It's A Mindset Thing...

We Can Be Better Humans

After golf the other day I had a conversation with an acquaintance that went something like this: I mentioned a friend’s name… Gal said, “I hear she is an anti-vaxxer” - I was somewhat taken aback and responded, “Aren’t You?” “Me? Heavens No! I have had every vaccine imaginable - RSV, Flu, Shot 1,2, boosters… haven’t you?” “No”, I replied, and to quickly justify my stance I said, “I never got a flu shot to begin with so it just didn’t make sense…” “Oh.” She was a little uncomfortable now. I had just fallen into the Anti-Vax Camp. “Well the science…” she said… I replied, “Haven’t you read about vaccine injuries and deaths? There is a lot of information coming out.” And then she closed the conversation with “Well, I am a nurse….”, turned her back and that was it. Convo over. Our amicable friendship may be a thing of the past. Has this happened to you?

We label people all the time. We think of a particular person as being a bully, a nerd, a musician, or an athlete. This label may be a reasonable reflection of who they are right now, but it also carries a belief that the behavior reflects a person’s essence.

We have been labeling people forever, that is not new, although to me it seems there are more labels than ever now. We cannot say we are male or female, we are binary, he/she, they, it’s dizzying. The labels just to say who we are personally are too many to count.

The above conversation had me kind of sad after, especially being dismissed as I was at the end. (I was not angry. Just sort of mixxed emotions.) Do we wish to be better humans and embrace each other with open hearts, or close people off because they have different views? These are age old questions that in today’s climate haunt me. The gaps between us are highlighted now more than ever it seems.

The messaging that came out during the pandemic framed out psyche subconsciously so that we began to treat each other with disdain, one way or the other. This Children’s Health Defense article explained:

The “not brave” and “trust in sciences” messages were designed to evoke concerns about reputation and social image. The “not brave” message “reframed the idea that being unafraid of the virus is not a brave action, but instead selfish, and that the way to demonstrate bravery is by getting vaccinated because it shows strength and concern for others.” Overall, it was a message that appealed to community interest, reciprocity and a sense of embarrassment that proved most persuasive, resulting in a 30% increase in intention to vaccinate, a 24% increase in willingness to advise a friend to get vaccinated and a 38% increase in negative opinions of people who decline the vaccines relative to the placebo message.

In this study titled “Vaccination as a Social Contract”, it found that “The experiments consistently showed that especially compliant (i.e., vaccinated) individuals showed less generosity toward nonvaccinated individuals. This effect was independent of the others’ group membership, suggesting an unconditional moral principle.”

We were led and manipulated and did not know it. It was/is a carefully crafted mind game based on fear and it cost us friendships, family members and more. The effects are ongoing - we have a basic hesitation of trust in our human counterparts. My encounter with this golf mate above highlights that narrative. I fear I am now in a category with this person, but I will not let it affect my behavior towards her (or anyone else). I will show her love and kindness as I always have. How do we get past the labels that we put on others, or that are put on us?

The level of mind control that has been thrust on us is really unimaginable to me. This post today on twitter (X)

RAMASWAMY: “Remember that Canadian convoy of truckers who bravely stood up against those vaccine mandates? Well, the Canadian government revealed how authoritarian they really are, silencing those truckers with censorship, even seizing or freezing their personal bank accounts.”

Where do we go from here? While we are in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, can we stop and greet a friend? Maybe forgive someone who has distanced themselves from us due to difference of opinion in the current climate? Can we embrace our differences and still be friends, or family members… We have lost a certain humanity and it is my prayer that we get it back, and soon. This is my Christmas wish for you and yours, and for our world. For us as a humanity to get back to acceptance, love and forgiveness. Maybe that seems trite, or maybe a lofty goal, but perhaps with faith we can get there.

I wish you a Merry Christmas. May your goals for the new year include forgiveness, love and acceptance.

All My Love,

Janet

Luke 1: 68-70 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.

psychologytoday.com The Dangers of Labeling Others or Yourself…

mendeley.com Vaccination as a Social Contract