it. Yes!.. Why didn’t I think about that?
The topic was my podcast which had not launch at this point. I never had any intention of telling others how to live or what they should be. It’s only ever been about discovering & exploring these ideas. Having interesting conversations, confronting controversies; it has always been as much about my journey as much as anyone watching or listening. After pondering the odd interaction, there is an odd meta aspect to podcasting. Although I don't explicitly tell anyone how to live, when discussing radical social, political & economic changes to issues there is a undertone suggesting that people should live a certain way. I don't believe this is inherently negative, if kept in check. I also don't believe the person who made this comment expected me to turn his shitty comment into a positive. Still to this day this person refuses to appear as a guest.
The core message being conveyed was famously turned into a meme after it was uttered by Jordan B. Peterson.
"Clean up your room."
A simple yet vital message that used to be the norm in society. It’s a message promoting personal & social responsibility. To be socially responsible you must first be personally responsible which starts at making your bed. Until you have the ability to complete daily tasks required for basic functioning, you have zero business discussing how society should be structured with any amount confidence.
What’s the connection? How does growing liberty start with me making my bed? If it’s not already obvious I’ll explain. There were very few positives in my life as a result of the government initiated lockdowns. One of the positives out of a small handful was a new friend. A friend I’ve grown a deep admiration & respect for. My buddy Shawn Hickman. We’ve shared quite the range & depth of conversations. There is one specific criticism of his that has stuck with me due to the staidness of the illogical & hypocritical behavior most people are guilty of while simultaneously they never recognizing the paradox that their lack of action is the major contributor to the very issues they criticize.
To summarize, he has pointed out that most people will pass criticisms & even propose social, economic, or political solutions for that week's highlighted controversy, emergency, or policy failure. They will push these criticisms & proposals with an unwavering sense of authoritative knowledge while simultaneously never attending a single city council meeting or even being able to name any one of their local representatives. It’s a reckless abandonment of the responsibilities that come with being a citizen. Now time to come full circle & finish the analogy.
Most people will live in a filthy room full of dirty dishes, stacks of dirty & clean clothes right next to a overflowing trash can & unmade bed. Even though this is their living condition, given the chance they won’t hesitate to tell others how their way of cleaning is not only superior but if everyone would just do it their way, dirty rooms would be eradicated. The perpetual continuation of unchecked cognitive dissonance at this level has proven to be a disaster for our communities. Nefarious actors continue to enact permanent changes which damages the fibers of our social fabric & all people do is argue the best way to sew while never actually putting their hands on a needle & thread.
So what do we do? How do we move forward? How can this be changed? Ultimately it’s up to you to decide your next step. I can share with you what I have decided to do. Before I do it needs to be acknowledged that no matter how dire things become there will always be people who refuse to clean their room & will reprimand you for not taking them seriously. Similarly even if you have the best idea in the world, the reality is some things will always be out of your control. attempting to control them is futile & leads to misery.
So I decided to use utilize the limited time I have to improve myself & ultimately my community. I focus on what I can control instead of what I can’t. I control my health to a large extent so I make sure to take care of myself as well as I can by paying attention to what I consume and making sure I get at least a moderate amount of exercise. I largely control my intellectual capacity. I continue to learn and I continue to read. The relationships I have in my family and close friends are important to me and vital to my existence. I make sure to put in as much love time as possible with my loved ones to continue building and strengthening that bond. My neighborhood is important to me, not only for my own self preservation but for the preservation of my neighbors as well. I care about the city, county & state I live in. It is important to me that my community is not only able to provide for itself but able to protect itself in times of need. I make sure to attend local events, make my voice be heard in the physical & digital public squares. I draw attention to issues within my community, bring awareness to them & work towards solving these issues.
There are many injustices in the world & it pains me to see such powerful suffering. No matter where you are, you don’t have to travel far to find this suffering. As much as I don’t want others on the opposite side of the country or other side of the world to unjustly suffer, there is little I can do to effect real lasting improvements. What I can do is fight to liberate my state, fight to liberate my county & city & community. Liberating your community begins with a strong home. A strong home begins with clean rooms. A clean room begins with a strong individual. True liberty begins with you.