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But here’s the thing. I’d like to challenge you to think of something else entirely the next time you see the word “free”.
Perhaps you’ve always thought of yourself as self-reliant rather than as a victim, so it should come easily to immediately associate “free” with FREEDOM instead of a handout. But have you caught yourself lately reducing it more often to a passive state rather than a pro-actively asserted right?
If you have, you’re far from alone. That’s the societal trend nowadays, and it’s not a benevolent one.
Talk to any combat veteran, and they’ll remind you that “freedom isn’t free”. And yes, people have fought hard and died to earn freedom and protect it. But the phrase itself–‘freedom isn’t free”–has lapsed into little more than a cliche in today’s post-modern world.
Some may say we have simply become spoiled by freedom, taking it for granted. But evidence all around us speaks to a more profoundly dangerous mindset. To best illustrate what I’m getting at, consider this reversal of the oft-repeated phrase:
“Free Isn’t Freedom”
You’ve seen the news lately. It’s frustrating to see virtually any socio-political position glibly associated with “saving democracy”, even as the other side’s “democracy saving” opinion is denounced (equally glibly) as “fascist”.
Whether it’s tone-deafness or straight-up propaganda is up for debate. But how does one filter all of that, particularly when both left- and right-leaning media are promoting a similar message, albeit pointed in opposite directions?
Being an independent thinker is more fraught than ever, given how bombarded we are with headlines these days. There’s simply no way to research the “truth” behind every story enough to avoid being derided as an “idiot” on Twitter.
But here’s how to cut through the onslaught of mind games, find the truth, and stand up for it.
Focus on FREEDOM. Always ask yourself if the plan or initiative you’re reading about increases it, or diminishes it.
Importantly, the “democracy” we’re simultaneously being told is “threatened” and must be “saved” is not synonymous with freedom. It’s merely a component of it. What good is the freedom to vote for what we want, if we all willingly vote to decrease our other personal freedoms? Could it be that the prevailing narrative regarding “threats to democracy” is really meant to distract us from what’s happening to erode our overall personal freedom?
In its purest form, FREEDOM means having the RIGHT to do as you wish.
Obviously, there are limitations in the best interest of society at large. But FREE societies universally feature the right of citizens to make their own decisions. Not just at the ballot box, but in the much larger arena of life in general.
And that’s exactly what’s at stake in today’s world.
The biggest challenge to freedom right now is the simple fact that doing what we’re told feels good. When following the directions of others seems to pay off, freedom is rendered irrelevant. The previously sacrosanct American ideal of “questioning authority” seems quaint, at best.
By now, pronouncing freedom as irrelevant may not even be a shocking statement to many. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed post- modern society’s indifference toward freedom in spectacular fashion.
We stayed home because we were told to. We dutifully practiced “social distancing”, while predictably clinging to social media instead. There, we were directed to the opinions we were told mattered, all at the expense of real conversation with real people–who out here in the real world are mostly all trying to get along.
One of the more persistent opinions was (and remains) that people who do not do what they are told are the dangerous ones. The narrative was crafted (by whom, anyway?) and the masses followed. The social experiment flat-out worked–in grand fashion. The masses largely obeyed, all the while assisting in the vilification of those who questioned The Powers That Be.
Is there any wonder so many people favor “reimagining” stuff we’ve never imagined needed “reimagining”? After all, that’s what certain “influencers” online have told us we need to do.
Spending all that time on “news” sites, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok is free of charge. Going out and socializing face-to-face is ludicrously expensive by comparison. Even on the occasions people venture out, their noses are still buried in their smartphones.
But have we counted the true cost of “socializing” electronically? “Free isn’t freedom”.
Just the other day a delivery truck for a certain relatively obscure brand passed by my window and I commented to my wife about it. A few minutes later when I returned to my computer, I was hit with ads for that very brand, with an online coupon attached.
Apathetic bliss reaches to the very baseline core of our existence. We eagerly respond to marketing messages telling us what to buy, what to eat, even how to feel. DoorDash and Amazon deliver it to us in the comfort of our own home. Actually going out and exploring the real world is at best, unnecessary, if not straight-up inconvenient. And if you think about it, it’s ludicrously expensive by comparison.
But what’s the real cost? “Free Isn’t Freedom“.
Meanwhile, our “smart” televisions are similarly wired to accommodate our passivity. They have increased in both size and HD clarity in recent years while decreasing in price. Why so cheap? The manufacturers of our new electronic toys are selling our viewing habits to the highest bidder.
Have we even figured out we’re being targeted that closely? Try rewinding the commercials on a DVR recording and going through them again sometime. They just might be different commercials.
Between commercials, more than ever before we can “safely” watch the rest of the world go on fantastic adventures which we no longer feel necessary to take on ourselves. That would cost money. And there are risks involved. The TV makes it look and feel like we’re practically there anyway.
But what’s the real cost? “Free Isn’t Freedom“.
Even now, we stay home and do as we’re told. We don’t even have to work, and more of us than ever don’t even see the point of it. The ambitious drive that built this country fades into the background when dear old Uncle Sam keeps sending us “free” checks.
But what’s the real cost? “Free Isn’t Freedom“.
And yes, we’re led to believe women don’t want us as men anymore because there’s somehow something wrong with us as masculine men. We’re told to “do better”, whatever that means. Dutifully, we “sit down, shut up, and stay in our lane”, even as masculinity itself is diluted in the media to the point of being an undefinable term.
At the same time, we’re instructed that everything we’ve ever assumed about who “women” are might be all wrong. Why bother even trying to be a man? What does that even mean anymore?
Why risk relating to “women”? I mean, with free and plentiful HD porn, we’re offered the ability to meet our physical needs without all the “hassle” of human relationships. “Virtual reality” is barely even considered so “virtual” anymore.
What will all this really cost in the end? “Free Isn’t Freedom“.
Gentlemen, as masculine leaders it’s up to us to snap out of this sleepwalk. Step up, and make a conscious decision to boldly go out and do what it is you really want to do. Do it with purpose.
It may take time to even figure that out at this point. But I can assure you with every fiber of my being that every high-quality woman you help wake up out of her societal slumber will love you for it.
Let’s do this thing.
Be Good,
Scot McKay
P.S. It’s time to be a MAN when meeting and interacting with women again. What if women absolutely adored you from now on? This is for you.
P.P.S. Want more? This very discussion is going on in even greater depth at The Mountain Top Summit group on Facebook. Join here and I’ll personally welcome you into our thriving community of high-character “big four” men.