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Diane Engelhardt's avatar

People have this fundamental, yet bizarre psychological need to belong to a team, a tribe, a group because they’re too afraid or insecure to stand alone even if they have doubts about what their team actually represents morally and spiritually (provided they are capable of thinking that deeply). People also have a bizarre need to be right, and they can only be cozily, lazily right when other people are deemed wrong. Separating ourselves into right and wrong, good and bad, red and blue, winner and loser, etc. is not only the most simplistic and immature way of seeing an essentially complex world, but it is the easiest, the safest, and the most effective way to avoid any kind of personal responsibility for the consequences of how we think and act; that’s why people need leaders so they can follow loyally and blissfully when things go well, and dump them when they fuck up and find a replacement who makes them feel like winners again. It takes a lot of inner strength and courage to keep reminding people of the real issues, as you do, Caitlin, and to take constant flak from people who do not want to look for, let alone see, the truth, and who get some sick satisfaction from viciously attacking you for saying what they don’t want to hear. But without voices like yours, without bright lights in the darkness, we would be truly lost and floundering. Wear that bullet-proof vest, Caitlin, and keep that laptop bursting into flame!

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Mary Beth Rockwell's avatar

Caitlin, as utterly insane as the world is right now, your words are truly helping rescue me from all the gaslighting by reminding me that I’m not alone in my beliefs. Thank you. ♥️

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