Tag Archives: current events

Soapbox Ethics- Pride vs Humility

Most mornings, when I sit down and open my computer, I skim through the “news” headlines. I check to see what things I missed the previous day, but I also do it out of habit. These articles continue to become less and less “news” or information stories. Instead, the pages are bombarded with pride and arrogance with a strong intent to tell us how we should be thinking or believing.

So many people with money, power, and influence feel they need to force their ideals on others. All you need to do it watch an awards show for a prime example. What a display of arrogance! They are not encouraging people to think. Instead, they tell them how to think. Only their personal opinions matter and are correct. If you don’t agree, then you are an uneducated, hateful person. They defend their positions with “free speech” while intending to suppress “free thought.” They deflect their personal hate and unhappiness on others.  Fear and intimidation are the key tools of pride and arrogance. 

What they are missing is that humility is more influential than arrogance. If we approach with a humble heart and an open mind, we can begin to find stronger faith and purpose. Stubborn pride closes our mind and soul to truth, leaving the individual with hate and bitterness towards others.

Give your opinion, explain it, and let individuals decide for themselves. Most importantly, respect their opinion and belief if they do not meet the same conclusion.

This is my purpose, I want you, the reader, to not agree with me, but I desire you to evaluate and make your own decisions, opinions, and beliefs. I do not have the answers, but my articles are to make you think and question. Why do you believe it?

Truth is built on a strong foundation.

Stop blindly following those who use their platform to demand conformity. Instead, find the truth deep within that you’ve always had. We are born with it as it was given to us in our creation. A person’s life purpose is to seek truth by discovering who they are as an individual. Take a humble approach, realizing that no one person has it all right.

We are all on this journey to truth. Help others with encouragement and humility. Don’t drag them along like a hostage.

Proverbs 11:2  When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Just a Few Lingering Thoughts…

My apologies as it has been a long pause in writing my next blog. Life has this strange way of getting away from us while we try to chase it down. It definitely reminds me that time is one of our greatest enemies. It’s unbeatable, unstoppable, and inevitable. 

“You may delay, but time will not.” -Benjamin Franklin.

The world is constantly changing. Unfortunately, it’s more bad than good if you listen to the “experts” who flood all our senses every day. War, destruction, conspiracy, protests, and political conflicts bombard us from every angle, making it easy to lose hope. How many times do you watch the evening news and feel encouraged? Likely, very few times, if any.

Someone asked me the other day, “Why is the world such a cluster right now?”

My answer, “Because we allow mankind to control it.”

Human guidance is flawed, no matter how good the intention is. Mankind is a large group of individuals who all think individually. We are not a collective and can not be a collective. Independent thought prevents this mentality. Communism and strict Socialism have proven that collectivism is unable to succeed even with strong enforcement.

As many of you may know, I am a strong opponent of conformity. No true freedom can be experienced under the tent of conformity. It blocks us in, controls us, forces us, and in the end, we suffer.

When we accept society’s standards, we become endentured to it.

Disagree with mainstream society: be labeled and cast out. I’m okay with it. It is the first step of gaining freedom. Separate yourself from mankind and its required conformity. This allows us to find something greater than society’s standards.

Be in the world, but not of it.

The World Will Stand Against You

We are seeing a rapid decay in the world as it turns from what is good and righteous to hatred that is trying to be sold as “love” and “acceptance”. Those who challenge this are branded, banished, even killed. Jesus spoke these words which are still true:

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.” Matthew 24:9-10

Righteousness is under attack by those who choose hate. It is not love. Follow them, or you will be persecuted. This world expects you to conform, and if you step out of line or challenge it, the consequences could be disastrous.

Woke is not the party of acceptance- it is a party of intolerance and hate. Socialist attitudes is not to make everyone “equal”. It is about control and enslavement to the system.

Choose not to live in fear. Live in righteousness, no matter the cost. Jesus came to save the world, and they hated him for it. Yet, he did what he set out to do.

If we hide in fear, we have given hatred the victory.

In righteousness there is only victory, never defeat.

Not a Typical War

Like it or not, we are in a war. People continue to say that another Civil War is coming due to the divide that continues to grow in this country. I totally disagree with that statement. The war has already begun, but it does not look like what people think. This country and this world are in an “ideological” war. The sides are not using guns and artillery nor are they capturing land, but rather they are using words, beliefs, and that have been “weaponized” to advance agendas to elevate themselves and those beliefs. It is not a conventional war, but it is warfare, plain and simple.


Morality has reached a crisis as immorality has successfully blurred the lines under the umbrella of total inclusion. No belief or behavior should be discouraged, but rather it is encouraged. Being “moral” has now become synonymous with hatred, racism, intolerance, and bigotry. It is an attack against what is good and right. What will we do?

Is there hope?


One option is to surrender and accept it, letting this immoral thinking win. Many have given up feeling it is hopeless to resist. The old adage states, “if you can’t beat them, join them.” People have surrendered too much as they feel defeated and shunned by society. This has become a life of misery, though deep in our souls, we know that this is not how we are to live. The conscience will continue to speak even when shoved down into the deepest recesses of our very being.

As I write this, violence is beginning to sweep through LA. I can see the hatred spread as both sides as they take measures to advance their agenda. There is nothing glamorous nor glorious about this “protest.”

I encourage you to hold fast to your faith, your morality, and to that which is good. Do not surrender your values to the enemy in this war of ideology. You do not have to pick up arms or hurl rocks to make a stand. Live a life of moral example and demonstrate compassion with love and without compromise.

We are at war. It’s time to fight back.

Bravely Into the Unknown

What is it about the unknown that fascinates us? Why can’t we be content and just let the unknown be what it is? Humans have a drive to want to know more than what is placed before them. We are like the little kids who constantly ask their parents, “why?” It is that moment as a parent that we try to explain, but the follow-up “why” keeps coming like a torrential flood.

I use this example, because in life every answer can be followed up with “why.” There is always more to know even when we think that we have gotten to the final answer. Guess what? There is no final answer to this question; it is a chain of constant mystery and constant discovery. To me, that is what makes living so fascinating! You can never know it all and you can constantly discover new things every day of your life! I can continue to try to be like a motivational speaker and put a positive spin on everything, but I am a realist also. This can be an extremely frustrating and disheartening part of life which can become a spiral downward into depression and eventually apathy.

The soul needs to find answers but must also be enlightened to the fact that not all answers can be found. I remind myself on a daily basis that if I knew all the answers my tiny brain would not be able to handle it, and I would likely implode. The human mind is not equipped to handle total knowledge. We can barely handle the knowledge of good and evil. When faced with morally good choices, how many times do we choose the evil choice? It is an almost daily occurrence.

Humans are made in God’s “image” and not made to be “gods.” This does not mean that we should not strive to be greater than we are. We need to continue to strive to be holy and moral, seeking out the answers to life. Souls are designed to grow in wisdom and knowledge just like an apple tree is designed to grow fruit and flourish. Everything in nature grows for a purpose according to its design.

Mankind is not different in this respect.

It is different in that we are self-aware with the ability to destroy the balance. It is the price of the knowledge between good and evil. Right and wrong. Moral and immoral.

Humans are the most destructive force of nature.

Will you strive to rise above it?

Back to the Howling Dog Out in the Woods…

They say with age comes wisdom. While I believe this to be true, I feel more than wisdom is gained with age. We gain perspective. When we are young, we are adventurous to the point of wrecklessness. There is a sense of invulernabity that people approach life early on.

We strive for the exceptional life, traveling a “yellow brick road” to fame and glory. We constantly dream of being more than we are, no matter how successful our life has been. How many times have you imagined yourself as a music star or a great actor? I know all of us dreamed of fame and fortune.

With age comes perspective and the realization that the road we walk is endless and will never reach the great kingdom of Oz. No matter how much we achieve, the human soul craves more and will be unsatisfied.  It is human nature. There is a spark in each of us that strives to perfection even though we see clear as day that we are completely flawed.

We must come to a realization that perfection is impossible within the human framework. Perfection or success is not found on a road paved in gold or a penthouse in the highest building. We need to focus beyond the physical world of success.

It is the success of the soul.

Oh, I’ve finally decided my future lies beyond the yellow brick road.

Cultivation of one’s soul is where satisfaction in life comes from. It is clear there is moral right and wrong and a life focused and learned on the moral good will bring about our best life. You may or may not believe in God, but I do, and I believe that the key is to sow seeds of peace, love, and holiness while rooting out evil, hatred, and selfishness. These things will strangle one’s soul, causing misery and despair.

Now is the time…. change your perspective and let go of the unattainable. Go beyond the yellow brick road and find a fulfilled life cultivating your soul.

Big Brother Is Watching

Recently, I started re-reading the book 1984 by George Orwell, and it is hitting me quite differently from when I read it back in 1991. Thirty-five years ago, the concepts portrayed seemed unrealistic and far-fetched. It was truly a work of science fiction. Now today in 2025, I see it more like a prophecy of a world that we should fear. Authors in the late 40’s, 50’s and 60′ were able to see the danger and the “writing on the wall.” Authors like Phillip K. Dick seemed to have a premonition of the future. In his work, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, he tackles if Androids who look, act and think like humans have a soul. With the advancements in AI, we are starting to face the ethical issues Dick tackled in 1968.

We are in an age where we are surrounded with surveillance devices that can track all our moves, and we can be found no matter where we go. Police can track people from “pings” on cell phone towers, using credit or debit cards, and cameras placed all around. Privacy is becoming harder and harder to attain as we are surrounded by this expanding technology.

We are always being watched.

Not only are we watched, but we are influenced or, I prefer to call it, “conditioned.” People are spoon-fed a narrative that, over time, will cause them to indirectly think or feel a certain way. Our advancements in technology have made it easier for one group to assert its control over individuals and other groups. We are all under a large microscope with the eye of “Big Brother” looking through the lens. We are forced to play along and pretend even when it goes against the very fiber of our being.

This is not freedom.

This is conformity leading to control.

Humankind is wired to be independent, spontaneous, and free thinking (for good or bad). In 1776, the people of this nation rose up against a controlling force that they could no longer tolerate due to the stranglehold this empire had on them. Fortunately, without modern technology, the British were unable to quell this rebellion driven by desired freedom. Almost two-hundred and fifty years later, we find the weight of immoral oppression weighing down on us. The tools being used are more sophisticated and the narrative is better written, but we find our way of belief being threatened on a daily basis, just like before.

I hate the word “conformity ” with every fiber of my being. To me, it means that we obey even when we disagree and know that it is wrong. Yet, we must overcome this fear and fight the conformity and control that continues to grow within our society.

Morality and truth always stand above any government or institution. These man-made entities are not the ultimate authority in determining the way we live our life. Institutions are the engines of conformity and will lead to our moral destruction. Just as the story of Sodom and Gamora, we see ultimate abandonment of what is good and just into a hedonistic society will result in ultimate destruction.

Where do we go from here? How do we stop this society into becoming the world of 1984? You must resist and live the way you were intended to live. It is not a violent revolution that is needed, but rather, a mass ethical movement from us forcing the tide again those who wish to control us.

Do not let Big Brother control your life. Remember to never take all information as “truth” no matter what the source is. Hold up your moral level and see what the bubble tells you. Don’t be afraid to tell the world that the bubble is off.

The bubble doesn’t lie.

The Wealth of Knowledge

This weekend, I was mulling over my next article, but I wanted to reach out to those reading my blog. Topics come to me from listening to news, reading books and articles, and many times, music ignites a thought. This time, I would like the audience to ignite a thought or two.

What about you? Is there a topic or thought that you would like me to write about? I would like to pursue topics that my audience is interested it.

Please share in the comments any topics you would like to hear about. The pursuit of truth always continues, and we must persevere, persisting in the hunt.

I was bold in the pursuit of knowledge, never fearing to follow truth and reason to whatever results they led. -Thomas Jefferson

I look forward to your responses!

Leave a comment

Walking In Your Footsteps: Following the Crowd.

What has happened to independent thinking? We continue to walk down these heavily worn paths that lead to failure and immorality. So many follow the path without question, putting their trust in institutions, governments, social media, religion and others.

Following the mass has never gotten us any closer to truth, for truth needs to be discovered by the individual. It is a journey that is both richly rewarding and extremely dangerous. Dangerous you say?? Yes. When you break from the masses, they will turn against you and shun you for not following their predetermined way. You are required to comply.

We are expected to stay in line and not misbehave according to their “rules.”

Yet, this is how you know that you are on the right path. Following truth is always met with resistance. It is much easier to do what is easy and beneficial to the individual in that moment without thinking of any broader implications. Instead of weighing moral implications, it is easier to act according to self-pleasure and the path of least resistance. An individual can stand and watch an injustice or immoral act happen, knowing deep in his/her soul that it is wrong, but support it regardless. Even though, every fiber of their being cries out against it.

Avoid the conflict.

Avoid challenging people due to fear of being outcasted, disposed, or despised.

It is so much easier this way.

Go with the flow, dude. Just like Marlin’s friend, Crush, would say in Finding Nemo.

Here is where the challenge resides. A person must recognize the injustice and choose to move towards the truth instead, even under the threat of being questioned or cast out. Nobody can force you to accept things that are wrong. Do not succumb to the pressure to conform and accept what society determines to be “truth.” This includes institutions, government, social media, and even religious organizations.

Make your own footsteps. Feel the resistance in the ground instead of the matted-down trail of the masses. Flowers cannot grow and bloom on trampled soil. Only the weeds can grow there among the untruths.

The Power of Curiosity: Embracing the Unknown

What is it that attracts us to the unknown? There is this lure and longing in people to embrace the unknown and seek to discover the undiscovered. You see a closed box and it has a sign on it that reads “do not open”. What is your first instinct? Immediately, you want to know what is in the box. Who placed the box there? Most importantly, why do they not want the box opened? It becomes a game that can make our brain hurt, since we let ourselves become distracted by such an item.

It says that it should not be opened, but every fiber in our being wants to know why.

“Curiosity killed the cat.” Luckily, he has nine lives unless eight have already been used, so then he is flat out of luck.

We are curious creatures by nature, desiring to know everything. Life is spent constantly searching for answers. This is both in a physical and mental sense. People want to know what the purpose of life is, and, at the same time, what is at the bottom of the deepest ocean. This curiosity is what drives us forward, and it is healthy! Humankind should be in a constant mindset of asking questions and searching for answers.

When a person loses this desire to discover or explore, life can become depressing and unfulfilling. The fatalist will say that there is no point in searching for answers because they will never be found, nor do they exist. Why waste the time and the effort on a pointless exercise? This is a person who has lost all hope. They no longer care as they muddle through a meaningless existence.

Don’t let yourself fall into pit of apathy and give up on hope. We need it. We must have it, or we will wither and die like a plant without water and sunlight. If there is no purpose to living this life, why is there a deep seeded drive born within each person to be significant? People strive to have an impact on humanity, achieving great things. We all start with dreams as children of becoming a superhero, a doctor, musician or an astronaut. Those who no longer dream have given up hope and resigned themselves to a life of insignificance. Yet, there is a life of significance for everyone to be had!

Fear of the future will destroy us. We need to look at each day as a chance to foster and grow hope. Embrace the unknown and find satisfaction in discovering new truths or affirming those you have already discovered. Never snuff or suppress curiosity, for it is in your nature. Part of the human condition is this; the need to seek.

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but satisfaction brought him back.