Use Your Big Brain

[image error]Time to turn on your big brain and use it.

Be very careful.

Ask yourself… who is trying to influence me right now?

Be very careful, because people are.

Ask yourself… who is taking advantage of this situation to try and manipulate what happens after this situation?

Don’t be paranoid. But be careful, because people are.

This is something we didn’t have to worry about in China. We had one message coming down, and we followed it. That might sound naive, but it was what it was, and there was a comfort in that.

But most of you are in a different system.

In the west, everything is open. This is great, typically. But in a time of crisis, it can be confusing. Because there are people taking advantage of the openness to try and achieve their own goals.

So be careful.

Be thoughtful.

Use your critical thinking skills.

Think through the stories coming across your social media. Who is publishing this? Are they publishing truth? Are they looking for hits? Are they trying to sway our society? Even if I agree with their premise, are they worthy of my support?

Don’t just repost, but think. Consider. Make your decisions based on reason… not emotion.

And for heaven’s sake, read the articles you’re considering reposting. Don’t just read the headlines.

People tried to influence us this way in 2016, and they succeeded, and that was just a presidential election. Now, we’re in a global pandemic in an election year and are you seriously trying to tell me that people won’t try to influence things during 2020?

2016 had nothing on 2020. 2016 can’t hold 2020’s beer.

But don’t be paranoid. Don’t be fearful.

But do be careful.

Be thoughtful.

Right now it is imperative that we turn on every critical thinking skill to which we have access.

Historians will look back on us and they will judge us on how we react to this time. They will judge how our reactions impacted this time.

Let’s show those future historians that we’re better than those who would try to manipulate and influence and cajole us into doing their bidding.

Let’s turn on our big brains and use them.