The normalcy bias refers to an extreme mental state people enter when facing a disaster. It causes people to underestimate both the possibility of a disaster occurring and its possible effects. This often results in situations where people fail to adequately prepare for a disaster, and on a larger scale, the failure of the government to include the populace in its disaster preparations. The assumption that is made in the case of the normalcy bias is that since a disaster never has occurred that it never will occur. It also results in the inability of people to cope with a disaster once it occurs. People with a normalcy bias have difficulties reacting to something they have not experienced before. People also tend to interpret warnings in the most optimistic way possible, seizing on any ambiguities to infer a less serious situation.
Recently I watched The Diary of Anne Frank and it really depicts a true case of normalcy bias. Before World War II, Nazis started quickly regulating the rights of the Jewish population. Yeah they might have big noses and weird beliefs, but they were and are really great business people. They were the ones running the solid business' and being productive in quickly turning socialistic to communistic European Nations. Yet as their rights were rapidly being taken away, they continued to believe things could not get any worse. I feel the same thing is going on in our own nation now.
But how much worse? I don't exactly know. I do understand economics and I do understand derivatives. Maybe I'm not a big enough thinker that this economy and nation can be saved. How can it though? I fear my nation is falling to an American Normalcy Bias. Possibly I am too. It would probably make more sense for me to bail the country and move to Brazil. They have a solid and growing economy. A nation rich in resources to maintain their selves. Plus I fluently speak Portuguese (or at least I use to). I guess though that would relinquish a belief in a possible Zion being established. I have to choose... believe God will save me... or believe logic will save my life. Sooner or later though we will all die. We all die... that is one of the truest of truths I know.
What to do? I guess just live everyday doing your best and seeking truth. You have to believe your conscience truly communicates with God.
I fear not my own future yet the future of my family. They are blind and failing to normalcy bias as much as every other blind American. I guess I have to be careful what I say on here. You could get in trouble for being a crazy or something. I'm no crazy than the next person. I see crazy people on the news... I guess they snapped. It makes no sense to snap though. It only gives up your self-control. Even though their are many laws out their that are restricting our human rights, you have to obey the laws. You break the law you go into captivity.
Will I be prepared? I hope so. But how prepared can you really be? I guess just mentally. I worry about being able to produce, but yet again how can an entrepreneur at heart not produce? It's hard to think though that as the economy really gets worst who will be able to buy and sell real estate. That is how make money. If transactions do not occur how to I get paid? Guess I should have invested better for cash flow. Hopefully with inflation I can get higher amounts of rent on the condo. That is probably my best option. We can always produce though. That we must believe. We can always produce.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
School, Success, and Slaves
I always thought it interesting that we have been taught our whole life to go to school to be successful. I mean the richest dudes in the world never even graduated from college. Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and I am sure the list goes on.
Such authors as Mark Twain and C.S. Lewis have made it clear that they never let schooling get in the way of their education. So why go? I still am baffled in this question myself. I guess everyone has their reason. Maybe school is the start of transformation in ones paradigm? Who really knows?
It has been said in the "Mormon" church that "one finds their testimony in the bearing of it." I find that a curious statement with the knowledge of the ability to condition your mind. Of course regularly repeating your belief in the Church you will truly believe that after numerous times. Every day things we each perceive differently and condition our minds to influence the way we act. After all we are all here to act, not to be acted upon right? I choose to believe that. Obvious the more control I take in my life from my 5 realms of human life value the better the outcomes have been.
Why do people give their money to financial planners A.K.A. insurance salesman? It seems to me to break the very principle most churches preach, yet still themselves have struggles following... the ability to take responsibility for one's own self. I guess we all give up control of our life a little bit. When things are done in order though they seem to flow smoother.
What things though in life are we trying to make flow smoothly? Do they even really matter in the end? If things that we waste time on don't even really matter in the end, why do we waste our life away with things that do not matter? Why do we continually seek a next level in life? Whether it is with money, hobbies, or relationships, we are always looking for things to change. I guess that too in itself is an eternal principle. That seems to be the one constant thing we see anyways... is change... things always change.
The things we saw as important last week might be still important today... but what about 15 years ago? In high school we paint a different image of importance. We all couldn't wait to grow up and show our parents a thing or two. I often wonder how life would have turned out had I just enjoyed the freedom of little responsibility. Then I think again... well I guess I would have turned out like most the other kids from my graduating class. Then I think one more level and I guess I am no different. Yeah I might have some money making principles figured out and think it is ridiculous to have money in a 401k and leverage my pay check through the derivatives of debt. You know how everyone does it... max out their borrowing power to "afford' as much things as they can and work over the next 30 years to pay them off and have a 401k retirement plan that probably won't be worth a dime by the time they get it. I mean how could a 401k work... isn't just like socialism... on paper makes sense yet in reality doesn't work? How can a false market of derivatives seriously be understood as a good thing? Christ taught pay off your debts, yet all these church going Christians are the biggest advocates of debt. I guess they need it though for their paradigm... I can't blame them... I would have it too if I were in that paradigm.
God must be there though... who else could be watching this giant ant farm of society? Well I guess Satan could be controlling it. I bet he is in reality. Debt and 401k's sound like something he would develop to gain control and create a world full of slaves. The different between a slave and serving is simple though. Someone who serves wants to serve. What happened to service? I think I am going to serve more.
Jordyn and I picked up some ornaments from the Giant Christmas Tree at Wal-mart. That seems like a good place to start. Families too... why is it we will jump quick to serve a stranger while we treat our families disrespectfully yet continue to believe we are good people while we slave 60 hours a week at a job just to pay our maxed out credit cards. Should life be that way? I don't think it is... obviously since I try to work as little as possible but work efficiently. I mean Jordyn and I could have that sweet rambler, yet would that be worth sacrificing a real life together? I look at how much time Jordyn and I spend together... Wow... who really spends almost 100% of life with their spouse? I look at my sister's marriage... I'm sure things are great and work for them... yet her husband is always traveling for work. That would suck. Poor Kennedy has to go to day care. Yet again I guess a lot of kids end up in day care these days.
I guess were all a little abnormal though.
Such authors as Mark Twain and C.S. Lewis have made it clear that they never let schooling get in the way of their education. So why go? I still am baffled in this question myself. I guess everyone has their reason. Maybe school is the start of transformation in ones paradigm? Who really knows?
It has been said in the "Mormon" church that "one finds their testimony in the bearing of it." I find that a curious statement with the knowledge of the ability to condition your mind. Of course regularly repeating your belief in the Church you will truly believe that after numerous times. Every day things we each perceive differently and condition our minds to influence the way we act. After all we are all here to act, not to be acted upon right? I choose to believe that. Obvious the more control I take in my life from my 5 realms of human life value the better the outcomes have been.
Why do people give their money to financial planners A.K.A. insurance salesman? It seems to me to break the very principle most churches preach, yet still themselves have struggles following... the ability to take responsibility for one's own self. I guess we all give up control of our life a little bit. When things are done in order though they seem to flow smoother.
What things though in life are we trying to make flow smoothly? Do they even really matter in the end? If things that we waste time on don't even really matter in the end, why do we waste our life away with things that do not matter? Why do we continually seek a next level in life? Whether it is with money, hobbies, or relationships, we are always looking for things to change. I guess that too in itself is an eternal principle. That seems to be the one constant thing we see anyways... is change... things always change.
The things we saw as important last week might be still important today... but what about 15 years ago? In high school we paint a different image of importance. We all couldn't wait to grow up and show our parents a thing or two. I often wonder how life would have turned out had I just enjoyed the freedom of little responsibility. Then I think again... well I guess I would have turned out like most the other kids from my graduating class. Then I think one more level and I guess I am no different. Yeah I might have some money making principles figured out and think it is ridiculous to have money in a 401k and leverage my pay check through the derivatives of debt. You know how everyone does it... max out their borrowing power to "afford' as much things as they can and work over the next 30 years to pay them off and have a 401k retirement plan that probably won't be worth a dime by the time they get it. I mean how could a 401k work... isn't just like socialism... on paper makes sense yet in reality doesn't work? How can a false market of derivatives seriously be understood as a good thing? Christ taught pay off your debts, yet all these church going Christians are the biggest advocates of debt. I guess they need it though for their paradigm... I can't blame them... I would have it too if I were in that paradigm.
God must be there though... who else could be watching this giant ant farm of society? Well I guess Satan could be controlling it. I bet he is in reality. Debt and 401k's sound like something he would develop to gain control and create a world full of slaves. The different between a slave and serving is simple though. Someone who serves wants to serve. What happened to service? I think I am going to serve more.
Jordyn and I picked up some ornaments from the Giant Christmas Tree at Wal-mart. That seems like a good place to start. Families too... why is it we will jump quick to serve a stranger while we treat our families disrespectfully yet continue to believe we are good people while we slave 60 hours a week at a job just to pay our maxed out credit cards. Should life be that way? I don't think it is... obviously since I try to work as little as possible but work efficiently. I mean Jordyn and I could have that sweet rambler, yet would that be worth sacrificing a real life together? I look at how much time Jordyn and I spend together... Wow... who really spends almost 100% of life with their spouse? I look at my sister's marriage... I'm sure things are great and work for them... yet her husband is always traveling for work. That would suck. Poor Kennedy has to go to day care. Yet again I guess a lot of kids end up in day care these days.
I guess were all a little abnormal though.
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